The set, which was released on March 8 via Grade A/Interscope Records, earned 165,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 14, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 43,000 were in album sales.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new March 23-dated chart -- where Death Race launches at No. 1 -- will be posted in full on Billboard's websites on March 19.
Juice WRLD previously visited the top 10 with a pair of albums, both in 2018. WRLD on Drugs, his collaborative set with Future, debuted and peaked at No. 2 (on the Nov. 3, 2018-dated chart), while Juice WRLD’s debut studio album, Goodbye & Good Riddance, climbed to a No. 8 peak on Aug. 11.
Death Race logs both the biggest week overall, and the largest streaming week, for an R&B/hip-hop album in 2019. Of Death Race’s 165,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening frame, 120,000 were in SEA units, which translates to 176.44 million on-demand audio streams for its songs.
The last R&B/hip-hop album to tally a larger week in both units and streams was Meek Mill’s Championships, when it launched at No. 1 on the Dec. 15, 2018-dated list with 229,000 units earned, and 235.44 million on-demand audio streams.
Death Race nets the second-biggest streaming week of 2019 for any album, trailing only the debut week of Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next (307 million on-demand audio streams, Feb. 23).
Speaking of Thank U, Next, the album holds at No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, with 72,000 equivalent album units (down 16 percent). Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born soundtrack is also a non-mover, staying steady at No. 3 with 48,000 units (down 35 percent).
Maren Morris nets her highest-charting album yet on the Billboard 200, as Girl bows at No. 4 with 46,000 units (with 25,000 of that sum in album sales). It surpasses her previous high, logged when Hero debuted and peaked at No. 5 (June 25, 2016). Further, Morris logs the highest charting country album by a female artist in over five months. Carrie Underwood was the last female act to go higher with a country set, when Cry Pretty debuted at No. 1 on the Sept. 29, 2018-dated list.
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack steps 6-5 on the new Billboard 200, earning 36,000 units (down 17 percent), while A Boogie Wit da Hoodie’s Hoodie SZN climbs 10-6 with 34,000 units (down 3 percent).
Post Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys rebounds 11-7 with 32,000 units (down 1 percent), Gunna’s Drip or Drown 2 is stationary at No. 8 with 31,000 units (down 25 percent) and Drake’s Scorpion ascends 12-9 with 30,000 units (up less than 1 percent).
Closing out the new top 10 is Travis Scott’s Astroworld, rising 13-10 with 28,000 units (down 4 percent).
