Music fans were shocked by the underwhelming sales performance of Will Smith’s latest album. The acclaimed actor, famous for his roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Men in Black, has a significant music career, highlighted by his iconic theme song for the show that propelled him to stardom.
Despite his past successes, Smith’s most recent musical project, “Based on a True Story,” released on March 28, failed to make a significant impact on the charts, disappointing fans who labeled it a flop. This raised questions about the album’s sales figures.
A discussion on the r/Music Reddit page brought attention to the possibility that Will Smith’s album could hold the record for the biggest sales decline among established artists. Despite notable collaborations on the album, “Based on a True Story” did not make it onto the Billboard 200, marking the first time Smith missed the Top 200.
In the UK, the album’s sales figures were equally disheartening, with only 268 physical copies sold in its debut week. According to reports from The Sun, digital downloads in the UK totaled just 36.
Nonetheless, Smith is gearing up for a major European tour to promote the new album. In an Instagram post, he announced the upcoming tour, expressing excitement about performing his hits, new tracks, and surprises for his fans.
While some Reddit users expressed disappointment in Smith’s recent music release, citing comparisons to other artists’ album sales, others pointed out the evolving importance of streaming statistics over traditional chart rankings. Despite the album’s lackluster sales, one optimistic fan highlighted the high streaming numbers for Smith’s track “You Can Make It,” which garnered 3.8 million streams.
The ongoing debate over the significance of album sales versus streaming numbers continues as the music industry evolves.