The Weeknd Breaks Billboard Global 200 Record With ‘Dawn FM’
Written by SOURCE on January 20, 2022
Though it failed to debut atop the Billboard 200, The Weeknd’s Dawn FM album is an undeniable hit—especially in international markets.
According to Billboard, the newly released project made a strong showing around the world, topping the official charts of the U.K., Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and, of course, his home country of Canada. Dawn FM has also helped The Weeknd set a new Billboard record, charting 24 songs on the Global 200 chart—the most entries in a single week for a solo male performers.
The tracks that have placed on the Global 200 include “Sacrifice” at No. 2, as well as “Take My Breath,” “Gasoline,” “Out of Time,” “Is There Someone Else?,” “How Do I Make You Love Me?,” and the Ariana Grande-assisted “Save Your Tears” remix, which first appeared on his 2020 effort, After Hours.
Billboard also points out that there is only one other artist who has had more Global 200 entries in a single week: Taylor Swift, with 31 songs. Kanye West trails The Weeknd with 23, followed by Drake with 22 and 21 for the weeks ending Sept. 18, 2001, and Sept. 25, 2001, respectively.
Dawn FM hit streaming services on Jan. 7, and debuted at the No. 2 spot with 148,000 equivalent album units. It followed Gunna’s DS4Ever album, which moved about 150,300 units. However, some experts believe The Weeknd still has a chance to secure another No. 1 project with Dawn FM, as its upcoming vinyl and CD releases could give it a significant boost.
“The impact of Dawn FM speaks to The Weeknd’s undeniable global appeal and further reinforces the healing power of music,” Monte Lipman, Republic Records founder and CEO, said in a statement. “The non-traditional rollout represents Abel’s pure dedication to his fans by making new music available in real time. This body of work has captured the imagination of both the creative community and the overall marketplace.”
