Chris Brown earns his 12th top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as his latest studio effort 11:11 debuts at No. 9 with just over 45,000 equivalent album units sold in its first week.
Billboard reports that the bulk of the album’s sales stem from streaming, with SEA units accounting for 38,000 (equivalent to 50.97 million official on-demand streams of the set’s songs). Album sales make up a mere 6,000 units, while TEA units contribute an additional 1,000.
“11:11” represents a new low in Chris Brown’s career, marking his lowest first-week sales ever. The last time his album experienced such underwhelming commercial performance was in 2017 with “Heartbreak on a Full Moon,” which sold 68,000 copies and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Brown’s highest first-week sales came with his 2007 album “Exclusive,” which sold an impressive 295,000 units in its debut week.
Originally slated for a November 11 release, the 34-year-old singer surprised fans by dropping the dual disc album a day early on November 10. Featuring 11 songs on both Side A and Side B, “11:11” boasts guest appearances from a diverse range of artists, including Davido, Lojay, Byron Messia, Victoria Monét, Future, and Fridayy.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Brown expressed his desire for fans to appreciate his artistry, writing, “I just feel I need you all to really miss me and take my art seriously. I’M JUST focused on giving y’all the best to digest. 11:11 make a wish.”
Despite Brown’s intentions, “11:11” has received mixed reviews, with some critics suggesting that the album lacks the consistency and impact of his previous work. Whether Brown decides to take a break from music or continue to release new material remains to be seen.
