Kid Cudi’s ninth studio album, INSANO fails to impress on the charts. Debuting at a lackluster #13 on the Billboard 200 with only 35,000 equivalent album units sold in its first week, the album garnered mixed reviews from critics who pointed to its perceived lack of focus.
“INSANO” becomes the Ohio native’s joint second lowest-charting and third lowest-selling solo album, behind 2015’s ‘Bullet 2 Heaven,’ which debuted at No. 36 and sold 19,365 units in its first week, and Entergalactic, which sold 22,500 units and debuted at No. 13.
Released on January 19, ‘INSANO’ features collaborations with Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Lil Wayne, Pharrell Williams, XXXTentacion, and Young Thug. Cudi shared with Apple Music that the album drew inspiration from Kendrick Lamar’s electrifying performance on The Big Steppers tour in Paris.
“I was still in this place of figuring out what this album would sound like…I go to see Kendrick. This mothef*cker blew my f****ng mind…I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show to the end of the show…People were singing every f****ng word. I had this moment where I was like, this is the reaction I want. I want people to feel good, and I want it to be a joyous occasion when I’m performing. I took that, and Kendrick has always been [one of] my top 3 artists in the world…I took that inspiration and I said, let’s f****ng go to work…I’m happy, I’m in a better place in my life…”
Cudi would go on to say that the album is designed for a live show setting and is different from any album he’s put out before.
Prior to INSANO’s release, Cudi hinted at the release of an extended version: “The deluxe is basically another album,” he tweeted on Wednesday (Jan. 10). “There wont be 20 plus songs, but u get a nice amount [wink emoji] lookin to drop NEXT WEEK.”
