Drake's team is framing this as a historic moment of artistic triumph—ICEMAN proving once again that the OVO boss remains unmatched in the game, with three albums simultaneously occupying Billboard 200's top three spots for the first time ever.
Industry insiders are buzzing about just how calculated Drake's release strategy has become. Dropping three albums in rapid succession—ICEMAN, HABIBTI, and MAID OF HONOUR—to lock down the entire top three while competitors scramble is being called a 'chokehold' on the market by rival labels.
Drake's 'Janice STFU' drew 69.4 million streams and sold 3,000 copies worldwide in its first week (May 15-21) according to Luminate data. He now holds a record 45 Global 200 top 10s since the chart began in September 2020, surpassing Taylor Swift's 42.
Drake has essentially built a monopoly on the Billboard charts—and while competitors scramble for scraps, he's busy collecting trophies and breaking his own records.
Drake just pulled off something no artist has ever done in Billboard's 70-year chart history. The Toronto native's 'Janice STFU' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart dated May 30, but that's almost beside the point—the real story is what else he's accomplished with his album ICEMAN and its sister releases. ICEMAN itself landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while HABIBTI came in at No. 2 and MAID OF HONOUR settled at No. 3 simultaneously.
This makes Drake the first artist ever to occupy the top three spots on the chart at once—a feat that industry veterans are calling unprecedented and rivals are reportedly viewing with a mixture of admiration and alarm. The streaming numbers for 'Janice STFU' during its first week (May 15-21) are staggering: 69.4 million streams and 3,000 copies sold worldwide, according to Luminate data. But Drake didn't stop there.
Eight of his songs—all from ICEMAN—debuted in the Global 200's top 10 this week alone. That's not a playlist; that's a takeover. What makes this even more remarkable is that 'Janice STFU' also debuted at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Hot 100, giving Drake his fourth Global 200 No. 1 overall and his fourth consecutive chart-topping debut.
His previous leaders include 'IDGAF' featuring Yeat (October 21, 2023), 'Rich Flex' with 21 Savage (November 19, 2022), and 'What's Next' (March 20, 2021). Meanwhile, BTS' 'Swim' continues to hold down the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a seventh consecutive week at No. 1, proving that even Drake's historic run hasn't completely wiped out competition overseas—but it's close.
