Earlier this month, Donald Glover unveiled his final project under his Childish Gambino moniker, Bando Stone And The New World. The eclectic project has since received mixed reviews. While many found it to be a solid last effort, others were left somewhat disappointed. This is expected to be reflected in the album's commercial performance too, as its first-week sales projections are less than impressive.
According to HITS Daily Double, Bando Stone And The New World is on track to move 35K album-equivalent units in its first week, including 3K in pure sales. This would mean that the album wouldn't crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Instead, it would debut at No. 15.
Childish Gambino's Bando Stone And The New World Expected To Sell 35K Its First Week
While this figure is certainly lower than one would hope, this doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, as Gambino has seen a steady decline in sales since his 2020 album 3.15.20. In its first week, it sold 25K, a considerable drop-off from the numbers he was seeing in the 2010s. His 2013 album Because the Internet, for example, earned 96K in its first week and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. This was before Billboard counted streams towards album sales. 2016's “Awaken, My Love!” had a similarly impressive first week, entering the top five with 101K.
Regardless, Gambino's latest release marks the end of an era, and the beginning of another. To celebrate, he's scheduled to kick off a world tour next month with a performance in Oklahoma and has set the bar high. "If this isn’t the best live show you’ve seen," he promised on Hot Ones, "After the first song, if you’re like, ‘I gotta go,’ you can leave and I’ll give you your money back. That’s how much I care about all of this. That’s not a joke." What do you think of the first-week sales projections for Childish Gambino's new album, Bando Stone And The New World? Are you surprised or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
