The R&B singer, rapper and songwriter, Bryson Tiller obtained his first no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 last week with his second album True To Self with approximately 107,000 album equivalents, including streams and downloads, according to Billboard.
The album, True to Self, was released on RCA Records May 26th and is the follow up to the Kentucky native’s debut album Trapsoul, released in 2015. Lead single “Somethin Tells Me” peaked at no. 2 on the U.S Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, and no. 41 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs. In August, Tiller will promote the album on the Set It Off Tour alongside R&B singer H.E.R, and producer Metro Boomin.
Tiller rose to notoriety with SoundCloud track “Don’t” in 2014 which ended becoming the lead single for Trapsoul. The song peaked at no. 13 on the U.S Hot 100. However, the album debuted at no. 11 on the Billboard 200, selling approximately 22,000 copies its first week, according to Billboard. But, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Tiller’s latest album was arguably the most anticipated follow up, not including Frank Ocean’s Blonde. While pure album sales don’t mean as much as they once did, Tiller’s no. 1 didn’t sell nearly as much as Blonde’s which pushed approximately 275,000 album equivalents in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200.
Noteworthy, Tiller was included in Forbes magazine “30 Under 30” in January of 2017, confirming our assertion that there’s little to no money in the music industry pertaining to album saves, not including megastars such as Drake, Kanye West, etc. While the edition of the magazine has nothing to do with monetary achievements, it highlights the notoriety of those selected.
And, it’s been the music, not the sales, that has done it for Tiller. The influence he’s obtained over the masses led him to receive the key to the city of Louisville by Mayor Greg Fischer in March of 2016.
