Capturing your first No. 1 album should be an absolute joy and one of the crowning achievements of your career as a musician.
However, reaching the milestone is bittersweet for Gunna.
Although his Wunna album reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, the events following the death of George Floyd have taken greater significance. On Sunday (May 31), he shared his thoughts on Twitter, writing, “It’s hard celebrating a #1 album when the wold is Hurting.”
It’s hard celebrating a #1 album when the world is Hurting ???
— WUNNA (@1GunnaGunna) May 31, 2020
Wunna reached the top spot with 111,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 28, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The album was a streaming favorite as it picked up 143.6 million on-demand streams, and it bests his previous effort, 2019’s Drip or Drown 2, which landed at No. 3 with 90,000 units earned.
Gunna’s strategy regarding the release and promotion of Wunna from horoscopes to new music videos was capped off by a live-streamed concert on Friday (May 29). He initially wanted to postpone due to the George Floyd protests occurring in Atlanta and nationwide.
“I was goin to cancel it due to the circumstances of our country! But I also want to speak on it and didn’t kno how to start..” he wrote on Instagram. “I never saw my city like this ! I feel our pain I want to fight for our rights ! But I don’t want US To destroy our own communities!”
He added, “the police have been killing us for years and still are and we should come together around that cause! this live performance is for all the black lives lost to the hands of police murders. We will be sending all the funds raised here to the organizations that support the cause.”
Review: Gunna Is No Longer Mini-Young Thug With ‘Wunna’ Album
Lil Baby’s My Turn continues its consistent rise up the Billboard 200 chart as the album now sits at No. 2 on the latest chart with 65,000 equivalent album units earned. Last week’s No. 1, Future’s High Off Life drops to No. 3 with 61,000 units earned.
Elsewhere on the chart, Polo G’s The GOAT drops from No. 2 last week to No. 5 this week with 52,000 units earned. Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes slips from the top 5 to No. 6 with Dark Lane Demo Tapes (48,000 units).