Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI Launches to Disappointing First Day Streaming Numbers
Lil Wayne’s long-awaited album Tha Carter VI has launched with underwhelming first-day streaming numbers, marking a rocky start for what was expected to be one of the year’s major hip-hop releases. Released this past Friday, the rapper’s first solo album in five years has been met with mixed to negative reviews and has so far failed to gain significant traction among fans.
According to industry reports, Tha Carter VI brought in 14.2 million first-day streams on Spotify. This figure pales in comparison to the success of Tha Carter V, which debuted in 2018 with a staggering 66 million streams on its first day. The stark drop in streaming performance raises questions about the album’s ability to match the commercial heights of Wayne’s earlier work.
It remains uncertain whether Tha Carter VI will generate enough sales to unseat Morgan Wallen from the top of the Billboard 200 chart. If it fails to do so, it will mark the first time since 2015 that a solo Lil Wayne project does not debut at No. 1.
Despite the lukewarm reception, Tha Carter VI has drawn attention for its eclectic lineup of guest features. Among the most talked-about collaborations is Wayne’s unexpected pairing with U2 frontman Bono on the track “The Days.” The song, which debuted in a promo during the NBA Finals, sees Wayne reflect on his veteran status in hip-hop, rapping, “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better / No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure / They say every dog has his day.” Bono complements the track with the lines, “The time of our lives / The time of our youth / We bow down to beauty and truth / These are the days.”
The 19-track album also includes contributions from 2 Chainz, Kodak Black, Machine Gun Kelly, and Big Sean. More unconventional appearances come from opera singer Andrea Bocelli, country star Jelly Roll, and Fugees legend Wyclef Jean, underscoring the album’s wide-ranging musical ambition.
One notable omission from the album is a collaboration between Wayne and his longtime Young Money affiliates, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Many fans had been hoping for a reunion track from the trio, but no such song appears on the project.
Even as Tha Carter VI struggles to meet commercial expectations, Lil Wayne continues to enjoy strong support from within the entertainment industry. Justin Bieber, a longtime admirer and collaborator, showed his support on Instagram by sharing screenshots of a FaceTime call with Wayne. Bieber captioned the post, “Checking in with the 🐐.” Wayne also posted an image from their conversation, writing, “It’s a painful walk but we got each other ❤️.”
While it’s still early in the album’s release cycle, the initial data suggests that Tha Carter VI may fall short of the chart-topping success that has defined much of Lil Wayne’s storied career. Whether the album can build momentum in the weeks ahead remains to be seen.
