Artist’s bundles induced wild, controversial and even hostile rides to the top of the Billboard charts, but the chapter of letting swag be the x-factor for sales is coming to a close.
On Monday (July 13), Billboard announced the shutting of its door on allowing artists to include tour merchandise, ticket sales and other trinkets related to their album to be counted in their sales’ tallies.
Billboard also specified album sales are still “worth considerably more than streams on the charts.”
The existing rules were just implemented in January and this changeup comes just a couple of weeks after Carl Chery, Spotify’s Head Of Urban Music, openly called the artists’ tactics “trickery” when the album rollout comes around.
While the announcement singled out Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Tekashi 6ix9ine as recent examples of bundling enthusiasts, the rainbow-haired rapper’s latest ascension to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 was hardly the most controversial moment Hip Hop has experienced as of late.
In August 2018, when Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott were both vying for the Billboard 200 crown with their respective albums Queen and Astroworld, Nicki brought it to everyone’s attention that Scott moved 50,000 units of merchandise, leaving fans with no requirements to buy the LP despite it helping his total.
By the week’s end, Scott had obtained the No. 1 album and Nicki used the vitriol spurned by her defeat to create serious buzz for her successful Queen Radio show on Apple Music.
Nearly a year later, DJ Khaled approached a similar predicament when his summer blockbuster Father Of Asahd album lost out to Tyler, The Creator’s more niche-focused IGOR, whose album also presented plenty of merch options for fans.
Billboard Responds To Tekashi 6ix9ine's Cheating Allegations
When Billboard decided to disapprove Khaled’s nutritional supplements as bundles to the tune of 100,000 album downloads, the typically cordial and happy music mogul reportedly infiltrated his Epic Records label home demanding an explanation. His uncharacteristic behavior continued for weeks which resulted in posting passive-aggressive videos such as the one below.
Despite discounting the bundles, Billboard says it will “continue to work with the industry to reflect merchandise sales within existing charts such as the Artist 100, as well as potential merchandise-specific charts down the line.”
See below for more tidbits on Billboard’s historic change.
- The new rules will be applied starting at an unannounced date.
- Physical albums or singles sales bundled with digital downloads will no longer be counted as digital sales
- Billboard chart rankings will be designed to “reflect the conscious purchasing decisions of consumers.”
- The new guidelines are intended to “level the playing field for all artists.”
I’m confused. Usually if ppl buy a t-shirt and it includes a download then they a fan and wud have bought both separately. So I just don’t understand how it trickery. Unless they force u to buy every item with a free download? But, like if I’m a big fan and buy three t-shirts, and each tshirt had a download .. did this actually happen ? I want more clarity. C , artists I support don’t do stupid stuff like this so I’m confused ? Thanks
Wat does it mean “no requirement of redeeming the album”? If I buy a CD, i don’t have to prove to billboard that I listened to the CD? I don’t understand ? Wat does she mean “redeem” ? Does this mean “listen to it” ? If u don’t win the game .. but choose to play the dumb AF validation by numbers game .. then y get salty at the rules of the dumb AF game ? It’s not sport it’s music. Quality cannot be judged by popularity.
Good!
There go my platinum plaques…..and another one…. and another one…
This is brilliant!
give me 6 million dollars.
They should stop acting like a whole bunch of streams that cost nothing and can be gamed to stop equaling album sales if this is the case
Nice!
Bout time. SMH Never should have counted that BS in the first place.
They hated to see 6ix9ine go number one so they changed the rules. All it took was hate
I think they should take it all the way back so true artist ppl can get the credit they deserve
I get the concept of a fan buying three shirts not equalising to three album purchases. They all come with a download link, but they were purchased for the shirt for later resale on ebay or depop. It’s like a kid wanting expensive cereal for the free toy….you can’t say the reason it was purchased has nothing to do with the bundled toy….if every shirt came with a cd or cassette, it should count…
Swag and other $hit should have never been counted