Kendrick Lamar has made history in many ways throughout his career, from being the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music to seeing good kid, m.A.A.d city become the first rap album to spend at least 500 weeks on the Billboard 200. But there’s one record the Compton rapper will be quick to forget.
According to Chart Data, Kendrick’s “We Cry Together” set a new precedent on the Billboard Hot 100 this week after falling a record-breaking 81 spots, the biggest single-week drop in the chart’s history (for a song that remained on the chart). Taken from his latest album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the song currently sits at No. 97 on the Hot 100 after debuting at No. 16 last month.
All 18 tracks from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers landed on the Hot 100 upon its release, with “N95” (No. 3), “Die Hard” (No. 5), “Silent Hill” (No. 7), “United in Grief” (No. 8), “Father Time” (No. 11), “Rich Spirit” (No. 13) and “Count Me Out” (No. 20) also cracking the top 20.
Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige's "We Cry Together" records the biggest single week downward movement in Hot 100 history (81 spots).
— chart data (@chartdata) June 1, 2022
“We Cry Together,” which plays out as a heated argument between Kendrick and actress Taylour Paige, immediately sparked conversations about toxic relationships and gender politics while drawing comparisons to Eminem’s “Kim” and RZA a.k.a. Bobby Digital’s “Domestic Violence.”
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However, as many fans have commented, the Alchemist-produced track’s argumentative theme makes it a challenging listen, which perhaps explains its steep slide; it isn’t exactly the kind of song that would ring out at a party nor fit comfortably in most playlists.
Despite “We Cry Together”‘s unfortunate record, Kendrick Lamar is far from struggling on the charts. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sits at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after earning 96,000 album-equivalent units in its second week. The album debuted at No. 1 with 295,000 first-week sales, the second largest tally in 2022 behind only Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (521,500).
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Kendrick’s fifth major label album — and final TDE release — ranks among the top 20 best selling albums in the U.S. this year with almost 400,000 total units to date, according to Chart Data.
Kendrick Lamar 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers' Examines The Ugly Side Of A Modern Rap Superstar
Over on the Billboard Hot 100, “N95” holds firm in the top 20 after falling to No. 20, while “Die Hard” (No. 41), “Silent Hill” (No. 49), “Rich Spirit” (No. 61), “Father Time” (No. 73), “Count Me Out” (No. 78), “United in Grief” (No. 79) and “Savior” (No. 92) maintain K. Dot’s heavy presence on the chart.
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Following up last month’s “N95” video, it appears “We Cry Together” is the next track from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers in line for a visual makeover. “Fuck you @kendricklamar,” Paige wrote in a recent Instagram post teasing a scene from what’s sure to be an intense watch.
