“Compton“, Dr. Dre’s first album in 16 years is being hailed as recharging Hip Hop even as the legendary rapper helps rebuild his old neighborhood.
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Dre said his critically acclaimed third studio album was inspired by the sounds and sights of his iconic hometown. The album was premiered a day prior to its release and was available for streaming over a three hour period exclusively on Apple Music.
Given such exceptional sales results, Apple Music could be considered a platform that could effectively compete with established players in the music industry.
Rolling Stone magazine said the new album includes some of Dre’s “most ambitious, idea-stuffed production ever”. Co-founder of Beats, Jimmy Iovine, who himself is an Apple employee like Dr. Dre, said to the New York Times:
“We’re beginning to show what we can do in terms of communicating music to a worldwide audience and helping artists at the same time.”
The track also marks a second chart-topper for Meghan Trainor, following her debut All About That Bass, which spent four weeks at Number 1 last October.
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Meanwhile, Sydney metalcore outfit Buried In Verona also debuted in the top 20 this week, taking out the #17 spot with their new album, Vultures Above, Lions Below, while Australian soprano Greta Bradman’s My Hero comes in at #11 and veteran US metal band Fear Factory nab #15 on the charts with Genexus. To put some perspective on the numbers, Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s albums had the more extensive reach, thanks in large part to the popularity of Spotify, which now has 25 million subscribers around the world (not to mention the non-paying users that amount to about 55 million). Dre, on the other hand, relied exclusively on Apple Music’s exclusive user base.
