Morgan Wallen’s U.S. airplay continues to evaporate, while streams stay mostly steady and sales explode, in the wake of the publication of a TMZ video showing the chart-topping artist using a racial slur.
As previously reported, TMZ posted a video Tuesday night (Feb. 2) of Wallen, who was positioned to be the next global country star, yelling expletives, including the N-word. He subsequently issued an apology, while his record label, Big Loud Records, suspended his recording contract indefinitely.
Below is a look at Wallen’s U.S. airplay in the seven days through Feb. 5, and his sales and streams in the seven days through Feb. 4.
AIRPLAY
Wallen’s airplay has collapsed to a nominal amount since the TMZ video was posted. Looking at the last seven days of airplay (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), his song catalog was averaging 1,500 to 1,600 plays daily on reporters to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart through Feb. 2, according to MRC Data. On Feb. 3, as multiple radio groups dropped his music, his catalog fell by 74% in plays that day. His totals have since cratered to a relatively miniscule 55 and 25 plays on Feb. 4 and 5, respectively.
Among stations that report to the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and Radio Songs charts (including country outlets, as well as pop- and adult-formatted stations, where Wallen receives some play), his music plummeted from an average of 2,100 to 2,200 plays daily from Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 to 617, 122 and 65 plays on Feb. 3, 4 and 5, respectively.
Wallen’s current country radio single, “7 Summers,” has contributed to the bulk of his airplay decline, having tumbled from around 500 plays daily to 149 (down 70%) on Country Airplay reporters on Feb. 3. The song then drew a mere eight and five plays on Feb. 4 and 5, respectively. On the most recently published audience-based Country Airplay chart, dated Feb. 6, the track rose from No. 16 to No. 15 for a new peak (up 8% in audience reach in the tracking week ending Jan. 31).
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily airplay, all his songs combined, on Country Airplay chart reporters:
1/30: 1,600
1/31: 1,500
2/1: 1,600
2/2: 1,500
2/3: 389
2/4: 55
2/5: 25
“7 Summers” U.S. daily airplay on Country Airplay chart reporters:
1/30: 539
1/31: 544
2/1: 490
2/2: 490
2/3: 149
2/4: 8
2/5: 5
STREAMS
Wallen’s streams have stayed relatively steady, with slight daily gains, despite the removal of his songs from over 30 influential playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora. On Feb. 4, Wallen’s collected songs tallied 28.66 million on-demand streams (audio and video combined) according to initial reports to MRC Data – his best daily streaming total since Jan. 29.
Isolating just his audio on-demand streams – which include streams from the above-mentioned services like Apple Music and Spotify – they grew daily from Feb. 2 through Feb. 4.
Below is a look at Wallen’s daily streaming activity, for the seven-day period of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4.
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily on-demand song streams (audio and video), all his songs combined. Audio and video are broken out separately.
1/29: 31.29 million (audio: 29.14 million, video: 2.15 million)
1/30: 27.95 million (audio: 26.12 million, video: 1.83 million)
1/31: 23.20 million (audio: 21.64 million, video: 1.56 million)
2/1: 24.64 million (audio: 22.98 million, video: 1.66 million)
2/2: 24.80 million (audio: 23.11 million, video: 1.69 million)
2/3: 25.52 million (audio: 23.58 million, video: 1.94 million)
2/4: 28.66 million (audio: 26.41 million, video: 2.25 million)
SALES
Wallen’s sales have increased dramatically since Feb. 3. According to preliminary sales reports to MRC Data, Wallen’s total sales – across all of his albums and songs – vaulted from 5,100 on Feb. 2 to 35,200 on Feb. 4.
Though his label suspended his recording contract indefinitely, his music was not removed from any digital retail services (like iTunes), and continues to remain available in brick-and-mortar retail stores.
His current album, Dangerous: The Double Album, went from 1,100 sales on Feb. 2 to 9,900 sales on Feb. 4. Dangerous logged its third total and consecutive week at No. 1 on the latest all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, dated Feb. 6 (reflecting sales and streaming activity in the week ending Jan. 28).
The Feb. 13-dated Billboard 200, reflecting the sales and streaming tracking week ending Feb. 4, is scheduled to be announced on Feb. 7.
Below is a look at Wallen’s daily sales, for the seven-day period of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4.
Morgan Wallen’s U.S. daily sales, all his albums and songs combined. Total album sales, and song sales, are broken out separately.
1/29: 7,900 (albums: 2,200; songs: 5,700)
1/30: 8,100 (albums: 2,200; songs: 5,900)
1/31: 6,400 (albums: 1,700; songs: 4,700)
2/1: 5,700 (albums: 1,500; songs: 4,200)
2/2: 5,100 (albums: 1,200; songs: 3,900)
2/3: 23,600 (albums: 9,000; songs: 14,600)
2/4: 35,200 (albums: 12,800; songs: 22,400)
Dangerous album U.S. daily sales:
1/29: 1,900
1/30: 1,900
1/31: 1,500
2/1: 1,300
2/2: 1,100
2/3: 7,200
2/4: 9,900
