"Bad Reputation" is off to a slow start.
Kid Rock's latest album missed the Billboard 200 albums chart during its first week of eligibility, according to chart data released this week.
It's a notable fall for an artist whose last seven studio albums all debuted inside the chart's top 10. Rock's previous set, "Sweet Southern Sugar," hit the Billboard 200 at No. 8 in 2017.
"Bad Reputation," which was released independently on Rock's own Top Dog Records on March 21, did have several factors working against it. It arrived on a Monday, rather than a traditional Friday release, meaning it missed out on three days of activity in its initial chart frame.
And the 18-track set — which marks Rock's 12th studio effort — was released exclusively to streaming services. Physical copies won't be available until April 6.
"Bad Reputation" did impact several smaller charts. It lands on Billboard's Independent Albums chart at No. 31, the Top Rock Albums chart at No. 39, the Top Current Album Sales chart at No. 9 and the Top Album Sales chart at No. 15.
Still, its absence from the Billboard 200 — the main tally which ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. — marks a tumble for the 51-year-old Michigan-reared rocker, who in January bragged about the album's profane single "We the People" topping the iTunes sales charts. "Suck on that you trolls, critics and haters!" he tweeted at the time.
According to Spotify data, "We the People" has been streamed 2.3 million times since its Jan. 25 release, while "Bad Reputation's" lead offering "Don't Tell Me How to Live," which was released in November, has been streamed 2.2 million times. The other songs on "Bad Reputation" have received between 757,000 and 53,000 Spotify streams, and have collectively amassed 1.93 million plays on the streaming service.
The seven songs on the week's No. 1 album, K-Pop group Stray Kids' "Oddinary," have been streamed a total of 45.7 million times on Spotify, according to data from the streamer. The album sold 110,000 equivalent album units its first week, according to Luminate, which collects sales figures and industry data which is used by Billboard to compile its charts.
Rock topped the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2007 with "Rock N Roll Jesus," his only album to reach the chart's zenith. "First Kiss," in 2015, started at No. 2, as did his 2000 compilation album, "The History of Rock."
"Cocky," in 2003, kicked off at No. 3, while 2010's "Born Free" and 2012's "Rebel Soul" both launched at No. 5. The self-titled "Kid Rock," in 2003, debuted at No. 8.
The years since "Sweet Southern Sugar's" release have seen Rock publicly rant against figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift and "The View" co-host Joy Behar. The fallout from his comments about Winfrey led to protests from a Detroit activist group, and in late 2019 it was announced that Rock's downtown Made in Detroit restaurant would be leaving Little Caesars Arena after Rock decided not to renew its lease.
In the meantime, Rock has leaned further into right-wing politics, and he played a Donald Trump rally in Harrison Township during the 2020 presidential election season.
Rock appeared on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" the same day as "Bad Reputation's" release. In the sit-down interview, Rock bragged "I am uncancelable" and he showed off his "Let's Go Brandon"-branded Rolls-Royce.
Rock is hitting the road this year for what he says could be his final large-scale tour. The trek rolls through Pine Knob Sept. 16-17 and makes a stop at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena on April 16.
Elsewhere on the Billboard 200 chart, Lil Durk's "7220," the soundtrack to Disney's "Encanto," Morgan Wallen's "Dangerous: The Double Album" and Juice WRLD's "Fighting Demons" round out the week's Top 5 best sellers.
Other chart debuts come from Charli XCX's "Crash" (No. 7), Rosalia's "Motomami" (No. 33), GAYLE's "A Study of the Human Experience, Vol. 1" (No. 138) and Muni Long's "Public Displays of Affection" (No. 170).
