First-week projections for Lil Nas X’s debut album Montero are in.
According to Hits Daily Double, Montero is projected to move 130,000 to 140,000 in album equivalent units, with 17,000-20,000 being pure album sales. It remains to be seen how he’ll stack up against Drake, who just notched his second week atop the Billboard 200 with Certified Lover Boy and will certainly be in contention for a third. (This week CLB moved 236,000 album equivalent units; Kanye’s Donda also kept its spot from last week, sitting at No. 2 with 79,000 units.)
Nas X’s first full-length offering arrives just over two years after his chart-topping debut EP 7. The 15-track project includes the previously released singles “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” “Sun Goes Down,” and “Industry Baby,” as well as guest appearances from the likes of Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus.
In tandem with the news, Lil Nas X announced on Monday a new collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier. The capsule collection is available for purchase now via Gaultier’s website.
According to Gaultier, the new merch includes 666 units of an adapted archival print from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2001 collection. The piece is an updated version of the brand’s popular mesh top, featuring an aesthetic similar to Nas X’s Montero album art.
The 22-year-old artist’s latest collaboration follows Taco Bell’s recent announcement that he’ll serve as the chain’s new “Chief Impact Officer.”
The honorary role will allow X to collaborate on some exclusive experiences, marketing, and menu innovations around the release of Montero. You can expect to see him in advertising for the brand’s new breakfast menu, which will return to 90 percent of Taco Bell locations by mid-September. As part of the collaboration, X will also support the Taco Bell Foundation’s mission in helping announce awards to recipients of the Live Más scholarship program.