It’s official. On Monday (August 7), Billboard reported that Travis Scott’s fourth album UTOPIA, released on July 28, has officially debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, his third album to do so. Selling 496,000 album-equivalent units, even more than initially forecasted, UTOPIA now holds the best first week for an album released by a hip-hop artist this year, with Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape at a distant second.
Videos by American Songwriter
On top of the album’s accomplishment as a whole, two of UTOPIA‘s songs were able to crack the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in their first week, according to Billboard. Along with “MELTDOWN” featuring Drake debuting at No. 3, “FE!N” with Playboi Carti came in at No. 5.
However, when all this news came in, Scott happened to be on stage at Circus Maximus in Rome, a historic outdoor venue in the Italian town that was traditionally used for chariot racing. Last week, after his widely-publicized “Utopia Party” at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt fell through, he decided to move the show to Circus Maximus, which he happened to name UTOPIA‘s twelfth song after, as well as the album’s accompanying film.
During Monday’s concert, along with playing fan favorites from the new LP like “MY EYES” and “I KNOW ?“, Scott brought out his musical mentor and polarizing rapper Kanye West. Once arriving on the stage, West performed the song “Praise God” with Scott, which they collaborated on for the former’s 2021 album Donda. Additionally, Scott allowed West to play his 2007 hit “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” which currently sits at 4x certified platinum by RIAA.
[RELATED: Review: Travis Scott’s Return on ‘UTOPIA’ is Everything Rap Needed, and Then Some]
When speaking about West to the attendees in Rome, Scott asserted that UTOPIA would not exist without West, piggybacking off the narrative that the album was heavily inspired by West’s Yeezus.
“There is no UTOPIA without Kanye West, there is no Travis Scott without Kanye West, there is no Rome without Kanye West,” the Houston rapper shouted into his microphone.
Ultimately, West’s inclusion in the promotion of UTOPIA feels like a righteous full-circle moment, as he has inspired Scott tremendously throughout his career. Check out clips from the Circus Maximus show below.
Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN
