Offset is staring down a lukewarm Billboard 200 debut and a chilly shoulder from the charts as his third solo album, KIARI is projected to maneuver simply 28,000 album-equivalent models in its first week, in line with HITS Daily Double.

The Atlanta rapper’s newest launch, which dropped Friday (August 22), is anticipated to land at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 subsequent week. That’s a steep drop from his earlier solo efforts—Set It Off debuted within the prime 5 in 2023 with 70,000 models, whereas Father of 4 cracked the Top 5 in 2019 with 89,000.

Despite the numbers, Offset is standing by the challenge, calling it his most private but.

“KIARI is me.,” he informed Hypebeast. “I challenged myself as an artist and actually put all of it into the music. I took my time placing this challenge collectively. I do know who I’m, and I hope the world will get to know who KIARI is thru this album.

The 18-track album options a mixture of collaborators together with JID, NBA YoungBoy, John Legend, Gunna, Teezo Touchdown and Key Glock. Critics have responded positively, with Rolling Stone giving it 4 out of 5 stars and Album of the Year customers averaging a 75 p.c score.

Still, the business response hasn’t matched the crucial reception. The modest gross sales recommend that even with a extra introspective method, Offset’s solo draw could not but match the collective energy of Migos, the group he helped lead earlier than their cut up in late 2022.

Outside the studio, Offset made headlines for his blunt tackle marriage throughout an look on the Full Send podcast. At 33, the rapper mentioned he’s carried out with strolling down the aisle—particularly after his turbulent relationship with Cardi B, with whom he shares three kids.

“I’m married, I did it. I’m not doing it again,” Offset mentioned. “I feel like men should not get married.”

He didn’t cease there, telling host Kyle Forgeard that marriage flips a person’s life the other way up. Forgeard, who admitted he’s hesitant to also have a girlfriend, agreed that relationships can really feel like a distraction if you’re centered on constructing your model.

Offset’s feedback come amid ongoing stress with Cardi B, who filed for divorce in 2020 and has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the rapper since.

KIARI was launched Friday (August 22) by Motown Records.

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