Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly set a Spotify record after the album’s surprise release even had anti-streaming icon Taylor Swift ready to tune in.
Tracks from the rapper’s third record—praised by critics—were streamed more than 9.6 million times on Monday, setting a new global record.
The previous first-day record-holder was Michael Bublé’s Christmas (2011), Billboard reports, adding that To Pimp a Butterfly wasn’t immediately available for download in the iTunes Store.
The CEO of Lamar’s label appeared to blame label partner Interscope for the album’s release, which was originally scheduled for next week. In recent years, artists including D’Angelo and Beyoncé have used surprise releases to generate buzz.
Read more: Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly Is An Angst-filled Anthem for Blackness
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com