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
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Contact us at letters@time.com