Lil Wayne’s new album Tha Carter VI had a lackluster performance in terms of first-day Spotify streams, drawing only 14.2 million. Released on Friday, this marks his first solo effort in five years, but it received mostly poor reviews and failed to gain strong support from listeners.
In contrast, Tha Carter V, which came out in 2018, opened with 66 million streams.
Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter VI’ earned 14.2M first-day streams on Spotify pic.twitter.com/xvRTFGQFlr
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) June 7, 2025
It is uncertain whether the album will sell enough units to surpass Morgan Wallen on the Billboard 200. Should it fall short, this would be the first solo project by Wayne since 2015 not to enter at number one.
Tha Carter VI drew attention for its diverse collaborations, including U2 frontman Bono. They team up on the song “The Days,” which was earlier previewed during an NBA Finals promo.
On that track, Wayne reflects on his veteran status in the rap scene, rapping: “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better / No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure / They say every dog has hit day.” Bono, who has previously collaborated with Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, contributes the lines: “The time of our lives / The time of our youth / We bow down to beauty and truth / These are the days.”
The 19-track album includes features from 2 Chainz, Kodak Black, Machine Gun Kelly, and Big Sean. Other unexpected contributors include opera singer Andrea Bocelli, country artist Jelly Roll, and Wyclef Jean from the Fugees.
Fans had anticipated a reunion of Wayne with fellow Young Money stars Drake and Nicki Minaj, but the album does not include a track featuring the trio.
Despite the mixed reception, Wayne still has loyal supporters, including Justin Bieber. On Instagram, Bieber shared screenshots from a FaceTime conversation with Wayne, captioning one with: “Checking in with the [goat emoji].”
Wayne also shared an image from the call and suggested it had been a heartfelt exchange, writing: “It’s a painful walk but we got each other [love heart emoji].”
