Kanye West tops US charts for the first time in 13 years with Carnival

Rapper’s latest release with Ty Dolla $ign has garnered West his first No 1 since 2011

Kanye West has topped the US music charts for the first time in 13 years with his latest release.

The headline-making rapper and producer teamed up with vocalist Ty Dolla $ign and rap artists Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti for the track “Carnival”, which reached No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Monday (11 March).

Despite his controversies of recent years, including being dropped from several brand partnerships for antisemitic language, West – also known as Ye – has been riding high in the single and album charts since last month.

The “Bound 2” artist’s 10th album, Vultures, dropped in February, following several delays. A collaborative project with Ty Dolla $ign, Vultures is currently on the Billboard 200 albums chart at No 3.

“Carnival”, the main single from the project, has been steadily rising up the singles chart in recent weeks, and previously sat behind Beyoncé’s country bop “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me”.

With this new No 1 song, West is the only rapper to have chart-topping singles in three separate decades, with his first being the 2004 hit “Slow Jamz” with Twista and Jamie Foxx.

Before this, he most recently had a No 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a featured artist on Katy Perry’s 2011 single “ET”.

Kanye West in 2022 (Getty Images for DailyWire+)

According to data provided by Luminate, an entertainment and music data company, “Carnival” has logged 34 million streams in the past tracking week, and earned four million audience impressions at US-based radio stations.

Meanwhile, Vultures earned nearly 53,000 equivalent album units.

This success comes as West’s 10-year-old daughter North revealed that she’ll soon be dropping her first album.

The young celebrity, whom West shares with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, made her announcement at an Arizona-based listening party for her father’s forthcoming record, Vultures 2.

“I’ve been working on an album,” North told the crowd as she stood next to her father. “And it’s called Elementary School Dropout.”

The album’s title is an homage to West’s debut album, The College Dropout, which he released in 2004 and recently turned 20.

Ty Dolla $ign and Kanye West performing together (Zac Schuss)

According to The Independent’s music editor Roisin O’Connor, West’s work of recent years does not reflect the quality and talent shown at earlier stages of his career.

She wrote in a comment piece: “Now, West seems less inclined to put in the work, apparently under the impression that cheap shots at his enemies and quickfire, chaotic stunts will generate the attention he craves far quicker.”

You can read her full take on Vultures, and West’s current public output, here.