To clarify for everyone so we can skip the gaslighting: physical sales—even if an album is available for purchase during release week—do not count toward pure sales until the product actually ships. So, for an apples to apples comparison, here are the pure sales figures for albums that did not have first-week physicals or bundles:
Drake
- ICEMAN: 13,000 pure sales
- FATD: 10,000 pure sales
- Her Loss: 12,000 pure sales
- Honestly, Nevermind: 11,000 pure sales
Kendrick Lamar
- GNX: 32,625 pure sales
- Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: 35,000 pure sales
Other Artists
- SZA – SOS: 10,000 pure sales
- GloRilla – Glorious: 13,000 pure sales
- Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial: 3,000 pure sales
I also think these numbers are more indicative of the type of fanbase an artist has. Drake's core audience tends to skew younger and generally has less disposable income. As a result, they're more likely to stream an album heavily but less likely to see value in purchasing it outright.
Kendrick's fanbase, on the other hand, tends to skew older, more career-oriented, and more invested in the music as a cultural experience. That often translates into stronger pure sales, even if the streaming totals are a bit lower.
