Stumbled Upon Racism Case, Morgan Wallen's Album Sales Increase

Morgan Wallen (Instagram @morganwallen)

JAKARTA - Country singer Morgan Wallen became a hot topic after a video showed him making racist remarks last week.

After the video went viral, his latest album, Dangerous: The Double Album, was removed from major streaming and radio services. Wallen's contract with Big Loud Records also ended.

However, Morgan Wallen fans reacted differently. According to a Billboard report today, Tuesday, February 9, the album sold more than 25 thousand copies or a 102 percent increase in count.

The total number of album downloads also skyrocketed to 67 percent and album streams increased by 3 percent or an accumulation of 160 million streams.

Hannah Karp, Billboard's Editorial Director, said that this album was widely listened because people were curious about Morgan Wallen's music.

“Fans listen to the song because they can't listen to it on the radio anymore. Some fans stream as the usual support for die-hard fans."

Although the album was removed from the radio, Karp could not predict what effect Morgan Wallen would have. "Radio is a strong consumption driver so it is likely to have an impact on streaming and sales."

Morgan Wallen's Dangerous: The Double Album has been named the first country album to top the Billboard 200 since 2003.