On Friday, news of Chadwick Boseman’s death was shocking. The actor’s family confirmed he had passed away at 43 following a private battle with colon cancer, which he had been diagnosed with several years prior. Boseman is remembered for his roles as Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, and, of course, T’Challa in Black Panther. It seems as though fans are commemorating Boseman by revisiting the Black Panther soundtrack, as its streams have increased over 100 percent in the wake of the actor’s death.
The Black Panther soundtrack was written by Kendrick Lamar and features an array of features from the likes of SZA, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd. According to a report from Billboard, the 14-song soundtrack garnered 3.5 million streams over the course of two days following Boseman’s death. The increase marks an impressive 103.5 percent surge compared to the previous two days, which clocked in at 1.7 million streams.
The report notes the streaming increase could possibly cause the soundtrack to re-enter the Billboard 200 charts next week. The record originally appeared on the Billboard 200 chart in June and remained there for 69 weeks. The soundtrack peaked a No. 1, where it stayed for three weeks.
While music fans remembered the actor through the Black Panther soundtrack, many members of the music community mourned the actor on social media. Following reports of his death, artists like Drake, SZA, The Weeknd, Chance The Rapper, and more shared heartfelt tributes to Boseman.