So people weren't buzzing about his album before he came out? He wasn't on tracks with Jay and Kanye, in the studio with Nas and writing for Bieber and Beyonce before he came out?
Having one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year?

If you're nominated for Album of the Year, you perform, that's how it's always worked. He performed at the MTV Awards after having an album open up at
#2 on the charts to critical acclaim. The album was out for 2 months before he performed there.
Thinking About You charted as high as 32, which was higher than Miranda Lambert's Over You which charted at 35. She performed that song tonight. Dierks Bentley performed a song that peaked at 44. Jack White performed 2 songs that never entered the Hot 100.