Why are lead singles always track #4?

[Danny Up]

A$AP Rocky -
Chief Keef -
Drake "Take Care"-
Lil Wayne "IANAHBII"-
Meek Mill -
Rozay "GFID"-
T.I. "Trouble Man -

 

[DeuceZ]

Off memory IWW - If I ruled the world was one of the last tracks....makes sense force people to listen to at least half ur album before they listen to the single that made them buy the album which then gives them reason to listen to the remaining half

 

[45123]

Under closer inspection it seems like rappers and artists just put their lead or first singles around 4 Most of them put them at #4 though. I guess to hold the listener's attention.

 

[Taadow]

To get you back into it.

Chances are you bought the album because you liked the single. If you don't like 1-3, they reel you back in with #4 to cleanse the palate. Sequencing for albums used to look something like this:

Intro
Song(s) to get you hype/into it
Show(s) to show you skills
Single
Story rap
different style
another single
(maybe a dis song)
kick some knowledge
emotional song
maybe another single
posse cut
outro/last song

 

[mortuus est]

liquid swords was track one and i got your back is somewhere near the end and cold world is in the middle, the were the singles for liquid swords