The Element of Freedom debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 417,000 first-week copies and reached number one in the UK. It was later certified double platinum by the RIAA. Key hits from the 14-track project include "Doesn't Mean Anything," "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart," and the chart-topping "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)".
He pressed play on the first track.