As albums from Susan Boyle and Andrea Bocelli show no signs of letting up at the market (“I Dreamed a Dream” could top 500,000 again next week), projections reveal that the array of anticipated newcomers will be distantly behind on next week’s album sales chart.
“Glee: Volume 2” is tracking to lead new entries with about 120-130,000 sales, according to forecasts by Hits Daily Double. As long as the show maintains its buzz and acclaim when it returns later this spring, it appears there will be a consistently-solid level of demand for the accompanying soundtrack albums.
Chris Brown’s “Graffiti” will debut at around 100,000. Down dramatically from the opening sales figure for his previous “Exclusive” (which opened with almost 300,000), the performance is in expected territory given Brown’s many months of negative buzz and the album’s present lacking of a smash hit single.
Gucci Mane’s “The State vs. Radric Davis” will follow closely with about 90,000.
Elsewhere, 30 Seconds to Mars’ “This is War” will open between 65-75,000, narrowly beating Jimmy Buffett’s “Buffet Hotel” (60-70,000). Snoop Dogg’s “Malice N Wonderland” will follow with about 60,000.
BG’s “Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood” should rack up about 40-50,000 sales in its first week.
The week’s true bomb comes with Timbaland’s “Shock Value II.” Tracking for just 35-45,000 despite its lineup of all-star mainstream pop guests, the album once again proves that Timbaland’s recognition does not directly translate into sales (“Shock Value” opened to just 138,000 behind a major hit single in “Give it To Me” and non-stop publicity for the man behind megahits from Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado).
Clipse’s “Til the Casket Drops” will do 30-35,000.