Thanks to immense exposure from his role on NBC’s “The Voice” and his buzzworthy chart-topper “Honey Bee,” Blake Shelton is pacing for his first number one country album.
Extending opening day sales figures, Hits Daily Double forecasts an opening week total of 110-120,000 for “Red River Blue,” marking a huge improvement from his preceding EPs “All About Tonight” and “Hillbilly Bone” and full-length “Startin’ Fires.” None of those releases crossed the 35,000 mark in their opening weeks.
Still, given how well he was received by “Voice” fans and the strength of the album’s lead single, one would not necessarily have been wrong to expect an even bigger total for Shelton’s bow. The forecast, while solid, is not large enough to situate Shelton at the top of the country music ladder.
A sense of disappointment can also justified given the 70-75,000 first week sales forecast for fellow male country act Chris Young’s “Neon.” Young is certainly a viable player in the industry–he has three number one singles to his credit and a solid current track in “Tomorrow”–but the buzz he has gained since the release of 2009’s “The Man I Want to Be” does not even compare to that garnered by Shelton, thus making Shelton’s advantage in sales seem a bit underwhelming.
Splitting the two country acts, at least among new releases, will be Incubus’ “If Not Now, When?” The modern rock act’s latest is pacing for 75-80,000, which predictably marks a big decline from the opening frame for 2006 predecessor “Light Grenades.”
Colbie Caillat will also be down from her last outing; third studio “All of You” will move 55-60,000 units.
Theory of a Deadman’s “The Truth Is…” and Sublime with Rome’s “Yours Truly” will both land just above the 30,000 mark.
