Usher’s profile continues to fade from the glory days of “Confessions,” but his “Looking 4 Myself” will still add another Billboard 200 number one to his resume.
Based on single day sales, Hits Daily Double forecasts an opening week total in the 120-130,000 range, surely enough to claim the chart’s peak position.
It does not stack up well relative to Usher’s preceding offerings. “Raymond v. Raymond” debuted to the tune of 329,107 two years ago, and that tally was considered decent at best. “Here I Stand” preceded that with a circumstantially underwhelming 430,000 in 2008, while “Confessions” managed nearly 1.1 million sales in 2004 and still showed more staying power than any of the aforementioned albums.
Rush, meanwhile, continues to engage its fans; the iconic band will keep predecessor “Snakes & Arrow”‘s pace with about 90,000 sales for its “Clockwork Angels.”
Ed Sheeran’s “+” looks good for about 40-50,000, ahead of Josh Turner’s “Punching Bag” (35-40,000), Waka Flocka Flame’s “Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family” (25-30,000) and Grace Potter & The Nocturnal’s “The Lion the Beast the Beat” (20-25,000) among new releases.
