Holdovers from artists like Taylor Swift (“Red”) and Michael Buble (his 2011 “Christmas” set) are likely to officially win this week’s album sales race, but the chart will not be without impact from new records.
Based on opening day sales, Billboard.biz forecasts that TI’s “Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head” is pacing for a respectable 150-170,000 debut week tally. While not comparable to 568,000 mark set by “Paper Trail” at the peak of TI’s fame, it is consistent with performance for his preceding studio album “No Mercy.”
The “12-12-12” Hurricane Sandy benefit album is also due for a credible bow, with forecasts suggesting an opening week total of 125-150,000 for the digital set.
