Released against part two of superstar Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience,” Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” had no chance of claiming number one on next week’s Billboard 200 album sales chart.
That never meant it would land without an impact.
Based on Billboard’s opening day sales data, the teenage singer-songwriter’s debut looks good for a bow in the 115-125,000 range. Fueled by the success of ubiquitous single “Royals,” the album will contend with Drake’s reigning number one “Nothing Was the Same” for second place.
Timberlake’s album will obviously win the week, but its margin of victory will be far smaller than anticipated. At press time, Billboard is forecasting an opening week in the 325,000 territory, which marks a considerable drop from the 968,000 moved by “The 20/20 Experience Part 1.”
Other notable debuts include HAIM’s “Days are Gone” (pacing for roughly 20K) and Tyler Farr’s “Redneck Crazy” (~15K).
