Miley Cyrus’ “Bangerz” has kept pace with initial album sales forecasts, and as a result, music fans can expect the debate to continue.
According to the latest Billboard estimates, Cyrus’ album is likely to move about 265,000, which falls between the initially-projected range of 250-275K. If it holds there, it would easily give Cyrus the week’s number one album and easily eclipse the 102,000 debut figure for her predecessor “Can’t Be Tamed.”
It would also land Cyrus’ album in the same range as recent releases from Rihanna, Britney Spears and P!nk, which moved 238K, 276K and 280K, respectively. And though her next album “Prism” is expected to sell significantly better than the Cyrus album, Katy Perry’s previous release “Teenage Dream” actually bowed with a considerably weaker 192K.
Comparing Cyrus’ performance to that of her other Disney/Nickelodeon alumni is even more favorable for the “Wrecking Ball” singer. Acts like Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande each moved about half as many debut-week copies as “Bangerz” will in its inaugural frame.
Given all those statistics, one would assume the response to the “Bangerz” sales figures would be overwhelmingly positive. Some, however, are positing that the figure is a disappointment. The thinking is that with all the aggressive hype and publicity Cyrus both sought and received, her album should have been a monster performer rather than a solid, on-pace performer.
While that school of thought ignores the realistic limitations placed on hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, it is one that exists, and it is therefore one that has a damning effect on the response to Cyrus and her “Bangerz” album.
And though the comparison is apples-to-oranges, it remains wroth noting that Cyrus’ cleaner “Breakout,” which was fueled by fan enthusiasm over her work on “Hannah Montana,” moved a considerably stronger 371,000 debut-week copies.
According to Billboard, other notable debuts will include the following:
Panic! at the Disco – Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die (Forecast: #2, 90K)
Pusha T – My Name is My Name (Forecast: #3, 70K)
Cassadee Pope – Frame by Frame (Forecast: #7, 40K)
Korn – Paradigm Shift (Forecast: #8, 40K)
Glee – The Quarterback (Forecast: #9, 30K)
Alter Bridge – The Fortress (Forcast: #10, no updated sales data from Billboard, but early projections said 30K)
Drake’s “Nothing was the Same,” Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience Part 2” and Lorde’s “Pure Heroine,” all holdover albums, will remain in the top ten this week.