This past week, Katy Perry’s “Prism” was considered a disappointment despite improving upon its predecessor’s opening frame tally by nearly 100,000 copies.
What, then, is the best word to describe the early sales data for Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor?”
Based on opening day sales figures, Hits Daily Double projects that the lengthy, well reviewed album is tracking for only 130-140,000 opening week sales. If that projection holds, it would represent a decrease from the 156,000 starter total for 2010’s “The Suburbs.”
That album, which won a Grammy for Album of the Year, accelerated the band’s mainstream explosion and thus should have greatly increased Arcade Fire’s profile.
Given that higher profile and the new album’s aggressive promotional campaign, which included a dedicated half-hour spot after a “Saturday Night Live” episode, expectations were that “Reflektor” would launch to a far better total than its predecessor.
If “Reflektor” indeed only moves 130-140,000 copies this week, it might even find itself battling with Katy Perry’s “Prism” for number one on the Billboard 200. Going into the week, a number one debut for “Reflektor” seemed a given.
