The unpredictability of Black Friday interest still threatens to throw a wrench into any forecasting effort, but as of press time, sources are no longer expecting One Direction’s “Midnight Memories” to flirt with a debut sales tally in the 600,000 range.
Hits Daily Double, which initially projected a bow in the 550-600,000 territory, has reduced its forecast to 525-575,000.
Billboard’s latest guess is 500-550,000 debut week copies.
With its debut atop the Billboard 200 sales chart certain, the pressing question becomes whether “Midnight Memories” will outsell last year’s “Take Me Home.” That album, One Direction’s second release, moved 540,000 copies in its first week.