Earlier this week, the deluxe pre-order for Justin Bieber’s new album “Purpose” surged to #1 on the all-genre US iTunes sales chart.
The actual album is now available, and as of 2AM ET on November 13, “Purpose” remains the digital retailer’s fastest-selling album.
The deluxe edition of One Direction’s “Made In The AM,” which represents the other blockbuster November 13 release, is currently #2 on the chart.
Bieber’s album also holds the lead in the standard edition race. The standard edition of “Purpose” is currently #10 on the all-genre chart; the corresponding version of “Made In The AM” is #38.
The battle between “Purpose” and “Made In The AM” represents the most exciting weekly album sales race of the year. The albums both come from young-skewing, heartthrob acts that garner immense media attention and even more immense fan passion. Both, moreover, have proven they can post strong first week sales totals.
Thanks to an earlier launch — and a stronger initial pace — the pre-order for One Direction’s “Made In The AM” entered the home stretch with a clear lead over “Purpose.” Bieber’s pre-order, however, caught fire in the days leading up to the release, and it has definitely closed a solid portion of that gap.
Its superior press time chart position confirms it is still gaining ground in comparison to the 1D album.
iTunes, however, only represents one facet of the weekly sales race. Performance physical retailers — and other digital storefronts — will surely impact the overall outcome.
Headline Planet is tracking the race and report forecasts, projections, and indicators as they emerge.
— As for iTunes, other albums in the all-genre Top 10 include Logic’s #3 “The Incredible True Story,” Adele’s #4 “25” pre-order, Chris Stapleton’s #5 “Traveller,” Sawyer Fredericks’ #6 “Sawyer Fredericks” EP, Eric Church’s #7 “Mr. Misunderstood,” Jeezy’s #8 “Church In These Streets,” and #9 “21 Totally 80s Hits.”