Powered by considerable buzz, a strong streaming presence and a discounted iTunes price point, 6ix9ine will be the top debut on this week’s Billboard 200 chart.
Based on data from the first half of the week, Hits Daily Double expects “DAY69” to debut with 52-57,000 in first-week US consumption units.
Consumption, as a reminder, is the sum of pure album sales + TEA (track sales/10) + SEA (track streams/1500).
While such a figure will not be enough to challenge “Black Panther” for #1 on the Billboard 200, it should secure 6ix9ine a Top 3 bow. It will almost certainly, moreover, be the best figure for a new release.
— Of the 52-57,000 in projected consumption units, Hits expects 22-25,000 to come from pure US sales. A ~20K sales figure should be enough for a Top 10 — and possibly Top 5 — debut on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.