Miley Cyrus Set to Claim the Top Spot with BANGERZ
With 54.02% of the chart reporting, Miley Cyrus appears poised to reclaim the number one album this week. BANGERZ is expected to debut at the top of the chart, making it her third studio album (of four) to reach number one. Miley’s recorded output stretches beyond her solo releases—her Hannah Montana projects, live albums and other releases have contributed to an impressive commercial track record. Early projections place BANGERZ in the 250,000–270,000 sales range, a strong opening that would underline her continued mainstream appeal and high-profile comeback.
Last week’s leader, Justin Timberlake, falls to second in the current midweek tally but industry projections do not expect that position to hold. Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience: 2 of 2 has seen a substantial drop in sales compared to its earlier release, with an estimated 80% decline week-over-week. Critical response to the second volume has been more muted than for the first, and the heavy release schedule of multiple Justin Timberlake projects in one year may have limited consumer uptake. Drake remains steady in third place in his third week on the chart with Nothing Was the Same and is expected to hold that position through the week.
A notable newcomer is Cassadee Pope, the winner of The Voice Season 3, whose debut Frame by Frame is currently positioned at number four. This release represents a renewed effort by The Voice and its label partners to convert television exposure into album sales after earlier missteps. Previous winners and contestants from the show have experienced uneven commercial success; the label appears to have revised its strategy by investing in stronger management and promotion. Early forecasts suggest Cassadee’s debut could finish the week around seventh place with projected sales of 40,000–45,000—possibly outselling contemporaneous releases from other reality-show winners. Her entrance highlights the continued challenge female artists face in breaking through within the country genre, despite television visibility.
Country star Luke Bryan holds a steady position in the top five with Crash My Party, while hip-hop artist Pusha T arrives in the mid-chart range with My Name Is My Name. Rock band Korn’s Paradigm Shift and Panic! At The Disco’s Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! are also in the upper half of the chart. Panic! at The Disco, in particular, looks set for a strong week—forecasted to climb toward the second spot with weekly sales estimated between 95,000 and 100,000.
Other chart entries include Prince Royce with Soy el Mismo and breakout international artist Lorde’s Pure Heroine, currently sitting in the top ten. Beyond Cassadee Pope, reality-show contestants are scarce in the top 50 this week. Jordin Sparks is credited as a co-writer on a track from Ariana Grande’s Yours Truly, which is currently lower on the chart. Separately, Glee’s tearful tribute episode “The Quarterback” briefly topped iTunes late in the week; iTunes’ final report may affect late-day positions given that digital spikes sometimes lag in aggregate reporting.
Overall, this week’s midweek snapshot paints a picture of strong front-loaded debuts, notable movement among established pop and country acts, and a handful of genre crossovers making an impact. The numbers emphasize the volatility of first-week sales and the continuing importance of promotion, timing and fan engagement in securing high chart positions.
CHART DATE: 10/14/2013
LAST UPDATE: 10/14/2013 15:29:29
NOW IN: 54.02%
LW TW artist / album label power index
— 1 MILEY CYRUS BANGERZ 160,437
1 2 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 20/20 EXPERIENCE 2 OF 2 31,461
2 3 DRAKE NOTHING WAS THE SAME 28,007
— 4 CASSADEE POPE FRAME BY FRAME 19,414
5 5 LUKE BRYAN CRASH MY PARTY 18,081
— 6 PUSHA T. MY NAME IS MY NAME 16,805
— 7 KORN PARADIGM SHIFT 16,381
— 8 PANIC! AT THE DISCO TOO WEIRD TO LIVE TOO RARE TO DIE! 13,628
— 9 PRINCE ROYCE SOY EL MISMO 10,374
3 10 LORDE PURE HEROINE 9,878
…
32 26 BLAKE SHELTON BASED ON A TRUE STORY 4,464
…
31 32 ARIANA GRANDE YOURS TRULY 3,604
…
— 50 JUICY J STAY TRIPPY 1,608
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