EMINEM LEADS THE WAY WITH A RELAPSE
Hip-Hop Bad Boy’s Latest Album on Target for Highest Debut of Year with 600-650k in Sales
May 20, 2009
He may be a homophobic, pill-popping, celeb-dissing misogynist, but there are at least 600-650k others who can relate to Eminem.
That’s the number of people we estimate will pick up the Detroit hip-hop bad boy’s Relapse, his first album for Shady/Aftermath/Interscope in almost five years, based on reports from retailers across this great nation of ours who haven’t yet hung up a “For Lease” sign.
That would give Jimmy Iovine’s IGA the year’s two biggest debuts. U2 bowed at #1 with 480k back in March. What did you think was underneath that ever-present baseball cap?
The next highest debut looks to be BNA/RCA Nashville’s Kenny Chesney, who should score between 80-85k for his latest, a greatest hits album, followed by Def Jam/IDJ’s Method Man & Redman, hip-hop’s answer to Abbott and Costello, with 65-70k, followed by Comedy Central’s reviled MySpace-fueled stand-up superstar Dane Cook’s latest effort and Universal Motown’s iconic
Busta Rhymes, reunited with former Elektra topper Sylvia Rhone, both at between 60-65k.
Tori Amos makes her debut for Monte Lipman’s Universal Republic with the salaciously titled Abnormally Attracted to Sin, a timely concept album about sexual, monetary and political power in a recession, which is on target for 50-55k.
My Space/Interscope online sensation Kate Voegele returns with a sophomore effort, which looks to be in the 35-40k range, trailed by Reprise’s Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood two-CD/DVD live album and Columbia singer/songwriter Mat Kearney, both from 20-25k.
The market was down 10% vs. last week, down 22% vs. same week last year and down 13% year to date, a drop that makes waterboarding seem like sun-bathing.
Unstoppable
Busta
