One thing is nearly certain: we're going to have a new No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, and it will be Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" with likely 1 million sold in its first week.
Industry prognosticators suggest the set, the diva's third, will hit the 1 million threshold by week's end on Sunday, May 29.
If "Born" hits the magic 1 million mark, it will be the 17th album to sell a million copies in one week, and the first to do so since Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated Nov. 13, 2010 with 1.05 million
Lady Gaga 'Born This Way': Track-By-Track Review
No stone was left unturned by the folks at Gaga's label and distribution company -- Interscope and Universal Music Group, respectively -- when it came to finding opportunities to promote the album and to sell it in unconventional ways and locations. "Born" is stocked everywhere from Starbucks and CVS Pharmacies to Whole Foods and Walgreens.
The one unconventional promotion that Gaga's record company wasn't affiliated with was Amazon MP3's amazingly low 99-cent one-day discount on the set on Monday, May 23. Lady Gaga's label and management have stated that they were not alerted to or involved in Amazon's promotion. Sources indicate the stunt may have brought in more than 300,000 downloads of the album alone. ( Amazon MP3's second round of 99-cent discount pricing on the set, on May 26, will obviously further drive sales of the set -- easily securing a 1 million first week for "Born.")
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Considering it was only two weeks ago when industry folks were projecting that "Born" was "only" going to do around 500,000, having it approach 1 million (even with Amazon MP3's goofy 99-cent stunt sales goosing the first week) is mighty impressive.
With all this talk about Gaga, you've got to feel a little bad for country superstar Brad Paisley, whose "This Is Country Music" album will likely debut in the runner-up slot next week with maybe 150,000 copies sold. Paisley has yet to earn a No. 1 album -- after six top 10s (two of which hit No. 2. (Had his new album come a week earlier, perhaps he could have secured his first No. 1.)
Brad Paisley 'This Is Country Music': Track-By-Track Review
Other albums aiming for a top 10 arrival next week include "Glee, the Music: Season Two: Volume 6" (with perhaps an 80,000 start), the Rick Ross-led hip-hop compilation "Maybach Music Group Presents: Self Made, Vol. 1" (around 50,000) and the New Kids On the Block/Backstreet Boys collaboration/greatest hits album "NKOTBSB" with maybe 35,000.
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