You can Thank him now, or Thank him Later, but the record industry should show its gratitude somehow because Drake’s new album is the first blockbuster of the summer, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The half-Jewish Toronto hip-hop star, who got his start in the teen TV cult hit Degrassi: The Next Generation, goes to the head of the class this week on his Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown debut, Thank Me Later, with first-week sales in the 450-475k range, making it a lock for #1.
Based on one-day sales reports from those retailers still blowing their own vuvezelas, that would be the third highest-total this year following Sade (501k) and Lady Antebellum (481k).
The postponed album comes to retail fresh off a pair of Drake hits in “Over” and “Find Your Love" and a series of underground mixtapes.
Next up, Reprise’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, Mojo, his first with the band since 2002, is off to a solid start, on target for between 100-110k, good for #2.
Capitol/EMI’s Now 34 is the next highest debut, with estimates in the 80-90k range, while Arista/RMG Lilith Tour headliner Sarah McLachlan’s Laws of Illusion will rack up 75-85k.
Side One Dummy’s Americana rockers The Gaslight Anthem look to be in the 20-25k range.
Next Monday, Shady/Aftermath/Interscope's Eminem and Hollywood's Miley Cyrus albums hit the streets, while Epic's Ozzy Osbourne may well follow suit.
The market was up 6% vs. last week, down 14% vs. same week last year and still down 11% year to date. And you thought that English soccer goalie had it rough.
~Boom Box Guy~
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