The Numbers Game: Justin Bieber Is #1

No big Hip-Hop releases to talk about so Justin Bieber gets the spotlight this week. His new album Believe sold 374,600 in it’s first week which, to me at least, is a little underwhelming. Look at it this way, Bieber has over 24 million Twitter followers, I’ve seen him all over the TV in the past week, YouTube views is in the billions, and let’s face it, he’s probably the biggest pop star in the world right now. So to think that Drake’s first week for his last album Take Care almost outsold Believe by almost 300,000 is kinda crazy. Does this mean that all pre-teens know how to pirate albums off the Internet now? Is Bieber-fever nearing an end? Was there too many rappers on the album? Who knows?

First week sales projections for next week:

  • Maybach Music Group – Self Made Vol. 2 = 80-90,000
  • R. Kelly – Write Me Back = 70-75,000

#1 Justin Bieber – Believe (Last Week: NA) – 374,600; Total: NA [Debut]
#6 Usher – Looking 4 Myself (Last Week: #1) – 48,200; Total: 176,600 [2 Weeks]
#26 Waka Flocka Flame – Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family (Last Week: #10) – 13,800; Total: 47,000 [2 Weeks]
#27 Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (Last Week: #33) – 13,300; Total: 546,900 [11 Weeks]
#37 Rihanna – Talk That Talk (Last Week: #57) – 11,200; Total: 929,300 [31 Weeks]

Hip-Hop + R&B sales for the week of June 19th