It appears record buyers see Justin Timberlake‘s vision. The Pop titan’s latest effort ‘The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)’ is on course to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 next week. A fact which, no doubt, calls for celebration.
Sadly for rapper Nelly, the good fortunes of his ‘Girlfriend’ collaborator doesn’t extend to him. For, his latest LP ‘M.O’ is set to open with numbers that must be seen to be believed.
Both men’s first week predictions await after the jump…
According to Hits Daily Double, the second round of JT’s ‘Experience’ will premiere will sales of…
350,000 – 375,000
While Nelly’s ‘M.O’, which benefitted from collaborations from the likes of Pharell Williams and Nicki Minaj, is on course to debut with a paltry…
12,000 – 15,000
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Beyond presenting quite the contrast, both artists’ numbers are interesting on many a front.
Though impressive given the current sales climate (as well as fact his last album was released just six months ago), something tells us Team JT were hoping for better figures. For part 1 to open with numbers in excess of 900k, the 50%+ decrease in initial buyer interest is arguably alarming, as is the so-so performance of launching singles ‘Take Back The Night’ and ‘TKO’.
Still, with a world tour fast approaching, and few other artists selling anything near, we doubt Justin or his team are that bothered.
As for Nelly, whose general longevity remains impressive, there’s no way of avoiding the obvious. Whichever way it’s diced or sliced, the numbers are a catastrophe. Luckily for him, he had and continues to have his hands in many a pot (see: endorsements, clothing/drink lines, and TV). Perhaps it’s time to focus on those more, because record buyer focus has clearly shifted elsewhere.