HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME
Just as He’s Doing Right Now on iTunes
It ain’t exactly a shocker that Jay-Z will tower over next week's chart, just as he's been ruling the news of late. Here's how it looks headed into the weekend—but bear in mind that the number below reflects sales via traditional physical and digital retail channels.
Jay-Z (Roc Nation) 495-520k (debut)
Ciara (Epic) 55-60k (debut)
J. Cole (Roc Nation/Columbia) 40-45k
Kanye West (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam/IDJ) 30-35k
Wale (Atlantic) 27-30k
Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville) 27-30k
Daft Punk (Columbia) 21-24k
Skylar Grey (KidinaKorner/Interscope) 18-21k (debut)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Macklemore) 18-21k
Justin Timberlake (RCA) 17-20k
Bruno Mars (Atlantic) 17-20k
Blake Shelton (Warner Bros. Nashville) 15-18k
Pitch Perfect (UMe) 15-18k
Hunter Hayes (Atlantic) 14-17k
Likewise, at the iTunes Store, there’s Magna Carta Holy Grail and then there’s everything else. But three members of the trailing pack bear singling out: Skylar Grey, whose debut looks fetching in the second slot; R&B diva Ciara, who’ll give Epic its biggest debut in some time; and alt-rock warhorses Pearl Jam, whose latest—this one going through Republic following the previous DIY release —just went up for pre-order, well in advance of its October release.
"Mind Your Manners," the first track from the Brendan O'Brien-produced album, which bears the title Lightning Bolt, is hitting radio now. And we mean hitting—the blistering track finds the band getting in touch with its inner punk. You can see a teaser video by going here. PJ previously announced dates for their upcoming North American trek, kicking off 10/11 in Pittsburgh and winding up in the band's hometown of Seattle on 12/6.
On the iTunes singles chart, meanwhile, there’s Jay-Z again, putting up what appears to be a serious challenge to Robin Thicke’s gargantuan “Blurred Lines,” with Justin Timberlake in a significant co-starring role.
The next time we take a peek at the singles chart, JT will almost certainly be there on his own with "Take Back the Night," the soon-to-be-available first track from the second 20/20 set. Timberlake presently has the #2 ("Suit & Tie") and #11 ("Mirrors") songs in overall airplay YTD, according to Mediabase. Will the new one reach these rarefied heights?
Keep an eye on Rumor Mill for updates on all of the above.
