ONE-DAY SALES:
BEYONCE BUSTS OUT

Indeed, after one day in stores, the young Destiny’s Child leader’s first solo jaunt, Dangerously in Love (Columbia), is on track to sell around 350k for the week, according to early reports from national accounts.

The strong early showing, which is ahead of most expectations, makes Beyonce a shoe-in for #1 on next week’s chart. We don’t actually know, but if someone put a gun to our head and made us guess, we’d venture that Beyonce has lots of shoes by now.

Meanwhile, one of Beyonce’s pop-troubadour counterparts is also having a strong first week: Michelle Branch’s Hotel Paper (Maverick) is doing big business, shaping up to sell well over 150k, with a shot at 200k. Now that’s something to write home (from the hotel) about.

Branch’s big opening should allow her slide into next week’s #2 chart slot with ease, assuming the continued settling of Luther Vandross’ Dance with My Father (J) and a little second-week fall-off for Monica’s After the Storm (also J).

Columbia has a second strong chart debut brewing this week in Three 6 Mafia’s Da Unbreakables (Hypnotized Minds/Columbia), which looks to be headed for a total of about 100k by Sunday.

Look for more up-to-the-minute retail reporting in this cyberspace as information becomes available, or our retail analysts learn to read, whichever comes first.