Dead January

AIRBALL: Whereas 2010 kicked off with an unexpected bang behind four straight six-figure debuts in Ke$ha, Vampire Weekend, Hope for Haiti and Lady Antebellum, this January resembles a black hole, as the majors have failed to put even one major brand name in play. If anything, the picture for February is even more distressing. The Grammys take place on the eve of Valentine’s Day, and nothing on the schedule has the appeal of last year’s perfectly timed Sade release. The first chance for a big score won’t come until March, when Cash Money/Universal Motown releases Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV, which prognosticators are saying could bow in the neighborhood of 750k, and Jive/JLG comes with Britney Spears; the Kanye West/Jay-Z joint project may also drop that month. (1/13a)