A strong debut is proving elusive for Mariah Carey”s new album, “Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse.”
As of Friday, it looked like “Chanteuse” will sell no more than 60,000 copies in its first week, making it the superstar”s lowest non-holiday studio album opening week in the Nielsen SoundScan era. The chart closes at midnight on Sunday. By comparison, here last studio album, 2009″s “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,” sold 168,000 in its first week.
If there”s any good news for Carey, it”s that, despite its lackluster sales, “Chanteuse” will likely debut at No. 3, the same rank as “Memoirs,” according to Billboard.
Otherwise, Coldplay”s “Ghost Stories” and Brantley Gilbert”s “Just As I Am” sell enough copies to hold at No. 1 (85,000) and No. 2 (65,000).
In addition to Carey-who if she surges could bow at No. 2- other debuts in the Top 10 are Austin Mahone”s EP, “The Secret” at No. 5 (47,000) and Crowder”s “Neon Steeple” at No. 10. Crowder is David Crowder, former lead singer for Christian rock band The David Crowder Band.
As far as the rest of the Top 10, “Frozen” will be at No. 4 (55,000), “Now 50” at No. 6 (35,000), Michael Jackson”s “Xscape” at No. 7 (35,000), The Black Keys” “Turn Blue” at No. 8 (32,000), and Izzy Azalea”s “The New Classic” (17,000), according to Hits Daily Double.
Possibly shaking the lower tier of the Top 10 could be new albums from Cher Lloyd, “Sorry I”m Late,” and Royksopp and Robyn, “Do It Again.”