Super Tuesday Album Sales Projections: Kanye West, J. Cole, Mac Miller, Kelly Rowland & Others

UPDATE (06.22.13): As of Saturday, industry sources are beginning to project what the final numbers may look like on Sunday night (end of tracking period), and they are adjusting Yeezus lower than Thursday's 360,000. With more than 24 hours remaining, insiders expect West's record may actually come in around 330,000-340,000.


UPDATE (06.20.13): As of Thursday afternoon, insider projections suggest 380,000 for Yeezus may be a little high, and that number has been adjusted to the 360,000 range. Of course, the weekend may change things. J. Cole is looking solidly at 300,000, according to mid-week projections. We will likely update this space through the weekend as the numbers fluctuate.

After a fairly sluggish few weeks in album sales, that is changing this week. Some of the most anticipated records of the summer debuted on Tuesday, setting up a nice sales battle between Kanye West, J. Cole and others.

Although originally projected (likely due to hype) to sell 500,000 copies or beyond, Kanye West's Yeezus appears on track to sell between 350,000 and 380,000, according to insiders. J. Cole's Born Sinner, meanwhile, is surpassing expectations (150,000-plus) with projected sales this week of 275,000 to 305,000. Although Yeezus was always expected to outsell the competition, these new numbers suggest J. Cole's gamble is clearly paying off.

(It's also worth noting both Yeezus and Sinner leaked prior to their release date—four days in advance and two weeks in advance, respectively.)

Mac Miller's Watching Movies with the Sound Off is projected to sell upwards of 100,000, and Kelly Rowland's Talk a Good Game is eyeing 60,000-plus. Sigur Rós's Kveikur could sell around 25,000, and Empire of the Sun's Ice on the Dune should sell 15,000-18,000.

Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience is currently the year's highest debut with 968,000 its first week back in March.

Projections will likely become more clear as the week progresses.