With Jay-Z already having twelve #1 albums as a solo artist, it’s no surprise that his most recent album, Magna Carta, Holy Grail, is projected to be the second highest debut album of the year.
According to Billboard, Jay-Z’s latest album is expected to sell in the range of 350,000-400,000 units before July 14th. This number does not include the million copies Jay-Z purchased so Samsung phone owners could download the album in advance. If the numbers remain, Jay-Z is assured a #1 debut, giving the rapper his 13th #1, and prolonging his streak as a solo artist with the most #1 albums in history.
While the numbers of sales for MCHG are lower than his past releases of The Blueprint 3 and Watch the Throne, his collaboration album with Kayne West, Jay-Z remains confident that his streak will continue. If the album does happen to land in the #1 spot, MCHG will surpass Daft Punk’s Random Access (339,000) and Kanye West’s Yeezus (327,000), the second and third best albums of the year.
Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience remains the best selling album of the year with 968,000 copies sold in its first week.
