MIDWEEK SALES REPORT:
D12 DOES IT AGAIN

Today’s another day. Sure, yesterday we told you all about how it was a four-way horse-race for #1 on next week’s HITS Top 50 Albums chart, but as of this moment, things done changed.

At least we think they have. According to the latest research from our crack team of retail brain surgeons, Shady/Interscope’s D12 isn’t experiencing the usual sophomore-week sales dropoff typical of most big records. Rather, the Eminem-led group of fine, upstanding hip-hop citizens are likely to see a second-week sales figure only 35-40% lower than this week’s 368k debut. That would mean sales north of 220k next week, if our rocket scientists’ calculations are to be believed, which would give the D-town sextet a probable second week at #1. If ever there was a time to give their "dirty dozen" a celebratory sponge bath, this is it.

Not that J’s Alicia Keys or So So Def’s Jagged Edge are faltering, by any means. Both look to be headed for 200k at this point–an unexpectedly huge bow for young Keys, especially–but both will have to ramp up significantly over the weekend to stay in the hunt for next week’s #1 spot.

Flip/Elektra’s Staind, meanwhile, looks to be falling just enough off the pace to be out of contention for a return to #1. Our team of towering intellects who make up, er, "project" these numbers predict at this point that Staind will finish out the sales week in the 160-170k range.

Of course, this could all change again by the time you read this, but that’s only because our lab rats’ methods are so scientific. Please continue to watch this space for additional data as it becomes available.