The overtly political themes will turn off the masses. But it will do alright for a posthumous "lost" album. His strong post-death sales have suprised me though. Except for PR, he never was a MASSIVE seller, especially the last 20 years of his career. IMO- The biggest "underground" independent artist ever.

It was number one for sales on Amazon.

Based on sales I think it will debut in Billboard's top 10; I'd guess number 8. But it also depends on when the "cut off" is for the Billboard week.

[Edited 7/30/21 13:56pm]

Hopefully, it will flop so they will release another one from the 1980s like they should have done this time.

With all the hype I think it has a shot at Top 10 and then off the chart in two weeks. There's no good single.

vainandy said:

EmmaMcG said:

vainandy said:

Hopefully, it will flop so they will release another one from the 1980s like they should have done this time.

I'm sick of 80s outtakes. Ok, that's probably a bit strong. But at this point I'd much rather they release some more recent stuff. At least then it would almost feel like a "new" album and not just a bunch of outtakes from before I was born. Black Is The New Black or whatever he was supposed to have been working on prior to his death would be my ideal choice for the next release.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Part of me feels as though releasing something more recent is the estate testing the waters to see if there's interest (and money to be made?) from issuing more recent material. We all know almost every fan wants a wealth of material from the 80's, that's a given. But I hope Welcome 2 America will sell well enough to really prove people do want to hear and care about his later work, right up until the end, meaning projects like Black Is The New Black could be the next non-SDE I really hope they issue. Followed swiftly by the P&AM live album maybe? Both of which were on his radar back then anyway. As much as I love the wealth of vault material we've been getting, I cannot wait for his "newer" material and final projects to see the light of day at last.

jfenster said:

homesquid said:

With all the hype I think it has a shot at Top 10 and then off the chart in two weeks. There's no good single.

It's Prince mellow music (except for hot summer) not Pop radio friendly. I do like Same Page, Different book.

MusicFan20Ten said:

EmmaMcG said:

vainandy said: I'm sick of 80s outtakes. Ok, that's probably a bit strong. But at this point I'd much rather they release some more recent stuff. At least then it would almost feel like a "new" album and not just a bunch of outtakes from before I was born. Black Is The New Black or whatever he was supposed to have been working on prior to his death would be my ideal choice for the next release.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Part of me feels as though releasing something more recent is the estate testing the waters to see if there's interest (and money to be made?) from issuing more recent material. We all know almost every fan wants a wealth of material from the 80's, that's a given. But I hope Welcome 2 America will sell well enough to really prove people do want to hear and care about his later work, right up until the end, meaning projects like Black Is The New Black could be the next non-SDE I really hope they issue. Followed swiftly by the P&AM live album maybe? Both of which were on his radar back then anyway. As much as I love the wealth of vault material we've been getting, I cannot wait for his "newer" material and final projects to see the light of day at last.

It was the best time to release the Welcome 2 America album because of the political times and the topics Prince takes on. (It's relevant).

MusicFan20Ten said:

bonnie184 said:

EmmaMcG said:

bonnie184 said:

It will debut at #2 behind Billie Eilish. Incredible marketing, my 80 year old mom even knew it dropped yesterday.

Fun fact: I've only heard one Billie Eilish song and even then, not even all of it.

I want to like Billie, I just can't with the irritating whisper singing.

Hits Daily Double is projecting the album to do 45-50k units. If that holds, it should be enough to open around number 4-6 on the Billboard 200 (he'll likely be number two in pure sales behind Billie Eilish). That would make it Prince's 20th top ten album, and first since 'Purple Rain Deluxe' in 2017. Discounting that remaster and the greatest hits albums that made the top ten after his death, it would be Prince's first top ten since Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum in 2014.

https://hitsdailydouble.c...E%27S-BACK

renfield said:

Hits Daily Double is projecting the album to do 45-50k units. If that holds, it should be enough to open around number 4-6 on the Billboard 200 (he'll likely be number two in pure sales behind Billie Eilish). That would make it Prince's 20th top ten album, and first since 'Purple Rain Deluxe' in 2017. Discounting that remaster and the greatest hits albums that made the top ten after his death, it would be Prince's first top ten since Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum in 2014.

https://hitsdailydouble.c...E%27S-BACK

50k in this music business is not too shabby for an "old" artist who's not doing Rap or Country. In fact it's nearly that of Art Official Age's total (51k). It's not superstar numbers but it's enough to prove to the estate there's enough interest to persist. For Prince to ever do big numbers he'd need a hit. Prince WILL have a Top 10 single again one day. Someone is going to remix one of his songs and it'll catch fire the same way Freddie Mercury scoared a huge hit when someone remixed "Living On My Own"

[Edited 7/31/21 16:06pm]

renfield said:

Hits Daily Double is projecting the album to do 45-50k units. If that holds, it should be enough to open around number 4-6 on the Billboard 200 (he'll likely be number two in pure sales behind Billie Eilish). That would make it Prince's 20th top ten album, and first since 'Purple Rain Deluxe' in 2017. Discounting that remaster and the greatest hits albums that made the top ten after his death, it would be Prince's first top ten since Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum in 2014.

https://hitsdailydouble.c...E%27S-BACK

Interesting...thanks for putting it in perspective. Was H&R 2 just a Universal distribution deal? I was suprised it wasnt marketed more following his death...or pushed for a posthumous Grammy.

homesquid said:

renfield said:

Hits Daily Double is projecting the album to do 45-50k units. If that holds, it should be enough to open around number 4-6 on the Billboard 200 (he'll likely be number two in pure sales behind Billie Eilish). That would make it Prince's 20th top ten album, and first since 'Purple Rain Deluxe' in 2017. Discounting that remaster and the greatest hits albums that made the top ten after his death, it would be Prince's first top ten since Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum in 2014.

https://hitsdailydouble.c...E%27S-BACK

50k in this music business is not too shabby for an "old" artist who's not doing Rap or Country. In fact it's nearly that of Art Official Age's total (51k). It's not superstar numbers but it's enough to prove to the estate there's enough interest to persist. For Prince to ever do big numbers he'd need a hit. Prince WILL have a Top 10 single again one day. Someone is going to remix one of his songs and it'll catch fire the same way Freddie Mercury scoared a huge hit when someone remixed "Living On My Own"

[Edited 7/31/21 16:06pm]

There shudve been a Video for Born 2 Die. I believe the Estate will continue to release "new" Prince product just to keep his name alive for the eventual huge paydays for the movie, Broadway, Vegas, etc.

vainandy said:

Hopefully, it will flop so they will release another one from the 1980s like they should have done this time.

.

Come on....since Prince passed, they were only releasing 80s stuff, and they did a great job with them. But I am happy finally there is ´new´ music from Prince

bonnie184 said:

I can only see this album as his previous releases have gone. I imagine a relatively high Billboard 200 placement initially, maybe even top 5, but it will more than likely quickly fall out of the charts.

jdcxc said:

kewlschool said:

It will have a good debut I am guessing because of all the marketing and ads etc...but LIKE ALL artists that have been at this a long time and are older or deceased in this case, this will disappear from the charts very quickly possibly three to four weeks if even that long, that is how it works if you are older recording new music even if you push it like crazy that gets a good debut and that is that. I mean the proof happens all the time, Bruce Springsteen new album, debuts at one or two, off the charts in a month, new Bon Jovi record debuts high off the charts two weeks later, McCartney 3 that thing was pushed so much, good debut behind Taylor Swift but unlike Taylor who gets some airplay it keeps her albums close to the top ten and so, but the McCartney had no play, he did what he could, off the charts really quick. I think if the PRINCE album pulls in a top 10 debut that will be great, but it will be gone quick and probably overall might sell 25-50K overall when all is said and done i think to say it will do more is very wishful thinking because there is nothing to sustain sales with older artists, you pushed it prior and its done.

EmmaMcG said: