The forecasts are out and it looks like Shawn Mendes is headed for the top of the Billboard 200 chart with his new self-titled album. If he pulls it off, this would be his third No. 1.
Released last Friday (25 May), Mendes is expected to push 165 000 equivalent album units in the week ending 31 May with an estimated 135 000 coming from traditional album sales.
Mendes’ previous No. 1s came in 2015 with Handwritten and then in 2016 with Illuminate. If he takes the top spot with the projected figures, it will set a new personal best for him. Illuminate is his current best -- it topped the Billboard 200 with 145 000 units, of which 121 000 were traditional sales.
Other albums aiming for Top 10 spots include A$AP Rocky’s Testing and Pusha T’s Daytona.
Rifumo Mdaka is a Johannesburg-based music writer who champions South African queer artists. When I’m bored, I watch iPhone keynotes and commercials. Read my website FDBQ Music and follow me on Twitter, @rifvmo