Introduction to Justin Bieber’s New Album
Justin Bieber’s latest album, Prey, is expected to have a solid opening week, with the album dominating daily charts on Spotify and Apple Music. This is the superstar’s first album in over four years, and it’s already making waves in the music industry.
Projected Sales and Chart Performance
Sources familiar with the matter have estimated that the album will sell around 150,000 to 160,000 album equivalent units in its first week, with Hits magazine projecting 175,000 units. These estimates would make for a respectable debut, especially considering that the figure will likely not include any physical sales in the first week. For comparison, Bieber’s previous album, Justice, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2021 with 154,000 equivalent units, including 30,000 physical sales.
Competition on the Billboard 200 Chart
The current estimates could also keep Bieber competitive for a debut on the Billboard 200 album chart, where Morgan Wallen has dominated for the past two months. The country singer is expected to sell over 150,000 units this week. All six of Bieber’s previous albums have reached the top of the chart in their first week, so it will be interesting to see how Prey performs.
Surprise Release and Marketing Strategy
Bieber decided to surprise the public with Prey, instead of sharing all the singles in advance. He teased the drop on Thursday, July 10th, with advertising boards around the globe. This marketing strategy has generated a lot of buzz and excitement among fans.
Other New Releases
Apart from Wallen’s I Am the Problem, Prey is facing competition from other new releases, including Clipse’s Let God Sort Them Out and Travis Scott’s Jackboys 2. Scott, in particular, is a chart monster, with his 2023 album Utopia debuting with almost 500,000 units.
Performance on Streaming Platforms
On the day after its release, July 11th, Bieber had the top seven slots on Spotify’s US chart, with the standout track "Daisies" featuring production and writing by Gen Z darling Mk.Gee, garnering over 8.5 million streams. At the time of publication, "Daisies" remains the top song on Spotify’s chart, and Bieber occupies five of the top 10 slots. On Apple Music’s US chart, he takes up eight of the top 10 spots.
Personal and Professional Changes
Prey comes at a time of significant upheaval in Bieber’s life. Since the Justice era, he has faced health problems, canceled a tour, sold his publishing catalog, had a child, and parted ways with his long-time manager, Scooter Braun. The two recently settled their remaining financial issues, with Bieber paying Braun $31 million to settle a debt he owed him due to the cancellation of his Justice tour and unpaid commissions.
New Chapter in Bieber’s Career
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bieber has compiled a new team and is preparing for the next chapter of his professional career. With Prey, he is looking to make a fresh start and prove himself once again as a major force in the music industry.
