LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - After a slow week on the U.S. pop album chart, where the top 10 didn't greet a single new entry when data were unveiled Wednesday, next week's tally should liven up a bit, thanks to bevy of new releases.
While Adele's "21" is on track to spend a seventh nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard 200, the rest of the top five could be filled with debuts.
The new "Now 38" compilation -- released to coincide with Mother's Day on Sunday -- could arrive in the No. 2 slot. Industry sources suggest it could sell around 110,000 copies by week's end on Sunday, May 8.
Aiming for about the same sales launch is the Beastie Boys' "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2," which will be fighting it out for the No. 2 slot.
The hip-hop trio's previous set, the instrumental album "The Mix-Up," debuted at No. 15 in July 2007 with 44,000 units. That was a far cry from the opening week numbers for 2004's "To the 5 Boroughs," which debuted at No. 1 with 360,000.
Next in line could be Fleet Foxes' second full-length album "Helplessness Blues" (perhaps 80,000) and then "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez's "Love?" (60,000). Fleet Foxes' last album, its 2008 self-titled set, debuted at No. 83 -- though it eventually peaked at No. 36 the following year.
J. Lo's last English-language album, 2007's "Brave," bowed at No. 12 with 53,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her new album is led by the single "On the Floor" (featuring Pitbull), which has so far peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and shifted 1.6 million downloads.
Also aiming for likely top 10 entries are Stevie Nicks' "In Your Dreams" and Musiq Soulchild's "Musiqinthemagiq."
One notable re-entry next week might be Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album, which is profiting from the power of Fox's "Glee." The TV series dedicated its entire May 3 episode to the 1977 album -- which spent 31 weeks atop the chart. Six of the set's 11 songs were performed by the cast, while another was heard in its original form as background music.
Adele's "21" sold 124,000 during the week ended May 1, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Total sales stand at 1.4 million after 10 weeks.
