Lorde Heading for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

Singer/songwriter Lorde is on track for her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, according to industry forecasters. Sources suggest that her new album, Melodrama, may launch at No. 1 with perhaps 80,000 to 90,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 22. The set, which is Lorde’s second studio effort, was released on June 16 through Lava/Republic Records.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new July 8-dated Billboard 200 chart (where Lorde will debut) is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard’s websites on Sunday, June 25.

Melodrama follows the New Zealand artist's debut effort, Pure Heroine, which debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 129,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Nielsen Music.

The week’s second biggest new entry will likely come from 2 Chainz’s Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, which might earn around 60,000 units. It’s on course to give the rapper his fourth straight top 10 effort.