Next week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Adele’s “21” may return for an 11th non-consecutive week atop the list. But Blake Shelton’s reigning No. 1 could keep her at bay by holding the top slot. Most surprisingly, the popular children’s album series “Kidz Bop” could find itself at No. 1 with its latest effort, “Kidz Bop 20.”
Industry sources suggest Adele currently has the edge in the race with a sales figure somewhere in the 70,000 range, but anything is possible. The “Kidz” album may shift upwards of 70,000 by the end of the tracking week on July 24.
The new “Kidz Bop 20” album features such recent hits as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” and Britney Spears’ “Till the World Ends” performed by children (with cleaned-up lyrics, naturally).
The last “Kidz” set, “Kidz Bop 19,” debuted at No. 2 in February with 70,000 in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. While the series has twice notched No. 2 albums, a No. 1 still continues to prove elusive. All told, the series has sold 11.5 million albums in the United States.
Other albums aiming for a top 10 bow next week include 3 Doors Down’s “Time of My Life,” 311’s “Universal Pulse” and DJ Khaled’s “We the Best Forever.”