NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 31: BTS performs during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan ... [+]
BTS fans now only need to wait less than two weeks before the band releases its new album Map of the Soul: 7, and excitement is at an all-time high. In fact, the set is one of the most highly anticipated titles of 2020 of any genre, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee it the top spot in America once it arrives. Even some of the biggest names in the music industry miss the highest rung due to a number of factors, including competition. Sometimes reaching No. 1 isn’t just about the music or the promotional strategy, but about timing.
Looking at the calendar of upcoming major album releases, is there anything on the way that might potentially beat BTS to the Billboard 200’s penthouse?
At the moment, the band seems to be safe, and they stand a great chance of collecting a fourth leader later this month. Map of the Soul: 7 is slated to drop on Friday, February 21, and while there are plenty of exciting new releases coming that same day (from the likes of Grimes, Allie X, COIN, Best Coast and Guided By Voices, to name just a few), only one will surely debut inside the top 10, and potentially inside the top five.
Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s first solo full-length in a decade Ordinary Man is also hitting store shelves, digital download sites and streaming platforms on February 21, and it will likely perform well after its first seven days of availability have passed...but it’s tough to imagine it outselling BTS’s Map of the Soul: 7, which has reportedly already moved over four million copies when it comes to presales.
The week prior, Justin Bieber’s new set Changes will debut, and it surely goes straight to No. 1 as well. The pop star’s first release in five years will probably hold on and live inside the top five for another frame, but its second-week figures shouldn’t pose any real threat to BTS’s opening numbers.
Predicting which albums will be present inside the top 10 when Map of the Soul: 7 debuts doesn’t seem terribly difficult, and at the moment, none of them look like they’ll put up a real fight for the No. 1 slot, though anything can happen in the music industry. Just last month, predictors were certain Halsey was headed toward a second chart-topper, but Eminem came out of nowhere with surprise release Music to Be Murdered By and grabbed the throne. It’s possible another musician could do the same to BTS, but it’s unlikely.
At the moment, the K-pop icons appear to be on their way to their fourth Billboard No. 1 album, which will be a historic win when its announced.
