Mariah Carey's new album enjoys huge early sales

By Jonathan Cohen

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Mariah Carey looks certain to debut at No. 1 on next week's U.S. pop album chart, based on massive first-day sales from a survey of leading music retailers.

Preliminary data show that "E=MC2," Carey's follow-up to her 2005 smash "The Emancipation of Mimi," sold 154,000 units Tuesday. That's more than five times the first-day haul for the current Billboard 200 champ, Leona Lewis' "Spirit," which ended up selling almost 205,000 copies in the week ended April 13.

The first-day sales are tallied on tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan's Building Chart, which is based on data from nine chains -- Trans World Entertainment, Starbucks, Best Buy, Circuit City, iTunes, Borders, Target, Anderson Merchandisers, and Handleman Co. Billboard estimates they represent 80% of the U.S. retail market. Final data will be released on Wednesday.

"The Emancipation of Mimi," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 404,000 copies. The first single from the new album, "Touch My Body," has spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

Reuters/Billboard 1