Justin Timberlake’s “20/20” First-Week Sales Are Finally In

R&B singer Justin Timberlake's new 20/20 Experience solo album fell short of selling a million copies in its opening week with reports claiming it sold just over 960,000.

According to reports, JT’s long-awaited comeback album fell 40,000 copies short of reaching platinum status in only seven days.

The numbers are in and after previous reports, Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience album will debut No. 1 on Billboard’s album charts. Lead by the singles “Suit & Tie” with Jay-Z, and “Mirrors,” the pop star’s first album in over six years sold 968,600 copies opening week confirmed by Billboard/Nielsen SoundScan. (Miss Info TV)

Last week, Justin’s “Suit & Tie” collaborator Jay-Z publicly acknowledged the high first-week sales projections.

“JT x 1 million? Getting my “Suit and Tie” ready for the celebration.,” Jigga tweeted March 22nd, making it his first since February 3rd. (Jay-Z’s Twitter)

Entering the weekend, the LP’s projections were up to 900,000.

Industry sources now forecast that Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” could sell between 850,000 and 900,000 by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, March 24. Could “20/20” go over 900,000? It’s quite possible, if the set performs strongly over the weekend. With its massive sales, “20/20” will instantly become the year’s top selling album. It will eclipse Mumford & Sons’ “Babel,” which has sold 631,000 in 2013 according to Nielsen SoundScan. Timberlake will also score his second No. 1 and his best-ever sales week with “20/20.” His previous high came with the arrival of his last album, 2006’s “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” which bowed with 684,000 at No. 1. (Billboard)

Initial estimates had the LP shelling out up to 750,000 records in week one.

TOWERING TIMBERLAKE: With early retail reports coming in hot and heavy, we’re upping the previous 600k first-week estimate on Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience to north of 750k. Can it hit 800k? Now, wouldn’t that be something for a music biz desperately in need of a dial-moving smash? Credit a brilliant setup by RCA’s Peter Edge and Tom Corson, expert radio wrangling on the part of Joe Riccitelli and, last but not least, the massive appeal and considerable talent of J.T. his bad self. (3/20a) (HITS Daily Double)