‘Eclipse’ soundtrack fights for top album spot

Los Angeles: The US album chart is finally heating up after a lengthy lackluster spell, with the latest ‘Twilight’ soundtrack set to lead a trio of notable newcomers next week. ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ is going up against Christina Aguilera`s first studio release in nearly four years and the latest EP from the cast of the Fox TV show ‘Glee.’

Industry prognosticators think ‘Eclipse’ will likely debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with possibly as much as 140,000 to 160,000 copies sold by week`s end on June 13. The last ‘Twilight’ release, ‘New Moon,’ was released on a Friday and sold 115,000 in just three days, debuting at No. 2. In its first full week, it sold 153,000 and moved up to No. 1. Sources also predict that the ‘Glee’ album, ‘Journey to Regionals,’ might sell around 110,000 to 130,000 while Aguilera`s ‘Bionic’ could move 100,000 to 120,000 copies. That`s a sharp drop from the chart-topping, 346,000-unit start for her last effort, the 2006 double-length album ‘Back to Basics.’ But the sales projection could change, considering the number of high-profile TV appearances Aguilera has lined up this week. She played NBC`s ‘Today’ Tuesday, and will visit `The Late Show With David Letterman` tonight and ‘Live With Regis & Kelly’ Thursday. She`ll finish up the work week with a Friday visit to CBS` ‘Early Show.’ On Sunday, she`ll be the focus of new episodes of VH1`s ‘Behind The Music’ and ‘Storytellers.’ On the other hand `Bionic`s` first single, `Not Myself Tonight,` stalled at No. 23 on the Hot 100 singles chart in late April. Other albums on course to make noteworthy debuts next week on the Billboard 200 include Plies` `Goon Affiliated,` Dierks Bentley`s `Up On The Ridge,` Jewel`s `Sweet and Wild,` Saving Abel`s `Miss America` and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals` self-titled album. Bureau Report