Frank Ocean’s Long Awaited ‘Blonde’ Set For No. 1 Debut On Billboard 200

Four years removed from the critical acclaim of his debut LP Channel Orange, R&B crooner Frank Ocean has defied expectations once again with the release of his sophomore effort Blonde on Saturday (Aug. 20). With featured appearances from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, the album’s rollout has consisted of a magazine entitled Boys Don’t Cry , pop-up shops in four American cities, and received an immense amount amount of media coverage. Less than a week into its release, Blonde’s commercial success looks to be all well and good. According to Billboard, Blonde is set to top the Billboard 200 next week.

READ: Frank Ocean Releases ‘Blonde’ Album On Apple Music

Industry forecasters predict that the album will sell 225 equivalent album units within its first week. If their predictions pan out, Ocean’s sophomore effort will not only outsell channel ORANGE; it will also become his first album to peak at the top of Billboard 200. For fans who can’t recall, channel ORANGE peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2012, selling a respectable 131,000 copies in its first week.