Eminem Projected to Go Gold First Week

Drake released the highest-selling debut this year, 'Thank Me Later', last week, but Eminem has a leg up on the newbie. When his seventh studio album 'Recovery' hits the charts next week, the Detroit emcee is projected to sell somewhere between 590,000 and 615,000 copies according to HITS Daily Double, putting him at number one on the Billboard charts and ahead of Sade and Lady Antebellum as the highest first week sales of 2010.

Though it isn't official just yet, Em edges out Sade's 'Soldier of Love', which charted at number one back in early February with 502,000 copies sold and earning the group its first number one album in its decades-plus career. Country group Lady Antebellum gets bumped back to number three highest-selling release in '10 with their sophomore album 'Need You Now', which sold 481,000 copies in its first week upon release back in late January.

If the projected sales figures are correct, then 'Recovery' would become Eminem's fifth consecutive entry at number one as well as his sixth gold plaque. Last year's 'Relapse' faced similar success, debuting at the top slot with 608,000 copies sold and continuing on to sell more than 1.9 million units.

Eminem has been busy promoting the new album in New York City, having recently made a surprise appearance at downtown venue Bowery Ballroom during Red Bull's Emsee Battle: The Road to 8 Mile where he shared the same stage as rap collective Slaughterhouse. 'Recovery', which hit stores this past Monday, features production from DJ Khalil, Just Blaze, Jim Jonsin, Boi-1da and Dr. Dre as well as guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Pink and Rihanna.