Nicki Minaj’s Roman Reloaded leads flood of new album entries

Nicki Minaj’s highly anticipated second album, Pink Friday – Roman Reloaded looks set to enter at Number 1 this Sunday, and is currently leading the field by 9,000 copies.

The new offering from the US rapper sees her working with producers including the likes of Dr Luke (Katy Perry, Jessie J) and RedOne (Lady Gaga), as well as collaborating with the likes of last week’s chart topper Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Drake. Minaj became one of the highest charting solo female rappers ever in the UK last month when lead single from the album Starships hit the Number 2 spot on the Official Singles Chart, bettering the solo personal bests of even Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Lil Kim, Eve and Neneh Cherry. 

New entries

A flood of new entries will be hitting the Official Albums Chart this weekend, Labrinth’s debut studio album Electronic Earth (Number 2) is currently in second place on the heels of ...Roman Reloaded, the largely self-produced album features smash hit singles Earthquake FT Tinie Tempah, Let The Sunshine In, and the more recent Last Time, which is currently at Number 10 in the Official Singles Chart Update.

Hijacking the Number 3 spot today is kids phenomenon Moshi Monsters whose debut album Music Rox! is currently tracking ahead of albums from music icons Madonna (Number 5) and Lostprophets (Number 4) within days of hitting the shelves without benefitting from any promotional airplay or single releases.

“We’re over the moon to see Music Rox! creating such a stir in the charts’, said Jason Perry, head of Moshi Music at parent company Mind Candy. “To be on course to potentially achieve a top three position in the chart this coming weekend without any radio or TV play is ground-breaking news for us. We’re delighted to be entertaining our Moshi fans with quality kids music and turning the traditional route to chart success on its head.”

Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company says, “It’s fantastic to see Moshi Monsters - a brand which is new to the music scene - making waves among acts such as Madonna, David Guetta and Jessie J. Easter is always a boom period for kids’ music and videos targeting and the Moshi Monsters are clearly leading the way.”

Welsh rockers Lostprophets are back with their fifth studio album, Weapons is on course to enter at Number 4 this weekend. Elsewhere Orbital’s Wonky (11), Ian Anderson’s Thick As A Brick 2 (16), Graham Coxon’s A&E (22), Killing Joke’s MMXII (29), All The Young’s Welcome Home (32), Sean Paul’s Tomahawk Technique (35), Demi Lovato’s Unbroken (36), and The Osmonds’ Can’t Get By Without You (38) complete today’s Top 40 new entries.

The full Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 is as follows:

Official Albums Chart Update Top 40
01 PINK FRIDAY - ROMAN RELOADED - NICKI MINAJ
02 ELECTRONIC EARTH - LABRINTH
03 MUSIC ROX - MOSHI MONSTERS
04 WEAPONS - LOSTPROPHETS
05 MDNA - MADONNA
06 NOTHING BUT THE BEAT - DAVID GUETTA
07 OUR VERSION OF EVENTS - EMELI SANDE
08 21 - ADELE
09 WHO YOU ARE - JESSIE J
10 + - ED SHEERAN
11 WONKY - ORBITAL
12 BORN TO DIE - LANA DEL REY
13 MAKING MIRRORS - GOTYE
14 MYLO XYLOTO - COLDPLAY
15 TALK THAT TALK - RIHANNA
16 THICK AS A BRICK 2 - IAN ANDERSON
17 TEENAGE DREAM - KATY PERRY
18 IN MY DREAMS - MILITARY WIVES
19 GEMS - THE VERY BEST OF - MICHAEL BOLTON
20 SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKING - LMFAO
21 NOAH - NOAH STEWART
22 A&E - GRAHAM COXON
23 SONIK KICKS - PAUL WELLER
24 IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW - OLLY MURS
25 UP ALL NIGHT - ONE DIRECTION
26 THE SCRIPT - SCRIPT
27 DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS - BRUNO MARS
28 HANDS UP - THE ALBUM - JUSTIN FLETCHER
29 MMXII - KILLING JOKE
30 NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
31 STEREO TYPICAL - RIZZLE KICKS
32 WELCOME HOME - ALL THE YOUNG
33 WRECKING BALL - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
34 HOME AGAIN - MICHAEL KIWANUKA
35 TOMAHAWK TECHNIQUE - SEAN PAUL
36 UNBROKEN - DEMI LOVATO
37 19 - ADELE
38 CAN'T GET THERE WITHOUT YOU - OSMONDS
39 CEREMONIALS - FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
40 EL CAMINO - BLACK KEYS

© 2012 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.