Kanye West New Album 2013: 'Yeezus' Projected to Sell Big Ahead of June 18 Release Date

It very well may be the summer of Kanye West. The often-controversial rapper's upcoming, much-anticipated album Yeezus is set to hit shelves next Tuesday (June 18), and sales are projected to make it go straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

According to Billboard.com, industry forecasters are predicting sales of 500,000 copies for Yeezus' first week. In 2013, these numbers are huge. In contrast to West's projection, this week's (June 13) No. 1 album Queens of the Stone Age's ...Like Clockwork sold 91,000 copies.

For 'Ye, though, 500,000 units is a reachable goal. According to Billboard and Nielsen SoundScan, West's last solo effort My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sold 496,000 copies in its first week. Yeezy's collaboration with friend Jay-Z, 2011's Watch the Throne, sold 436,000 copies.

Album forecasts take presales, radio play, YouTube views, hype and other factors into account. These numbers can in fact, be a good indication of what exactly a record will sell. Oftentimes, new releases even surpass their projected numbers.

Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience was initially projected to sell 500,000 copies in its first week. Though that number eventually increased to 750,000 units, JT surpassed even that. The 20/20 Experience sold 968,000 copies in its first seven days. It's the best debut of the year to date.

When Yeezus inevitably becomes the No. 1 album during the week of June 27, it will be only the second rap record to do so in 2013. A$AP Rocky's Long. Live. ASAP. debuted at No. 1 on Feb. 2. With 139,000 copies sold.

Of course, Yeezus is not the only album set for release on June 18. Sigur Ros, Mac Miller and the Monsters University soundtrack will join Kanye's new CD on the shelves, according to Pause&Play.

The top selling album for next week (June 20) is expected to be classic rock band Black Sabbath's 13. That record is set to move roughly 120,000 copies, according to Billboard. Despite the group's long history, it will be its first No. 1 album.