FOXX ON THE RUN!!

He’s a Gold Digger all right...and nearing platinum.

J Records/RMG Oscar winner-turned-recording artist Jamie Foxx proves he can channel Ray Charles as a hitmaker as well as a performer, with his Unpredictable topping the chart for the second consecutive week of the new year, one of three records to go over the 100k mark. In all, the RCA Music Group placed four albums in the Top 10, including a debut for The Strokes’ First Impressions of Earth at #4. Guess Clive is warming up for his annual moment in the sun come Grammy time. Hope our invites don’t get lost in the mail again this year.

Tower’s Kevin Hawkins was busy getting over his post-New Year’s hangover, only to be pleasantly surprised by the release of a Strokes album in January. “We were very happy with the performance of the album. Maybe in the future, more labels will take advantage of the lack of new product in January. And Foxx, Mary J. Blige and Eminem continue to sell well.”

Geffen diva Blige, former chart-topper, remains at #2, with Shady/Aftermath/Interscope’s Slim Shady at #3, both moving more than 100k in weekly sales.

Arista/RMG’s Carrie Underwood is steady at #5, while multi-Grammy nominated Island/IDJ comeback queen Mariah Carey, 2005’s best-selling artist, moves from #10 to #6, and Bad Boy/Atlantic rapper Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous duets album comes in at #7.

The rest of the Top 10 is rounded out by RCA/RMG Idol Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway (#8), the Black Eyed Peas’ multi-platinum smash Monkey Business (#9) and Roadrunner/IDJ rockers Nickelback’s All the Right Reasons (#10).

Other albums exhibiting some major upward mobility in an off week following the holidays include WB icon Madonna (#23-15), Custard/Atlantic crooner James Blunt (#22-16), Reprise Celtic new ager Enya (#27-22), Sony Urban/Columbia/CRG’s Destiny’s Child (#32-24), Interscope’s Daddy Yankee (#36-30), Capitol Nashville’s Keith Urban (#40-34) and Epic’s Shakira (#49-35).

The Walk the Line soundtrack on Wind-up and Island/IDJMG arena rock gods Bon Jovi both returned to the Top 50 this week.

January remains a slow month, with no hot new debuts expected for next week. When 2006 gets underway, someone wake us up, OK?