CHART COMES ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIQ

Emerging from its winter doldrums, next week’s chart promises at least three new albums that could crack the so-far elusive 100k mark, according to one-day sales reports from our crack network of retailers.

Musiq Soulchild, now signed to Atlantic, is surpassing the label’s expectations with a total that could go over 150k, if they can get enough albums out there. The initial shipment of 250k will barely cover that total.

Next up is Universal Motown’s Atlanta-based R&B singer Lloyd, whose projected 140k will put him in a dogfight with Musiq for #1.

Zone 4/Interscope’s Mobile, AL, Dirty South rapper Rich Boy appears headed for a total north of 100k, followed by Bad Boy/Atlantic’s veteran hip-hop group 8 Ball & MJG.

The week’s biggest surprise after Musiq, though, might well be highly touted U.K. newcomer Amy Winehouse, whose Universal Republic bow, Back to Black, could do between 35-40k. You gotta love this sultry soulstress, whose album includes a modern-day anthem in “Rehab,” with its refrain, “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, no, no, no.”

Veteran rockers Type O Negative are looking at a robust first-week total of between 25-30k for their new album, Dead Again, on the indie SPV label.

Another U.K. phenom, Interscope’s anti-James Blunt, James Morrison, eyes a total of 17-20k, buoyed by #2 iTunes and a solid showing at Starbucks.

Next week’s releases include Virgin soul queen Joss Stone, Capitol’s incarcerated gangsta rapper C-Murder and American Idol album Elliott Yamin on newly launched Sony/ATV-backed indie Hickory Records.

The market was up 2% vs. last week, down almost 20% vs. same week last year and now down over 16% year-to-date.