Justin Timberlake Storms To Number One In UK, Unseats David Bowie

Justin Timberlake has powered his way to the top of the UK album chart with his third album, The 20/20 Experience.

The achievement also marks a hat-trick record for Memphis native. He reached number one in 2002 with Justified and in 2006 with FutureSex/LoveSounds.

With sales of nearly 106,000 copies just this week, Timberlake’s latest opus is the fastest selling album of 2013 in UK, nudging David Bowie’s The Next Day off its week long perch at the top.

According to the UK’s Official Charts Company, The 20/20 Experience outsold more than the rest of this week’s Top 5 combined.

And it’s not just Britain that’s embracing Timberlake.

Music industry sources forecast his album could sell between 850,000 and 900,000 in the US by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, March 24.

That’s a significant hike from Billboard’s first projection of 500,000 earlier this month. Post 20/20’s March 19 debut, that sales projection jumped to 750,000 on the 20th, 800,000 on the 21st, more recently tracking at between 850,000 to 900,000 by March 22.

There is some speculation that 20/20 could even go over 900,000. But even if it doesn’t, the 12-song set is headed for the year’s top selling album.

Timberlake is on target for a second number one album and his best-ever sales week in the US, echoing the footsteps of 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds which bowed with at Number one with 684,000 US copies sold.

Coming off a six year hiatus, the Grammy’s, singles “Suit and Tie” and “Mirrors,” extremely well received appearances on Saturday Night Live and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and with the highly anticipated Legends of the Summer stadium tour with Jay-Z still to come — this is a masterclass comeback by Timberlake.

Do you have The 20/20 Experience yet? If so, what’s your replay song?

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE " Strawberry Bubblegum " Live…by UnderProject