Despite a well-publicized "wardrobe malfunction" and a media

blitz that included morning shows, the late-night circuit and

everything in between, Janet Jackson won't unseat Usher from the top

spot on next week's Billboard albums chart.

Miss Jackson continues her sex streak on her eighth album, Damita

Jo, though unlike on her past two risqué records, 2001's

All for You and 1997's The Velvet Rope, she'll make her

debut in a different position: #2. The more than 381,000 copies of

Damita Jo that sold last week, however, just about splits the

difference between the first-week totals of her previous #1 debuts,

which amounted to 605,000 and 202,000, respectively.

Another massively successful week for Usher boosts the total sales of

Confessions above the 1.5 million mark. With "Yeah!" continuing

its prevalence on airwaves, the R&B singer sold more than 485,000

copies of his fifth album last week.

With a single called "Game Over," the fun is just starting for Lil'

Flip. The Dirty South rapper's third album, U Gotta Feel Me,

which follows 2002's The Undaground Legend, sold more than

198,000 copies last week to bow at #4.

The blues loom over the #5 and #6 spots, but it's doubtful the

classic-rock artists occupying those positions are sobbing. Aerosmith's

Honkin' on Bobo, an album that juices up their love of the

traditional genre with old-time rock and roll, sold more than 160,000

copies to best Eric Clapton's latest album by 33,000 copies. The guitar

great's Me & Mr. Johnson, 14 covers of pioneering bluesman

Robert Johnson's best work, will place at #6.

Thanks to the party anthem "Tipsy," J-Kwon's Hood Hop will enter

the chart at #7, selling more than 125,000 copies.

The remainder of next week's top 10 will find Now That's What I Call

Music Vol. 15 slipping a spot to #3 (with more than 225,000 copies

sold); Norah Jones' Feels Like Home falling three places to #8

(103,000); Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits moving from #3 to #9

(96,000); and Kanye West's College Dropout dropping a deuce to

#10 (85,000).

Hoobastank's The Reason will crack the top 20 for the first time

since its release four months ago. The band's second album will advance

six places to #19 to extend its hot streak to six weeks. Last week's

tour kickoff with the Lostprophets and the popularity of "The Reason"

have boded well for the band with the funny name.

Unconventional and drastically different albums by artists who

themselves are unconventional and drastically different stake claim to

the #27 and #28 spots, where we find DJ Kay Slay's second

label-sanctioned mixtape, The Streetsweeper Vol. 2: The Pain From

the Game, featuring contributions from Eminem, 50 Cent and LL Cool

J, just ahead of Bob Dylan's live Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Concert at

Philharmonic Hall by less than 1,000 copies.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Shakira's DVD/live

album set, Live & Off the Record, at #45; the TV soundtrack

Music From the O.C.: Mix 1, with cuts from Spoon and Jet as well

as Phantom Planet's "California," the show's theme song, coming in #52;

the Who's Then and Now at #57; RBG: Revolutionary But

Gangsta, the latest from politically charged rappers Dead Prez, at

#60; metal stalwarts Soulfly's fourth album, Prophecy, at #82;

and Blast Tyrant, the first album in three years from melodic

hardcore vets Clutch, at #147.