Singers Lana Del Rey, Sam Smith score top debuts on Billboard 200

Published June 27, 2014
Singer Lana Del Rey performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. - Photo by Reuters
Singer Lana Del Rey performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. - Photo by Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Pop singer Lana Del Rey scored her first No. 1 album on the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, while British newcomer Sam Smith landed at No. 2 with his debut record.

Del Rey's "Ultraviolence," her second full-length studio album which includes the single "West Coast," sold 182,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. Her previous album, 2012's "Born To Die," sold 76,000 copies in its first week and peaked at No. 2 on the album chart.

"Ultraviolence" also garnered 7 million streams in the U.S. on music streaming platform Spotify, the highest number of first-week streams this year.

British singer Sam Smith, whose soulful vocals have catapulted him into the U.S. mainstream with ballads such as "Stay With Me," came in at No. 2 this week with "In the Lonely Hour" selling 166,000 copies.

Last week's chart topper, Jack White's "Lazaretto," dropped from No. 1 to No. 7 this week.

Other new debuts in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart this week include rockers Linkin Park at No. 3 with "The Hunting Party" and country singer Willie Nelson at No. 5 with "Band of Brothers."

Pop singer and American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez's latest album "A.K.A." entered the chart at No. 8 with sales of 33,000 copies, which Billboard said was her lowest debut yet, despite a high-profile appearance singing this year's theme song at the opening ceremony for the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil.

Electronic music DJ Deadmau5 came in at No. 9 with his latest record, "While (1<2)."

For the week ending June 22, overall album sales totaled 4.55 million, down 17 percent from the comparable week in 2013, Billboard said.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.