According to HITS Daily Double, the final first-week sales number for Beyoncé's self-titled album is 618,550. It is a career high debut for the singer, whose previous record was 541,000 back in September 2006 with her sophomore album B'Day. It has already been reported that Beyoncé will top the Billboard 200 chart at the end of the week, as well. This is after only three days on iTunes shelves.
Not only did she best a personal stat, she has broken the record for most first-week sales on iTunes in the United States with 617,000 in sales. She also sold an unprecedented 828,773 copies of her album worldwide, according to her label Columbia.
R. Kelly and Childish Gambino, who also released albums last week, will debut in the top 10. Kelly's Black Panties (No. 4) sold 130,221, while Childish's Because the Internet will land at No. 7 with 93,580. Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2will remain in the top 10, dropping down to No. 8 from No. 6, but still pushing 82,776 copies.
UPDATE: Billboard has released its official chart data, confirming the 617,000 figure and the No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. More impressively, the publication noted that the album marks Beyoncé's fifth No. 1 debut, making her the first woman to ever have her first five albums top the chart, as well as the first woman to have her albums do so in their first week. The only other artist to ever accomplish the feat during the first week is DMX. Folk group The Kingston Trio also had its first five albums reach No. 1, although not all in their debut weeks.
The release also marks the highest first-week sales for any female artist in 2013, Billboard noted.
[via HITS Daily Double]
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