Lorde’s New Album "Virgin" Debuts at Number Two on Billboard 200
Lorde’s fourth album, "Virgin", has made a strong debut on the Billboard 200 chart, landing at number two with 71,000 album equivalents. The album’s success can be attributed to the strong sales of vinyl records, with 31,000 copies sold in the first week, marking Lorde’s best weekly record for LP format.
Vinyl Sales Boost Album Debut
The album was released in eight different vinyl variants, including signed editions, which contributed to its high sales. In addition to vinyl, the album also sold well in digital and CD formats, with a total of 41,000 copies sold. This accounts for more than half of the album’s overall units.
Chart Performance
"Virgin" debuted at number one on the album sales chart but had to settle for number six on the streaming chart. The album’s songs earned 37.07 million on-demand streams, which translates to 29,000 streaming equivalents.
Comparison to Previous Album
In comparison, Lorde’s previous album "Solar Power" debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart in 2021 with 56,000 units. "Virgin" has surpassed its predecessor in terms of on-demand streams, with 37.07 million streams compared to 28.38 million for "Solar Power".
Unique CD Edition
Lorde also released a CD edition of "Virgin", which has caused a stir among fans due to its transparent design. The CD is playable on some systems but not others, which has led to mixed reactions.
Other Chart Entries
Morgan Wallen’s "I Am the Problem" continues to dominate the chart, holding the top spot for the seventh week with 173,000 units. Other new entries in the top 10 include Katseyes’ "Beautiful Chaos" and Russ’ "Wild", both of which have high physical sales compared to streaming.
Big Jump for Playboi Carti
Playboi Carti’s "Music" made a significant jump from number 28 to number 8 after a vinyl edition was released. The soundtrack for the Netflix film "KPOP Demon Hunters" also rose from number 8 to number 3 with 62,000 units, largely due to streaming.
Holdover Albums
Other albums that remain on the chart include Karol GS’ "Tropicoqueta", Szas’ "SOS", and Sabrina Carpenter’s "Short ‘N Sweet", all of which have dropped a few places but are still performing well.
