Her long-awaited second Capitol/EMI album, Teenage Dream, debuts this week at #1 with a total of 194k in sales, after track downloads, including the two hit singles, “California Gurls” and the title cut, sold more than 4 million.
Not too shabby.
J/RMG American Idol winner Fantasia’s Back to Me racked up 122k, good for a #2 debut, after her suicide attempt and several subsequent TV appearances stirred up interest in the album.
Shady/Aftermath/Interscope hip-hop star Eminem’s Recovery drops from #1 after an incredible two-month run at or near the top, landing at #3 with just under 100k.
LaFace/JLG’s Usher, with Versus, an EP of seven new songs and a remix from Raymond vs. Raymond, debuts at #4, followed by Capitol Nashville/EMI country rock group Little Big Town’s The Reason Why, who enter at #5.
Fantasia and Usher give Jive/RCA Label Group boss Barry Weiss two in the Top 4.
Universal Motown’s Kem continues with Intimacy at #6, while MCA Nashville country rock group Randy Rogers Band’s Burning the Day comes in at #7, trailed by Island/IDJ’s Justin Bieber at #8.
Sire singer-songwriter Christofer Drew Ingle’s Never Shout Never nails a Top 10 debut at #9, with RCA/RMG folk-rocker Ray LaMontagne getting a second week at #10.
Other Top 50 newcomers include Ferret Records’ The Devil Wears Prada Zombie EP (#23) and Jive/Red Ink’s Apocalyptica (#29), while Reprise’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers returns to the chart at #31.
Usher’s Raymond vs. Raymond now-deluxe album benefits from the addition of seven new songs and a remix, climbing #30-14, +71% for the week.
Other double-digit gainers include Nonesuch’s surging Black Keys (#36-27, +39%), Razor & Tie’s Kidz Bop 18 (#15-12, +19%) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Big Boi (#48-326, +17%).
Hitting retail this week are Reprise’s Disturbed, EMI’s Now 35, Warner Bros.’ Goo Goo Dolls, Asylum’s Lyfe Jennings, Def Jam/IDJ’s Fabolous, Universal Republic’s 10 Years and Eleven-Seven’s Papa Roach.