Three-way Sam/LDR tease

THE LONELY HOUR OF ULTRAVIOLENCE: This week’s biggest story is so big that it requires three pieces to tell in full. As you’ve probably guessed, we’re referring to the retail battle pitting Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence (Interscope) against Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour (Capitol), which may not be decided until Sunday night—and you can follow its progress right here, with frequently updated sales estimates. But no matter which of these eagerly awaited new releases comes out on top, both will go in the books as career milestones for their creators. These success stories don’t just happen, of course, and our setup stories on LDR and Smith detail the intricacies of each marketing campaign. (6/18p)