Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle has made chart history after her debut album shot straight to number one in Britain, music officials said Sunday.
Boyle, who became a worldwide star after appearing on British reality television, has sold more than 410,000 copies of “I Dreamed a Dream – the biggest first week sales for a debut album in British chart history.
“I Dreamed A Dream outsold the rest of the top five albums combined, including boyband JLS, Black Eyed Peas and Queen, while her cover of the Rolling Stones classic “Wild Horses entered the singles charts in ninth place.
The church worker released a statement simply saying: “It’s fantastic.
Boyle, 48, is also tipped to be a hit on the US charts and “is already outselling Rihanna, Lady Gaga and 50 Cent, according to her spokeswoman.
Although the industry expected Boyle’s album to do well after huge pre-ordered sales, music officials described its success as exceptional.
“Susan Boyle’s achievement is quite phenomenal, said Martin Talbot, from Britain’s Official Charts Company.
“After all of the excitement surrounding her appearance on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, everyone expected her to make a big impact when she released her first music – but to arrive with such a bang is exceptional.
Boyle revealed a soaring voice behind her frumpy appearance when she appeared on the television show “Britain’s Got Talent in April.
Video of her singing “I Dreamed A Dream from the musical “Les Miserables on the show became a YouTube hit, with at least 100 million viewings.
Although she came second to dance act Diversity in the competition, she won over fans worldwide.
She initially struggled with her sudden rise to fame, and checked into a clinic suffering from exhaustion following the show.
Boyle also brushed aside suggestions last week that she was feeling the strain of worldwide attention after photographs in British tabloids appeared to show her crying and sucking her thumb at a promotional event in New York.
Boyle, who has undergone an extensive makeover since becoming a star, has recently revealed that she was bullied at school and teachers failed to understand that she was a slow learner. -AFP
