Alicia Keys’ fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, sold an impressive 417,000 copies in its first week of release. Still, it wasn’t enough to knock U.K. sensation Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream from her No. 1 perch atop the Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
Boyle’s debut sold a remarkable 661,000 copies in its fourth week on the shelves, bringing its overall total to 2,465,000 copies. Keys’ previous four projects debuted at No. 1, with her most recent, As I Am, moving 742,000 units in its first week.
Freedom sales were likely fueled by the success of her collaboration with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind,” which has been the No. 1 song in the country for five weeks.
Coming in at No. 9 on the album chart, Robin Thicke’s Sex Therapy: The Session sold 123,000 copies. —Clover Hope