Adele’s new album 30 had the biggest opening week of any record released in 2021, but it was also 75 per cent less than her previous album’s first week of release.
The singer, 33, thrilled fans and critics alike with 30 which reportedly sold 838,000 copies in its first week, mostly from CDs and downloads.
The breakdown of sales came to 678,782 in CDs and downloads while streaming accounted for 152,690.
While this gives Adele the biggest opening week of any album of the year, it’s a drop from the 3.8 million copies she sold of 25 when it was released in November 2015.
Sales: Adele’s new album 30 had the biggest opening week of any record released in 2021, but it was also 75 per cent less than her previous album’s first week of release
25, Adele’s third album, went on to sell a massive 18 million copies worldwide over its first year.
The dip could partly be due to the decrease in album sales in general over the last several years as listeners turn to streaming.
According to MCR Data, album sales in the US alone went from 507 million units sold in 2007 to 102 million by 2020, with a decline seen each year in between.
Success: 25, Adele’s third album, went on to sell a massive 18 million copies worldwide over its first year
It comes after Adele stated that she is a ‘dying breed’ in the music industry, in a chat that came shortly before she made ‘crossover chart history’ with her comeback song Easy On Me.
The hitmaker opened up about being in ‘such a rarified place in culture’, acknowledging that she and fellow superstar Drake are amongst the few who made their names before streaming.
And on Friday, Adele’s Easy on Me duet with Chris Stapleton landed on the Country Airplay after its mainstream debut on the Billboard Hot 100 – a move which meant she was described as an ‘artist who transcends format.’
Speaking on CBC radio show q, Adele said: ‘We are a dying breed. There was like 10 of us. You know, I don’t think there’ll ever be that many of us again at the top doing it the way we were doing it.’
Figures: According to Showbiz411 , the breakdown of sales came to 678,782 in CDs and downloads while streaming accounted for 152,690
The hitmaker then went on to suggest that social media has played a big part in the inability to make a mark on the music industry in the modern world.
Adele added: ‘We came out before streaming. We came out before all the social media frenzies of like, “You’ve got five seconds to entertain; otherwise, get out”.
‘We existed in the old school-ness of the industry that we grew up watching and aspiring to [be part of].’
She then went on to explain their ‘rarified’ status in the business plays a big part in their closeness as friends and admitted that she can confide in the In My Feelings hitmaker in a way she is unable to with more up-and-coming artists.
Adele said: ‘Having access to someone else that knows exactly what it’s like to be in a certain position sometimes…
Record: While this gives Adele the biggest opening week of any album of the year, it’s a drop from the 3.8 million copies she sold of 25 when it was released in November 2015
‘If I try and talk to one of my other friends about it, they’ll have no idea what I’m talking about. They’re like, “Can’t relate!” So they just switch off.
‘I can say something to [Drake] and he won’t judge me for it, you know? So to have access to someone that’s in the same position as [me] is one of the biggest gifts of my entire career.’
Prior to her latest chat, it was revealed that Adele had made crossover chart history with her song Easy on Me with Chris Stapleton.
The singer’s track from her fourth studio album 30 has landed on the Country Airplay just weeks after its mainstream debut on the Billboard Hot 100, making crossover history for the star in the process.
iHeart Radio executive Rod Phillips said: ‘She makes records for the masses. Any time you put two superstars like that together, it’s a moment…
‘Like all hits, the listeners get to decide. We’ll watch all the metrics and get a read on it and find out how big it can be. ‘
The song starts at No. 25 with 5.4 million audience impressions, according data compiled by Music Business Worldwide.
It is the 17th Billboard appearance for the musical superstar, which dates back to her first hit ‘Chasing Pavements’ way back in 2008, which was from her debut album ’19.’
The multi-Grammy Award winning artist now has a Billboard portfolio which boasts entries on : Adult Alternative Airplay, Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Alternative Airplay, Country Airplay, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Pop Airplay, Radio Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay, Rock & Alternative Airplay, Smooth Jazz Airplay and Tropical Airplay.
She is yet to appear on charts such as the Christian Airplay and the Holiday Airplay, but with her latest entry matches the record set by Mariah Carey.
KRNB Dallas’s Keith Solis told Billboard: ‘Adele has once again shown that she is an artist who transcends format.’
Changing industry: The dip could partly be due to the decrease in album sales in general over the last several years as listeners turn to streaming
