Lewis Capaldi has said that he might finally “make some money” as he topped the chart with his debut album, which has become the fastest-selling of 2019.
The singer-songwriter’s LP, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, scored 89,506 combined sales within its first week, beating the previous opening week record for the year so far by Ariana Grande, according to the Official Charts Company.
Grande previously held the accolade for the fastest-selling album of the year with Thank U, Next, which achieved 65,214 combined sales within its first week in February.
Capaldi, 22, from Whitburn in West Lothian, also outperformed the rest of the current top 10 combined with his ballad-led album.
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He told OfficialCharts.com: “It feels good. It feels like I’m going to make some money finally, after years of slogging.
“It makes me so proud to have made this album. Thank you for everyone who went out and bought it.”
Physical sales accounted for nearly half of Capaldi’s sales (46%), including 7,000 copies on vinyl, while 34% were streams and 20% were downloads.
On streaming, the album notched up 40.5 million plays across audio and video platforms.
The coup comes after Capaldi, who was long-listed for BBC Music’s Sound of 2018 and nominated for a Brits Critics’ Choice Award, saw his breakout single Someone You Loved top the charts for seven weeks earlier this year.
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Capaldi also has three songs in the top 10 – Someone You Loved at number three, Hold Me While You wait at number five, and Grace at number nine.
American rockers The National are at number two this week with their eighth album, I Am Easy To Find, while German heavy metal band Rammstein are at number three with their untitled seventh album, marking their first UK top 10.
American rapper Tyler, The Creator, is new in at number four with Igor, ahead of former chart-topper Billie Eilish, whose album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is in fifth place.
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Other new entries in this week’s top 10 include British rapper Slowthai, in at number nine with debut Nothing Great About Britain, and American DJ and record producer DJ Khaled debuts at number six with Father Of Asahd.
Over on the singles chart, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber have held on to the top sport for a second week with I Don’t Care.
The song, which will appear on Sheeran’s upcoming collaboration record, has achieved 98,000 combined sales over the past week.
Lil Nas X is at number two with Old Town Road, and Stormzy’s Vossi Bop is sandwiched between the two top five Capaldi tracks.
