Lorde’s "Virgin" Makes Explosive Chart Debut with Best-Ever Vinyl Sales

Lorde’s highly anticipated fourth album, “Virgin,” made a splashy debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, racking up 71,000 album-equivalent units in its first week—thanks in large part to massive vinyl sales.

According to Billboard, “Virgin” sold an impressive 31,000 vinyl copies, marking the singer’s best-ever week for the format. With eight collectible vinyl editions, including signed versions, the album’s physical appeal translated into 41,000 total copies sold across all physical and digital formats, making up more than half of its overall tally.

“Virgin” easily claimed the No. 1 spot on the album sales chart, though it landed at No. 6 in streaming. The new tracks earned 37 million on-demand streams, converting to 29,000 streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.

The numbers mark a clear uptick for Lorde compared to her previous album, “Solar Power,” which debuted at No. 5 with 56,000 units and fewer streams in 2021.

“Virgin” also features a transparent CD edition that generated buzz among fans, both for its see-through design—echoing the X-ray-themed cover—and for being playable on some CD players, but not others.

Despite her strong showing, Lorde’s latest effort was outpaced by Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” which held onto No. 1 for a seventh straight week with a massive 173,000 units.

Other notable top 10 debuts this week include Katseye’s “Beautiful Chaos” at No. 4 (44,000 units) and Russ’ “Wild” at No. 10 (32,000 units), both relying heavily on physical sales.

Playboi Carti’s “Music” soared from No. 28 to No. 8 following a vinyl release, while the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack jumped to No. 3, buoyed by over 77 million streams.