NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARIANA GRANDE’s first full-length album Yours Truly [Republic Records] has officially arrived at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling 138,000 copies during its release week. Moreover, this is the first time since January 2010 that a debut record from a female artist topped the chart. Not only did it bow at #1 on the Top 200, in addition, it was the #1 album on iTunes Overall Albums Chart and #1 on the Digital Albums Chart. In such a competitive marketplace, this serves as a massive accomplishment. This is also a major breakthrough for the singer and actress and a significant occasion for pop music as a new superstar is formally here.
GRANDE’s takeover also extends to both television and print media. Whether she was giving the Broadway treatment to Jay-Z and Macklemore hits on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, appearing on Live! With Kelly and Michael, or performing twice on The Today Show, one time acoustically, her immense talent and charm brilliantly lit up the screen. It doesn’t stop there though. This week, she’ll be engaging audiences on The Queen Latifah Show, The Arsenio Hall Show, Access Hollywood Live, and Entertainment Tonight as well as delivering a special performance on The Style Awards—airing on CNN Saturday September 14.
Fans everywhere continue to exhibit contagious enthusiasm for Yours Truly. While giving an interview at CityWalk in Universal City, a flash mob surprised her with renditions of her songs for a segment of Flash’d by Todrick Hall on YouTube’s MyIsh Channel. The clip went viral, racking up over 210,000 views in merely two days. Watch it here! At the same time, GRANDE holds all of those same fans close to her heart. As a thank you, anyone who ordered the album through her official site up until Sunday September 8 will be invited to ring in the holidays with her in cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, and San Francisco. What better gift is there?
In addition, the album’s first breakout single “The Way” featuring Mac Miller is now certified double platinum by the RIAA. This news comes just in time for the release of the next single “Right There” featuring Big Sean. Elegantly tiptoeing between smooth hip-hop from the MC and GRANDE’s uplifting dynamics, it’s bound to light up airwaves everywhere.
As the album climbed the charts, GRANDE premiered the music video for album track “Baby I” last Friday. Already, it’s over 3.6 million YouTube/VEVO views.
Already, GRANDE has become a bona fide pop phenomenon. “The Way” initially debuted Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and seized the #1 spot on iTunes Overall Songs Chart as soon as it was released. Meanwhile, the track also resonated immensely with the Latin audience. The single’s Spanish version climbed to #5 at Latin Radio, showing that she could not only bridge the generational gap but cultural barriers as well. Everything laid the groundwork for YOURS TRULY to actually reach #1 on the iTunes Pop Albums Chart and #2 on the Overall Albums Chart based on pre-orders alone.
In addition, she invited quite a few friends along for the ride. The ballad “Almost Is Never Enough” sees GRANDE and Nathan Sykes of The Wanted trade soaring vocal lines over swooping production. It’s an epic befitting of both the album and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack, where it first debuted. Then, she and multi-platinum international star Mika add their own twist to the Broadway classic “Popular Song”. Moreover, the album showcases a bevy of top-notch writers and producers including the legendary Babyface as well as Harmony [Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Fantasia].
After initially turning heads on Broadway, GRANDE rose to immense popularity starring as the beloved Cat Valentine, culminating in her own hit series Sam & Cat. The series premiered on Nickelodeon in June 2013 and is now a bona fide hit for the network. Singing and performing since the age of eight, music remains GRANDE’s first love.
Fall in love with ARIANA GRANDE and Yours Truly.
Critics have fallen in love with it unanimously:
The New York Times – “She has a lithe voice and is capable of real power…Ms. Grande’s real innovation is to restore the attitude and power to more traditional pop schemas…Ms. Grande’s version of adulthood is about expertise, not transgression…ripe for some young singer on ‘Glee’ or ‘Idol’…”
Entertainment Weekly – “one of the most purely enjoyable albums of the year.” [A- Rating]
Associated Press – “Grande is looking back to a ‘90s R&B-pop feel on her debut—and her formula works better than others.”
Billboard – “There is a lot to like in Ariana Grande’s debut and a lot to look forward to.”
US Weekly - “[The] starlet is being heralded as the next Mariah Carey – and the lofty comparison isn't that far off.”
USA Today – “The Nickelodeon star is making a name for herself with hits such as ‘The Way’ and ‘Baby I’. Her debut is charming.”
Elle – “vocal chops of a world-traveled diva.”
Washington Post – “While Miley Cyrus is being a wild child to demonstrate she is growing up, Ariana Grande is letting her music do all the talking.”
LA Times – “This might be the most inviting pop record of 2013, with a bubbly ebullience that makes even its most familiar moves feel fresh.”
New York Daily News – “Grande goes for urban doo-wop. It may be a slick and rootless take on Bronx street-corner music, but Grande’s spiraling voice has enough agility to ease the blow.”
Huffington Post – “One of the year’s best debuts.”
Vibe – “Grande’s debut LP shines as a beacon of bubblegum pop.”
People – “Teen queen Demi Lovato calls her ‘a true singer’.”
Cosmopolitan – “Yours Truly, a ‘90s-inspired insta-classic.”
Rolling Stone – “vocals verge on ecstatic.”
ARTISTdirect – “This is an album that can naturally transcend generations and will stand the test of time.”
Complex – “This is only the beginning for Grande, who has since release the singles ‘Baby I’ and ‘Right There,’ both of which showcase her phenomenal vocal range.”
YOURS TRULY Buy Links:
http://myplay.me/12pf
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/ArianaYoursTruly
For all things ARIANA GRANDE:
http://arianagrande.com/
https://twitter.com/arianagrande
http://www.facebook.com/arianagrande
http://www.vevo.com/watch/ariana-grande
http://www.youtube.com/arianagrande
http://instagram.com/arianagrande
ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, Republic is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Amy Winehouse, Ariana Grande, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Gotye, Kelly Rowland, Owl City, Of Monsters & Men among many others.
It is comprised of innovative imprints and digital business ventures including Brushfire (Jack Johnson, G. Love), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj), Lava Records (Jessie J, Lorde), Loma Vista (Soundgarden, Damian Marley), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), NBC's The Voice (Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery), Republic Nashville (The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, The Eli Young Band), XO (The Weeknd), among others.
