Entertainment

Billie Eilish breaks record as debut album hits top spot

The Los Angeles native is the youngest solo female ever to hit number one.
The Los Angeles native is the youngest solo female ever to hit number one. The Los Angeles native is the youngest solo female ever to hit number one.

Billie Eilish has become the youngest female solo artist to score a number one album after her debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, hit the top spot.

At 17 years, three months and 18 days, the US singer-songwriter is two months younger than Joss Stone was on the release of her number one sophomore record Mind, Body And Soul in 2004.

The Los Angeles native also topped Avril Lavigne, whose 2003 Let Go album gave her a number one at the age of just 18 years and three months.

With 48,000 combined sales, Eilish’s debut is the most successful from an international artist to enter the charts at number one since Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die in January 2012.

The record – written, recorded and produced with her brother Finneas – follows the 2017 EP Don’t Smile At Me, which sits at number 23.

Eilish thanked fans for getting the album to number one, adding: “We worked really hard on this album. Thank you for the love!!”

New V and A Dundee museum
New V and A Dundee museum Lewis Capaldi earned his sixth week at number one on the singles chart (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The Greatest Showman soundtrack regained the second spot in the album chart, while Tom Walker’s What A Time To Be Alive moved from four to three.

The Bohemian Rhapsody film soundtrack by Queen rose one place to number five, earning its 15th non-consecutive week in the top five.

Pink’s Greatest Hits… So Far! re-entered the top 40 at number 29 in anticipation of the release of her forthcoming album Hurts 2B Human.

On the singles chart, Lewis Capaldi won his sixth week at number one with Someone You Loved, while Eilish has three tracks in the top 20.

Capaldi finished the week 9,000 combined sales ahead of Eilish’s Bad Guy.