Entertainment

Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever as second album goes to top of charts

The record – the follow-up to the 19-year-old’s debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – has sold 39,000 copies since its release.
The record – the follow-up to the 19-year-old’s debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – has sold 39,000 copies since its release. The record – the follow-up to the 19-year-old’s debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – has sold 39,000 copies since its release.

Billie Eilish has secured her second number one album after Happier Than Ever rose straight to the top of the UK albums chart.

The US pop superstar’s second studio album has dominated the charts scoring 39,000 chart sales since it was released on July 30, according to the Official Charts Company.

This makes the 19-year-old the first international female artist to reach the top spot with their first two albums since Lana Del Rey seven years ago with her debut Born To Die and 2014 album Ultraviolence.

Eilish told the Official Charts Company: “Thank you so so much to my fans in the UK.

“It means so much to me that you guys love this album like I do.

“I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to come back to the UK soon!”

The album’s sales break down to 33% from streams, while 61% came from vinyl, CD and cassette sales, according to the Official Charts Company.

About 9,500 of those physical sales are reportedly for vinyl copies, making it the third-fastest selling vinyl album of the millennium by a female artist, just behind Lana Del Rey’s Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Kylie Minogue’s Disco.

Eilish’s sophomore album is the follow-up to her double-platinum debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, which has re-entered the Top 40 at number 36 after the release of her new music.

The Official Charts Company has also announced that the title track, Happier Than Ever, has also entered the singles chart at number six, earning the teen her eighth top 10 single.

Two more tracks, Getting Older and Oxytocin, have entered the Top 40 at number 28 and 32 respectively.

The album, which was written and produced with Eilish’s brother, Finneas O’Connell, has received a wave of positive reviews from critics, including El Hunt of NME who gave the album a maximum score of five stars and hailed it as establishing Eilish as “one of her generation’s most significant pop artists”.

Rapper Dave’s We’re All Alone In This Together has been knocked down to number two from the top spot the previous week, but remains the most-streamed album of the week.

Olivia Rodrigo’s debut, Sour, continues to dominate and holds strong in third position, while Anne-Marie’s album, Therapy, drops back two places to number four.

Prince’s first posthumous album of unreleased materials since his death in 2016, Welcome 2 America, has entered the album charts at number five, making it his 22nd top 10 UK album.

Brit Awards 2006
Brit Awards 2006 Prince, who died in 2016, has reentered the charts with an album of unreleased music (Yui Mok/PA)

On the singles chart, Ed Sheeran enjoys a sixth week at number one with Bad Habits, while The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s track, Stay, returns to its previous peak position at number two.

Jonasu’s dance track, Black Magic, climbs two places to a new high in third position, which knocks back Dave and Stormzy’s collaboration, Clash, to number four.

Little Mix, who made girl band history last week with their 100th week in the top 10, are up two places at number five with their collaboration with DJs Galantis and David Guetta on Heartbreak Anthem.

Mabel’s Let Them Know also reached a new peak in the charts at number 31 after her performance on Love Island earlier this week.