Kelly Clarkson may not have been able to rope in help from her musical comrades, but the American Idol champ is certainly having the last laugh now after her seventh studio album Piece by Piece has landed straight at number one on the Billboard Top 200. The pop star's latest collection marks her third number one album since becoming a worldwide sensation back in 2001 after winning a little known talent contest.
The Billboard tally ranks the most popular albums of the week based on streams, album sales and downloads and little old Texan born Kelly came out on top. Her latest LP, released through RCA broke through with 97,000 units sold, made up of 82,000 traditional album sales.
The 32-year-old, who recently defended herself against fat jibes from British journalist Katie Hopkins, last topped the rundown back in 2009 with her fourth studio album All I Ever Wanted while her debut Thankful gave the new mother her first chart-topper back in 2003. She's scored four other top 10 albums over her 12 year career with Breakaway, My December, Stronger and 2013's Christmas album Wrapped In Red.
Reacting to the news, Clarkson tweeted: “Just found out I have the number one album WOOHOO!!!!! Thank you guys! Love that y'all are diggin' the new material!! #PieceByPiece :)”
Just found out I have the number one album WOOHOO!!!!! Thank you guys! Love that y'all are diggin' the new material!! #PieceByPiece :)
— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) March 11, 2015
The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, featuring Beyonce, Ellie Goulding and The Weeknd is this week's runner-up with a further 97,000 units to add to its 451,000 domestic total. The album has kept a steady hold at the top since its release four weeks ago and looks likely to be sticking around longer than the film.
Taylor Swift leaps two spots to number three this week. Unbelievably there are still Swifties who are yet to buy the country star-turned pop megatron's record-breaking 1989 as she shifts another 77,000 copies to seal another week in the US top five, where it's stayed put since its release 19 weeks ago.
Drake's surprise mixtape If you're Reading This You're Too Late stays put at number four this week. The collection, which landed on iTunes last month and shot straight to number one, has sold 721,000 copies in the US alone.
Drake's If You're Reading This You're Too Late reaches 721,000 copies sold (Young Money)
Ed Sheeran's x continues its strong streak to climb a spot to number ahead of last week's number one from Big Sean, whose Dark Sky Paradise takes a steep stumble down to number six on its second week of release. Maroon 5 creep up to seven with 50,000 sales of V while four-time Grammy award winner Sam Smith is a non-mover at number eight. The British soul sensation claims the longest-running top 10 album since Justin Bieber's My World 2.0 made 31 weeks in the top end of the scale back in 2010 and 2011.
Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile picks up her second consecutive top 10 album at number nine with The Firewatcher's Daughter while Meghan Trainor's chart-topping debut round off this week's top 10.
