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While Beyonce's self-titled album slides out of the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart this week, its sales continue to grow at a rapid rate.

In just four weeks on the chart, "Beyonce," released on Dec. 13, has now outsold the diva's last album, "4," which bowed on June 28, 2011.

"Beyonce" sold 130,000 copies in the week ending January 5, 2014, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That brings its cumulative sales sum up to 1.43 million -- hopping over the total of "4," which stands at 1.39 million.

The latter album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 310,000 in its first week. It then held at No. 1 for a second frame, selling 115,000. In its third and fourth weeks, it moved 72,000 and 53,000, respectively.

To compare, "Beyonce" debuted at No. 1 with 617,000 in its first chart week (which actually reflected only its first three days of sales), and then moved 374,000 and 310,000 in its second and third weeks at No. 1.

Beyonce's three previous studio albums, "I Am…Sasha Fierce" (released in 2008), "B'Day" (2006) and "Dangerously In Love" (2003), all hit No. 1, and have sold 3.12 million, 3.36 million and 4.91 million, respectively.

As "Beyonce" continues to steamroll competition on the Billboard 200, the set's first two radio tracks are rolling. "Drunk in Love," featuring Jay Z, is the Greatest Gainer on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (8-6) and Rhythmic Songs (24-21) and debuts on Adult R&B Songs at No. 30. Meanwhile, "XO" jumps 32-24 on Pop Songs and enters Rhythmic Songs at No. 34.

Although leading "Beyonce" track "Drunk in Love," featuring Jay-Z, falls 12-17 in its second week on the Hot 100, it continues its assault on R&B/hip-hop radio. The song lifts 9-8 in its third week on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with a 23% gain to 19 million format audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. The track has claimed the chart's Greatest Gainer award in all three of its weeks on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

On the all-genre Hot 100 Airplay chart, "Drunk" debuts at No. 45 with 28 million in all-format audience (up 18%). Still, radio accounts for just 14% of the song's total Hot 100 chart points. Sales comprise 47% of its total and streaming, 39%. "Drunk" more than doubles to 122,000 downloads sold (up 102%, according to Nielsen SoundScan), although it's pushed back 21-25 on Hot Digital Songs, and holds at No. 3 on Streaming Songs (5 million U.S. streams, down 20%, according to BDS).

Meanwhile, more pop-leaning "Beyonce" track "XO" debuts on Mainstream Top 40 at No. 32 (up 94% in plays). It's her first appearance on the chart since "Countdown" dented the list for a No. 38 peak in November 2011 and highest rank on the tally since "Best I Ever Had" reached No. 15 earlier that year.

Beyoncé's self-titled album racks up a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—the longest run at No. 1 for any album since last April. "Beyoncé" sold another 310,000 copies during the week ending Dec. 29, according to Nielsen SoundScan, down 17% compared with the previous week. The album has now sold 1.3 million in its first 17 days of release in the United States.

"Beyoncé" is the first album to spend three weeks at No. 1 since Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" logged three straight frames atop the list (April 6-April 20, 2013). "Beyoncé" is the first album by a woman to notch three weeks at No. 1 since Taylor Swift's "Red" claimed seven weeks at the top (non-consecutively) in late 2012 and early 2013.

"Beyoncé" is also the first album since 2009 to sell more than 300,000 copies in each of its first three weeks. ("Beyoncé" debuted with 617,000, then sold 374,000 a week ago.) The last album to move in excess of 300,000 in its first three chart weeks was Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream." It actually moved more than 500,000 in each of its first five weeks, from the charts dated Dec. 12, 2009, through Jan. 9, 2010.

Finally, with 1.3 million sold in three chart weeks, "Beyoncé" is the fastest-selling album by a woman since Swift's "Red" plowed through 1.6 million in its first two weeks. It debuted with 1.2 million on the chart dated Nov. 10, 2012, and then sold another 344,000 in its second week.

Bon Jovi not only has the year’s top tour, but the rock band has achieved a career high.

The New Jersey-based act’s worldwide tour grossed $259.5 million this year, topping Pollstar’s annual top 20 list and setting a record for the band itself.

Beyonce is second with $188.6 million. She ended her tour last week in Brooklyn, N.Y. Pink, Justin Bieber, and Bruce Springsteen round out the top five.

The global concert business scored a record year with the top 20 tours, earning $2.43 billion in primary ticket sales. It generated $1.96 billion last year.

The top 20 list also included Taylor Swift, Elton John, Rihanna, Depeche Mode and One Direction. The Rolling Stones’ comeback tour ranked twelfth, a notch under Paul McCartney.

Beyoncé has responded to complaints from a NASA employee and a widow of astronaut who died in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion about her use of a sample from that fated mission in the song "XO," a track on her "visual album," Beyoncé.

"My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster," she said in a statement, according to ABC News. "The song 'XO' was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you."

Beyoncé explained that she and her co-songwriters, Ryan Tedder and The-Dream, included the sample "in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten."

The STS-8 Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff when a booster failed on January 28th, 1986. All seven crew members died in the burst. The Space Shuttle Program went on hiatus for two and a half years after the disaster.

Beyoncé's "XO" begins with a sample of former NASA public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt saying, "Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation." A beep sounds, and Nesbitt continues, "Obviously a major malfunction." Then the song begins.

Beyonce is on course to score her longest-running No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Based on sales forecasts from industry sources, her new self-titled set should stay put atop next week's Billboard 200 for a third consecutive week.

Sources suggest the album could sell upwards of 250,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, Dec. 29. This past week, it spent its second frame at No. 1, moving 617,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan. In the album's first 10 days of release, it sold 991,000 copies.

If "Beyonce" is No. 1 for a third week, it will mark the diva's longest-reigning chart-topper. While all five of her studio albums have reached No. 1, her longest rule atop the list is two weeks (for both "Beyonce" and "4").

The new Billboard 200's top 10 will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Just outside the Billboard Hot 100's top tier, Beyonce blasts in at No. 12 with "Drunk in Love." The bow matches her best: she also started at No. 12 in 2006 with "Ring the Alarm" (which peaked at No. 11 in its second week). She last ranked higher with Lady Gaga's "Telephone" (on which Beyonce sports a featured billing), which rose to No. 3 in April 2010. Beyonce last charted higher as a lead act with "Sweet Dreams," which reached No. 10 in November 2009.

"Drunk," from Beyonce's self-titled set which commands the Billboard 200 for a second week, arrives with 58% of its Hot 100 points owed to streaming; the cut enters Streaming Songs at No. 3 with 6.3 million first-week U.S. streams. Sales comprise 28% of the song's Hot 100 points total, and airplay, 14%. It debuts on Digital Songs at No. 21 (61,000) and nears Radio Songs with 23 million in audience (up 150%).

More chart action for Beyonce: "Drunk" enters the R&B Songs chart at No. 1 and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at No. 2. Plus, two other tracks from "Beyonce" debut on the Hot 100: "XO" (No. 66) and "Mine," featuring Drake (No. 99).

In related news, Les Twins revealed that the next leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will be totally revamped and will feature music from the new album! Check out their post on Instagram.

Beyonce's new self-titled album remains unstoppable on the Billboard 200 chart, as it spends a second week atop the list.

"Beyonce" sold 374,000 copies in the week ending Dec. 22 (down 39%), according to Nielsen SoundScan. It bowed at No. 1 on the previous week's chart, after only three days on sale, with 617,000 sold.

The album was released on an off-cycle Friday, Dec. 13. Its debut on the chart a week ago came from sales in the week ending Dec. 15.

Thus, in its first 10 days of release, "Beyonce" sold 991,000 and is (so far) the 12th biggest-selling album of 2013. There is one more tracking week left in the year -- the week ending Dec. 29. It's likely that "Beyonce" will finish 2013 among the top 10 sellers (all of which have sold at least 1 million this year).

"Beyonce's" debut was fueled by sales only from the iTunes Store, as the album was exclusively available through the retailer until the end of last week. After that, the set went on sale through all traditional sellers of music, including brick-and-mortar establishments. (Notably, both Target and Amazon.com declined to sell the CD version of the album.)

Impressively, "Beyonce" sold more copies in its second chart week than the diva's last album, "4," did in its debut on the chart. The latter album was released in 2011 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 310,000. (And, the album was released on a traditional Tuesday, giving the set six days of sales in its debut frame.)

In its second week, "4" sold 115,000 (securing a second, and final, week at No. 1).

Although "Beyonce" became widely available in its second week, its digital sales remain strong (most of those coming from the iTunes Store). Of its 374,000 second week, downloads made up 63% (235,000). It was the top selling digital album of the week, and remains at No. 1 on the Digital Albums chart. (Among the top selling physical albums of the week, "Beyonce" was the No. 3 seller, behind Garth Brooks "Blame It All On My Roots" and One Direction's "Midnight Memories.")

Beyoncé's self-titled surprise album opens at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums marking her fifth leader on the list. The iTunes exclusive (through Dec. 18) set sold 617,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, her best sales week yet. All four of Beyoncé's previous studio albums also reached the summit -- "Dangerously in Love" (2003), "B'Day" (two weeks in 2006), "I Am... Sasha Fierce" (two weeks in 2008) and "4" (five weeks in 2011).

Beyonce is also on track to score a second week atop the Billboard 200 chart. Industry sources forecast her self-titled album to sell around 260,000 -- if not more -- in the tracking week ending Sunday, Dec. 22.

This coming week's sales tally for "Beyonce" will include digital and physical sales from non-iTunes retailers. The physical CD started to reach stores between Dec. 18 and Dec. 20, while Amazon MP3 started selling the digital album yesterday (Dec. 20). Starbucks is also in the mix, as a representative for the coffee giant says the album will be ready for customers on Saturday (though some stores may have it on Friday). It will be available in more than 7,000 Starbucks stores in the U.S. for $16.95.

While Target is notably not carrying the album, as earlier reported, all other major sellers of music seem to be -- except for Amazon.com at the moment. The etailer is not selling the physical CD as of Dec. 20, though the album is available through third-party sellers in the store. (However, Amazon MP3 is, as noted above, selling the album.)

In related news, more choreographers, makeup artists, directors and producers were interviewed about the making of the album. Be sure to check out the articles below:

• Beyonce's 'Blow' Choreographer Reveals What She's Like On Set
• Introducing Sir John: The Makeup Artist Behind Beyoncé's Many Video Transformations
• We Talked to @LILINTERNET About Directing Beyoncé's "No Angel" Video
• Framingham High Grad Produces Beyonce's "Rocket" Success
• Bay area producer worked on Beyonce's surprise album

Beyonce is just full of surprises these days! The singer continued to celebrate the release of her self-titled, record-breaking, fifth studio album on Friday, Dec. 20 -- with a trip to a Walmart store in a town called Tewksbury, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.

Following her big night out in NYC on Thursday -- which included a Brooklyn show and album release party -- the "XO" singer, 32, scurried off to Massachusetts and completely ambushed Walmart shoppers on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Following the surprise debut of Beyonce's new self-titled album -- which sent social networks and the Twittersphere ablaze with chatter about the diva -- she jumps to No. 1 on Billboard's Social 50 chart this week.

The Social 50 ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Wikipedia, Myspace and Instagram. The chart's methodology blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers along with artist page views, song plays and reactions as measured by music analytics company Next Big Sound.

Beyonce's new album arrived without warning on Dec. 13 and swiftly debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 617,000 copies in its first three days on sale (according to Nielsen SoundScan).

This is her third non-consecutive week atop the Social 50. She previously spent two weeks at No. 1 following her Super Bowl halftime performance earlier this year.

"Surprise!" reads the caption on a 15 second video she posted to Instagram announcing the new album. The short, which features a mashup of video clips from the album as well as details that was available on iTunes immediately, has received more than 560,000 likes since the day that it was released. For the Social 50 charting week, Beyonce added 316,000 new fans to her Instagram account (a 64% increase over the previous week).

According to data provided by Twitter, Beyonce's album generated over 1.2 million Tweets in 12 hours. And, in less than 24 hours after the album's bow, mentions of the singing superstar spiked by 500,000-plus Tweets. The folks at Twitter Music even put together a compelling visualization of how the conversation surrounding the Beyonce album took off on Twitter after the announcement, which you can view by following the link in the tweet below.

Beyonce's self-titled album is aiming for a second week atop the Billboard 200 chart, according to industry forecasters.

The set debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart this week with 617,000 sold in the week ending Dec. 15, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Label sources suggest it could sell another 260,000 to 280,000 in the week ending Dec. 22.

The new Billboard 200's top 10 will be revealed on Thursday, Dec. 26.

That second-week sales sum would include physical CD copies of the album, as well as digital downloads from other retailers outside of iTunes. The album bowed exclusively in the iTunes Store on Dec. 13, and debuted atop the chart this week after only three days on sale.

iTunes is the only seller of the album through Dec. 18. The physical version of the album should start to reach U.S. retailers sometime between Dec. 18 and 20. (The arrival day varies, depending on how far -- and fast -- the CDs travel from the distribution center to retailers.)

If "Beyonce" sells 260,000 in its second frame, that would bring its cumulative total to 877,000 -- making it among the top 20 biggest-selling albums of 2013. It's currently ranked No. 24 on the year's best-seller list.

Mrs. Carter is giving her husband Jay Z a run for his perfume marketing money (his Gold Jay Z launched with an admirable marketing boom back in November) with her latest fragrance venture, Beyoncé Rise, inspired by her favorite Maya Angelou poem (presumably, "Still I Rise"). If you like listening to Bey, love watching her, well now, you might like to wear her.

After Heat, designed to capture her 'sensuality,' and Pulse, created to capture her on stage 'electricity,' her third fragrance, Beyoncé Rise, sorry 'pillar,' reaches far beyond offering its wearers a blend of flowers you might like, report WWD.

"There's a strong sense of 'overcoming adversity and rising above it all.' The fragrance concept is about female empowerment and finding the inner strength that makes women so beautiful," according to Marsha Brooks, vice president of global marketing for Coty Beauty division of Coty Inc., who hold the licence for Beyoncé's perfumes. And that strength is courtesy of Mrs. Carter herself.

The marketeers say the "intoxicating, addictive luminous floral," wraps up Beyoncé's personality in a bottle, for the first time. "We're getting a little bit more intimate and personal with this next initiative we are doing," says Brooks, who thanks Bey's HBO personal documentary, Life is But a Dream for the stars willingness to get up close and personal in perfume notes. Beyoncé Rise, says Brooks, is "just Beyoncé sharing more and more with her fans." And if you're wondering, she's sharing herself via 'gold symphony orchid' - the queen of orchids and the base note of the fragrance - of course she is.

The good news keeps coming for Mrs. Carter: Apple and Columbia Records tell The Huffington Post that Beyonce's self-titled album has sold over 1 million copies in the worldwide iTunes Store.

The millionth sale came around 11:15 am PST on Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the matter told HuffPost.

The RIAA has yet to certify the album platinum, though that's expected to happen soon.

In related news, Beyonce will attend a special screening of her visual album at a secret location in Manhattan on Saturday, December 21. Go here to find out how you can get a ticket.

It's official: Beyonce's new self-titled album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making her the first woman to hit No. 1 with her first five studio albums.

It follows the chart-topping "Dangerously In Love" (2003), "B'Day" (2006), "I Am…Sasha Fierce" (2008) and "4" (2011). All five of her albums also debuted at No. 1.

The two other acts that have taken their first five studio sets to No. 1: rapper DMX and folk group the Kingston Trio. (DMX also happens to be the only other act, aside from Beyonce, to debut at No. 1 with his first five studio efforts.)

"Beyonce" was released on the morning of Dec. 13 -- exclusively via the iTunes Store without any pre-release announcement -- and it sold 617,000 copies through the week ending Dec. 15, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's a record high sales week for Beyonce, as the diva's previous best week came when "B'Day" bowed with 541,000.

iTunes is the exclusive seller of the album, released on Columbia Records, through Dec. 18. The physical version of the album should start to reach U.S. retailers sometime between Dec. 18 and 20. (The arrival day varies, depending on how far -- and fast -- the CDs travel from Sony's distribution center to retailers.)

Watch part 2 of the mini-documentary "Self-Titled" detailing Beyonce's mind-set and artistic vision throughout the making of the new album below.

The physical copy of "Beyoncé" is now available to purchase at the Beyoncé Store! Most physical retailers will receive it by Friday, Dec. 20.

Beyonce has shot straight to the top 5 with her new album, "Beyonce," in the UK.

Featuring "Drunk In Love" and "Blow," the album soared straight to the top tier in the 48 hours leading up to the Official Chart's cut off for the week.

"After just 48 hours on sale, Beyonce’s new self-titled album debuts in the Official Albums Chart Top 5 during one of the busiest sales weeks of the year," reports The Official Charts Company. "Nearly 68,000 copies of Beyoncé the album were purchased in the UK during its first 48 hours on sale."

According to Official Charts Company Chief Executive Martin Talbot, the album's success is a great achievement.

"It is a great achievement by Beyoncé to make such an impact so quickly, after just two days sales - and especially with only the digital edition available," Talbot said Sunday. "Few (if any) albums have sold as many digital copies in such a short space of time."

In the US, "Beyonce" yields its first Billboard airplay chart hit, as "Drunk in Love," featuring Jay-Z, enters R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay as the Greatest Gainer at No. 48 (3.4 million in audience across 46 reporters, according to Nielsen BDS).

After the release of "Beyonce", a number of producers and directors were interviewed about the making of the album. Check out all the articles below!

• How Beyoncé and Her Team Pulled It Off
• Beyoncé ordered tight secrecy on new album
• How Chairlift's Caroline Polachek Landed a Track on 'Beyonce'
• How Did Beyonce Keep Her Surprise Album a Secret?
• Beyonce's Video Director Didn't Know The Album Was Coming, Either
• Beyonce Music Video Stylist on Surprise Album, Jay Z's Outfit Demand
• ‘Pretty Hurts’ Director Melina Matsoukas on Beyoncé’s Throw-up Scene and Casting Harvey Keitel
• Director Jonas Åkerlund on ‘Haunted,’ ‘Superpower,’ and Beyoncé’s Many Virtues
• Beyonce 'Did A Hell Of A Job' Bringing Houston Together
• ‘Yoncé’ Director Ricky Saiz on Working With Beyoncé, Joan Smalls, and More
• Behind Beyoncé’s “Yonce”
• Who Is Yonce? Beyonce's Director Dishes About The 'Erotic' Alter Ego
• How The Sexiest Video On Beyoncé’s New Album Came Together
• Boots Explains Some of the Lyrics on "Beyonce"
• The Story Behind the Sneak Attack, and How Beyoncé Shattered iTunes' One-Week Record in Three Days
• Beyonce's Music Video Dancers SHOCKED Too -- We Had No Idea This Was Gonna Drop

You can also listen to the audio of Beyonce's explanations of the songs from iTunes Radio below.

UPDATE: More articles:

• Beyoncé’s Creative Director Todd Tourso on Her New Album and Keeping Secrets
• Ryan Tedder Produced Beyonce's 'XO,' Didn't Know About 'Beyonce' Release
• Beyonce's 'Pretty Hurts': Find Out How The Video Was Supposed To End
• How Beyoncé Kept Her Visual Album a Secret: One Video Extra Tells All
• Beyoncé's Late-Night Video Shoot at The Standard, High Line
• The Stylist B. Akerlund on Her Looks for Beyoncé and Other Stars
• Beyonce's Longtime Hairdresser Spills Top Secret Video Details

Aspiring singer Sam Bailey has landed the chance to go on tour with superstar Beyonce next year (14) after winning hit British talent show The X Factor. The Crazy In Love hitmaker shocked finalists Bailey and Nicholas McDonald on Saturday (14Dec13) by offering up the big prize in a pre-recorded video message, which aired during Saturday's (14Dec13) programme. In the promo, Beyonce, who recently announced the second European leg of her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, said, "Hey, I just want to say good luck to all the X Factor finalists and announce a very special prize to the winner. The winner of this year's The X Factor will be joining me on the Mrs. Carter tour, coming back to Europe in February. I can't wait to see you soon. Good luck!" Prison warden Bailey, who was mentored by Sharon Osbourne, was crowned the 2013 champion on Sunday (15Dec13) after winning over one million public votes, and the 36 year old will now join Beyonce as her support act at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England, on 23 February (14).

Beyonce announced new tour dates for Europe!

February 21, 2014 — SSE Hydro Arena — Glasgow, United Kingdom
February 24, 2014 — LG Arena — Birmingham, United Kingdom
February 26, 2014 — Manchester Arena — Manchester, United Kingdom
March 5, 2014 — The O2 — London, United Kingdom
March 6, 2014 — The O2 — London, United Kingdom
March 16, 2014 — Lanxess Arena — Cologne, Germany

UPDATE: Even more dates have been added:

March 12, 2014 — The O2 — Dublin, Ireland
March 19, 2014 — Ziggo Dome — Amsterdam, Holland
March 21, 2014 — Sportpaleis — Antwerp, Belgium