Boyle`s upcoming ‘Gift’ already a hit

`Gift` has shot to No. 1 on Amazon`s Bestsellers chart.

New York: Susan Boyle announced the November 9 release of her second album, ‘The Gift,’ only three days ago, but already the set has shot to No. 1 on Amazon`s Bestsellers chart based on pre-order sales. The singer`s sophomore effort reached the top spot Wednesday (September 22) in its second day as a pre-order, officially kicking off what Amazon director of music Craig Pape described as "the season of Susan" for the online retailer.

"It`s pretty significantly No. 1," said Pape, who would not reveal specific sales figures but said that the volume of pre-orders has exceeded his expectations. ‘The Gift’ has leapfrogged fourth-quarter efforts by Taylor Swift, Eric Clapton and Neil Young on the Bestsellers tally, with only pre-orders of Bob Dylan`s ‘The Witmark Demos’ coming close to Boyle`s sales, according to Pape. "It`s a relative ranking, and a lot of it depends on the release schedule and what else is in the market," said Pape. "But looking at this list, you can see that it`s a pretty strong slate of releases, so it`s a non-trivial position to take the top slot during this release period." Boyle is no stranger to Amazon`s Bestsellers chart: her 2009 debut, ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ broke records as Amazon Music`s largest CD pre-order ever before it moved 3.8 million US copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It is still unclear whether "The Gift" will rival the pre-order figures of "Dream," considering that "the pre-order window for this record is shorter" than that of the first album, Pape said. As announced Tuesday, ‘The Gift’ is set for release on SYCO/Columbia Records and will include Boyle`s take on Christmas classics ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘The First Noel’ as well as performances of Lou Reed`s ‘Perfect Day’ and Leonard Cohen`s ‘Hallelujah.’ The album is displayed at the top of Amazon Music`s main page with link to the pre-order and to Susan Boyle`s artist page. Apple`s iTunes store also prominently features "The Gift," and the album sits at No. 2 on Barnes & Noble`s music bestsellers list. "I personally expect to see it in that top slot for quite a while," said Pape. "Through street date and beyond, through Christmas, sales should stay very strong." Bureau Report