Susan Boyle a Star at Last; Breaks U.S. Records in Debut Week

Susan Boyle is, at long last, officially an international recording star. Her album, "I Dreamed a Dream" sold 701,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, the largest first-week sales of any album this year.  It is also is the largest opening sales week for a debut album since Snoop Dogg's 1993 "Doggystyle," and the best first debut week by a female artist since SoundScan began tracking record sales in 1991.

Boyle, runner up in the British television show "Britain's Got Talent" has also set the record for the fastest selling debut album in the United Kingdom. The album, I Dreamed a Dream, sold more than 410,000 copies in its first week. The first single from the album, Wild Horses, debuted at number 9 on the charts.

Susan Boyle made her highly anticipated album debut with ‘I Dreamed A Dream' produced by Columbia and released November 24. Produced by Steve Mac, ‘I Dreamed A Dream' features her signature songs, "I Dreamed A Dream" and "Cry Me A River." The album also includes a haunting rendition of Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," Madonna's "You'll See," The Monkees' ‘Daydream Believer,' and "Who I Was Born To Be," an original recording written specially for Susan. Susan enthused: "It was my greatest ambition to release an album and I have finally achieved it. There is happiness out there for everyone who dares to dream."

Amazon.com, Inc. has declared Susan Boyle's upcoming album, "I Dreamed a Dream," has become the largest global CD pre-order in the history of Amazon. The album will be released from Sony Music Entertainment on Nov. 23. Boyle became a reality show and Internet star after her April 11, 2009, appearance on the television show "Britain's Got Talent," where she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Misérables."

"We were excited when Susan Boyle's album became the top CD pre-order in the U.S. We're absolutely ecstatic now that the album has become our largest global CD pre-order," said Craig Pape, senior manager of Music at Amazon.com. "Looking at the rest of our global Top 5, you see titles that resonated in their local markets. Susan's album is clearly capturing the hearts of our customers around the globe."

"One of the things that is so unique about Susan Boyle is her ability to touch people around the world," said Steve Barnett, Columbia Records Chairman. "We're excited that ‘I Dreamed a Dream' holds the new record for global pre-orders and that Amazon's customers have supported her album in this way."

As expected, Susan Boyle was an audience favorite on the Britain's Got Talent tour, the singer received a huge ovation the minute she hit the stage. Boyle set consisted of her signature song, "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables, and "Memory" the famous CATS hit.

Susan Boyle wowed the judges with her performance in the auditions for last season of Britains Got Talent, singing "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables.

Boyle, "talked about her cat, and joked around with the judges, noting that she had "never been kissed." The entire audience prepared for the worst as she began her song, but, once she starting singing the crowd and judges were transported by her emotional and theatrical take on the number! She came in second in the final voting, but has enjoyed massive post show success.

Photo Credit: Hugh Stewart for Harper's Bazaar