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BRIT Award winner Sam Smith has broken US chart records with sales of his debut album, In The Lonely Hour.
The rising star, who has recently made all sorts of waves stateside thanks to performances like this and a recent live cover of Whitney Houston's 'How Will I Know', has earned record breaking first-week sales figures for a debut album for a British male (yes, ok - it's not the most direct record-breaker ever). He sold 166,000 copies in one week on sale.
In The Lonely Hour entered the US Billboard Charts at No.2, behind Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence album, which is currently No.1 in both the US and the UK.
"We are thrilled that American audiences are embracing Sam Smith and In the Lonely Hour so strongly," says Steve Barnett, CEO of Smith's record label, Capitol Music Group.
"Sam's stirring and revealing songs, as well as his one-of-a-kind voice and soulful delivery, is a combination that's compelling and imbued with artistry. We are still at the early stages of presenting Sam Smith and his music to US audiences, but this record-setting first week is certainly a strong sign of music fans' recognition that a great new artist has arrived."
Watch Smith's 'Whitney Houston cover version below
