Scandals? YouTube vids? Can't hurt Miley Cyrus' sales

No amount of photo scandals and catty videos seem to be hurting Miley Cyrus' sales potential. The teen star debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts Wednesday morning with the strongest showing of her career. Billboard has her "Breakout" selling 371,000 copies, a tally that's strong enough to give Miley the second-biggest debut by a female artist in 2008.

Only Mariah Carey fared better, selling 463,000 copies in her debut week. To put Miley's total in perspective, her "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" opened at No. 1 last year with 326,000 copies, but that album was directly tied into her Disney Channel series and tour, whereas "Breakout" is a standalone Miley affair. 

While the tween market is certainly one not to be taken lightly, Cyrus fared better than much-hyped 2008 releases from Madonna and Janet Jackson, respectively. Madonna's "Hard Candy" sold 280,000 copies when it debuted earlier this year, and Janet came in with 181,000 copies back in March.

"Breakout" has given Cyrus a top-20 single in the U.S. with  "7 Things." It comes only weeks after the Vanity Fair photo scandal, in which pop-culture pundits were questioning if Annie Liebowitz's pics of Cyrus' exposed back would hurt her Magic Kingdom-approved career. And just this week, Cyrus was in the tabloids again, this time for a YouTube video that poked fun at Disney newcomers Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, for which she has apologized.

The headlines came at what is perceived to be a crucial time for the young star. Cyrus has hinted that "Hannah Montana" may be nearing the end of its run, and "Breakout" is pegged as the album that could catapult Cyrus out of the teen-pop world. First-week sales usually bring out the die-hards, but thus far, fans don't appear to be turned off by any of Cyrus' non-music or off-screen exploits. 

--Todd Martens

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Jori]

Miley has talent..no doubt. However, whats going to happen after Hannah Montana? Unlike Hilary Duff and other Disney stars, Miley is a "manufactured" artist. No matter what role she gets, Miley is always going to be known as Hannah Montana. In my opinion, she is going to have trouble breaking her Disney image.

[Cyn NIckel]

Like, just, like, another, like, Duzzz-naayyy fake talent. Like, no doubt, like, she, like, can, like, sing. But, like, will she, like, change the, like, face of music in, like 10 years. AzzzUuUuUuUffff.

Hey, let's all put our hands together, no, let's stick our fingers down our throats for Hannah, Rosannah, Banana, Havana, Savanna, ummmm, Montannahhh.

[Joe Bua]

I would contend that she's at number one because of the current scandals.

This is the George Bush's United States, after all, where up is down, black is white and wining is losing.

Or it is up is white, black is winning, and losing is down?

See how confused it is?

Oh, and where marginally talented kids are more important than their parents. We were just talking this morning on how this kid's Dad was a one-hit wonder.

Six years and she'll be divorcing or in rehab.

[Earthling]

What a bunch of utterly cynical losers. Leave this kid alone, she is a 16-year old child. Joe B. especially seems to have some issues or an axe to grind. Oh, but I'm sure I have it wrong, and you folk are just brilliant, wonderful people. LOL

[amanda]

i like the pic it cool and
i want to see so much

( love)
~AMNADA~
PS YOUR COOL!!!
LOL