Michael Jackson’s ‘XSCAPE’ album and supporting “Love Never Felt So Good” single have continued to perform respectably in markets around the world this week despite slight downward trends on the charts.
In the United States ‘XSCAPE’ came in at #12 on the Billboard 200, down five places after selling 25,000 copies. That brings the album’s U.S. sales to a total of 284,000 copies from its four weeks on the market. “Love Never Felt So Good” dropped just two places this week, landing at #29 on the Hot 100.
On the Worldwide iTunes chart “Love Never Felt So Good” has had another strong week. The single sits at #5 overall today, and has risen as high as #2 and dropped as low as #6 since my last update. The single is in its 45th day on the Worldwide iTunes chart and has never dropped out of the top 10.
In the streaming world the “Love Never Felt So Good” YouTube/VEVO videos continue to perform well. Since my last update they have been streamed 6 million times worldwide collectively. The “Slave to the Rhythm” hologram video has been watched an additional 2 million times in the same period.
The ‘XSCAPE’ album managed to sell another 102,000 copies worldwide this week to land at #5 on the Global Albums chart. This is a strong result considering the album has now been available for more than a month around the world and has not been promoted since May 18 – four weeks ago – on the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. So far its total sales stand at 830,000 copies worldwide.
‘XSCAPE’ has now sold 56,000 copies in Japan with weekly sales of nearly 10,000 for a #11 chart spot. The album drops just one spot to #10 on the UK albums chart, while the single drops four spots this week to #16.
The album is returns to the #1 spot in Spain this week, and comes in at #3 in France, #6 in The Netherlands and #7 in Italy. “Love Never Felt So Good” charts at #6 in France, #7 in The Netherlands, #9 in Spain and #10 in Italy.
NOTE: This article will receive live updates over the coming days with chart results and statistics from other regions as those statistics become available. Please check back for those updates.
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Xscape Peak Chart Positions
Argentine Monthly Albums (CAPIF) #5
Australian Albums (ARIA) #2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) #2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) #1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) #1
Canadian Albums (Billboard) #3
Croatian Foreign Albums (IFPI) #7
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) #5
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) #1
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) #2
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) #5
French Albums (SNEP) #1
German Albums (Media Control) #2
Greek Albums (IFPI) #2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) #4
Irish Albums (IRMA) #4
Italian Albums (FIMI) #2
Japanese Albums (Oricon) #4
Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) #4
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ) #3
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) #2
Polish Albums (ZPAV) #4
Portuguese Albums (AFP) #3
Russian Albums (2M) #1
Scottish Albums (OCC) #3
South Korea Albums (Gaon Chart) #6/#9
South Korea Foreign Albums (Gaon Chart) #1/#4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) #1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) #3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) #2
Taiwanese Albums (G-Music) #2
Taiwanese Western Albums (G-Music) #1
UK Albums (OCC) #1
US Billboard 200 #2
US R&B/Hip Hop Albums (Billboard) #1
I have a feeling they’re waiting till around June 25th to promote anything more. then we’ll probably see something around august 29th… those are the predictable dates of course…maybe something for halloween… other than that who knows..but I’m betting the nest single will be put out around the 25th.
I hope the release more singles and videos. My only concern is that this is it now for xscape album and the wait for Dangerous 25 begins
Dangerous 25? I’m crossing my fingers they do a HIStory 20 next year.
they should get Quincy Jones to produce it. History just sounds unfinished. Also as a fan I see History as the start of the very sad decline of MJ with a string of bad luck and decisions and he did not seem to care about his career any more like he once did.
f that. HIStory is AMAZING!!! You think he didn’t care about his career? Can’t you hear him fighting for it in those songs? HIStory was his rebuttal and it was an amazing one. HIStory and Invincible are both great Albums. just because they didn’t get the acclaim his previous albums did and maybe they were different from earlier albums, but MJ was changed by what was done to him. I’m sick of people complaining about “angry” MJ songs! HE HAD A RIGHT TO BE ANGRY! I would be worried if he wasn’t angry! on on hand the critics want to critisize MJ for living in a fantasy fairytale world or some such, but then When MJ gets REAL like really really real….oh my he’s too angry shame on him for having the ability to express a wide range of human emotions that yes , includes alot of anger. Weren’t you angry? I was for sure…I still am! and yeah lets all ignore Invincible and pretend it’s no good too because yeah it’s the most ADULT album he ever made. the MJ on invincible is a MAN not a manchild. but i guess they prefer the manchild huh? but yet shame on him for the manchild persona too…could he ever win no matter what he did?
and btw Xscape reviewrs so far like to say that these songs are all too angry as well… that’s pissing me off. I’ll tell you something, I’m pretty sure the opening words to Blue Gangsta scare the pants off anyone who subconciously feels guilty for the demise of Michael Jackson. guilt is the reason people are turned off to MJ’s angry songs. GUILT. I feel none because I’m right there with him.
Melodically History did nothing for me. It did sound too raw. The instruments, not so much the vocals. Bad, which many critics have said was over produced, but in my opinion resulted in an album with every note in the right place. I mean what a grand opening to the song Bad itself and then that organ solo on Bad, the horns. I dont think there was anything wrong with Mjs anger its just that the production standards were not what they used to be. There were a few gems like stranger in moscow and earth song. I think the original version of all the songs on Xscape where the best melodies since the Dangerous album.
Makes no sense to do a HIStory 20. All the anniversary editions have been either special editions, or 25th anniversary editions. IF they do a HIStory anniversary set, they should do it when it’s 25 years old.
Dangerous must be done. IMO it is by far Michael’s best album.
the did a BAD 20th anniversery edition. I know because I have it.
HIStory needs to be put out there again. WHY? because it tells MJ’s side of all the nasty stuff that was said about him. AND because the songs are perfect. every note on HIStory is in the EXACT right place. it’s perfectly and beautifully composed. it’s a sculpture of sound, it’s a painting in music, in a moment in time when he was filled with alot of things he wanted to say. MJ poured his soul into HIStory. So much so that his marriage to LMP suffered. but it really was that important. Many of those songs are huge FU’s to very specific people that deserve every bit of it. Dom Sheldon my behind.
A Bootleg?
Dangerous was great, but he was still hiding too much behind the goody good image IMO. not that it wasn’t part of him, but he was holding back a bit. Alot of my favorites are on that album though. She’s Got The Look deserves way more attention now that we hear these stories of MJ “fishing” and having secret girlfriends. FOR REAL listen to that song.
Its 5 years since MJ died. How well do you the Estate and Sony are doing in keeping MJs legacy and introducing him to a new generation of fans? Are they doing the Michael Jackson brand any justice? What are your views on the quality of the material released (VHS quality Bad concert on DVD), Cheesy hologram (yes I know MJ is not with us but look at the experience game and the quality of the virtual mj and likeness that can be achieved).
MJ is truly the king. Anytime i listen his songs i feel as he is still alive. Certainly one of the best music celebrities ever!