How Should ADÉLA Build Off Her Debut Album’s Impressive Chart Debut?
Categoria: Musica
This week's Five Burning Questions looks at the No. 4 Billboard 200 bow of the Dream Academy alum's first full-length LP PRIMA.
Por Billboard | 15/09/2026
Though 2026 has been relatively slow in the minting of totally new pop stars, it appears one might be on the way with Slovak singer-songwriter ADÉLA. The rising hitmaker — who first made public notice as a contest on the KATSEYE-forming reality contest show Dream Academy , then as an opener on Demi Lovato’s It’s Not That Deep tour — released her much-anticipated debut LP PRIMA on Sept. 4. On this week’s Billboard 200 (dated Sept. 19), the set bows at No. 4, while charting two singles in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 50: lead single “Ain’t in LA” (which moves 57-30) and follow-up “Nicole Kidman” (which debuts at No. 45). How does her debut compare to our expectations? And what should she do next to take advantage of all of this? Billboard staffers and contributors answer these questions and more below. 1. ADÉLA’s PRIMA bows at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 this week with 56,000 first-week units. Is that first-week performance better, worse or about what you expected? Lyndsey Havens : A bit better! I was expecting top 10, for sure, but once you remember that this album is home to her breakout hit and Hot 100 debut “Ain’t in LA” — plus “KGB” and “Red Bottoms” and latest single “Nicole Kidman” — it’s easy to see how it landed in the Billboard 200’s top 5. Kristin Robinson : This is a little below what I expected. No. 4 is a very strong performance from a new artist, and she should be incredibly proud of that. That being said, I must be on the ADÉLA algorithm because, based on how much I’m seeing her song on TikTok, I actually thought this might be No. 2 or 3 this week. This just goes to show how much algorithms — or just a killer digital marketing campaign — can impact our perception of what is popular. Andrew Unterberger : Higher! A debut in the back half of the top 10 would’ve still been a total success for ADÉLA on this campaign, given how new she still is and how many hitmakers feel permanently entrenched in the chart’s top five at this point. For her to get to No. 4 — well higher than recent efforts by more proven hitmakers like Karol G and Steve Lacy — is a real eye-opener. Alicia Urrea : It’s about what I expected, but in the best way possible. As someone who has been watching ADÉLA’s transformation into the pop star she is now, I had a feeling PRIMA would have a very strong debut. The momentum around her has been building for some time, and the moment “Ain’t in LA” dropped, it felt like the beginning of a much bigger moment for her. A No. 4 debut with 56,000 units feels like a strong indication of where she is right now, and I think she has a growing fan base that is invested in her, but there’s also still room for her audience to expand. Considering how quickly her profile has grown, I think this is a very promising first-week result and, more importantly, a solid foundation for whatever is next.