Paula’s Prediction For Carrie Underwood May Soon Come True

Contributed anonymously:

On one of the episodes before the finals on ‘American Idol’ season four, Paula Abdul predicted that Carrie Underwood would be the ‘Biggest Selling American Idol Contestant’ ever in the States. At that point Carrie Underwood was only one of a couple of hopefuls eager to bag the Idol tilt.

Carrie Underwood did end up winning the coveted title but whether she would live-up with these high expectations was yet to be seen. It is also noteworthy to mention that previous American Idol winner-Fantasia Barrino (debuting only at no.8 in Billboard) failed miserably to match the U.S. sales successes of Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.

But Carrie Underwood partly proved some skeptics wrong when her debut single “Inside Your Heaven” debuted at No.1 in the Billboard 100 with first week sales of more than 200,000. Then in November, Carrie made headlines again when her debut album “Some Hearts” shot up to No.1 in Billboard’s Top Country Albums & at No.2 in the Billboard 200 albums chart. In the process Carrie sold an impressive 314,000 copies just behind Madonna’s ‘Confessions On A Dance Floor’. Weeks after the album’s release, it hasn’t gone down from the Billboard Top 5 albums; proof that Carrie Underwood has ‘staying power’ in the United States.

The latest HDD (Hits Daily Double) U.S. album sales figures for the last week of December 2005 put “Some Hearts” sales in between 400,000-425,000 copies. This total will put Carrie Underwood at the No.3 position-just behind Mary J. Blige’s & Jamie Foxx’s latest efforts. That’s a healthy start for Carrie Underwood considering that her current single isn’t doing that well in the singles chart. Only time (& more albums) will tell if Carrie Underwood does vindicate Paula Abdul’s fearless foresight.
(source: Billboard, Hits Daily Double)