Owl City's second album has already topped its predecessor on at least one front: "All Things Bright & Beautiful" debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart today, which is two positions higher than "Ocean Eyes" ever reached. The follow-up album has a long way to go to match the million-plus platinum marker of "Ocean Eyes," though, but first-week album sales of 48,000 are nothing to squawk (or hoot?) at in this day and age -- especially for someone making his records all by himself.
Bad Meets Evil, which is Eminem's new-ish duo with recent Soundset guest Royce da 5'9," took the No. 1 slot with 171,000 copies sold, Billboard reports. That's only about 10,000 copies more than were sold by way-too-cute No. 2 newcomer Jackie Evancho -- who's so sweet, she almost makes Owl City's Adam Young look more in line with Eminem.
From a local standpoint, "All Things Bright and Beautiful" is the highest-charting album by a Minnesota act since Atmosphere's "When Life Gives You Lemons..." debuted at No. 5 in Billboard. And in case you didn't read our interview with Young at his home in Owatonna, the disc truly is a Minnesota-made album. It also charted at No. 2 on both the digital albums chart and the dance/electronic album chart in Billboard. There's not much of Owl City on the singles or airplay charts, though. "Galaxies" is No. 39 on Billboard's Christian song list.
