NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) - "WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.," the new album from Atlantic recording artist Jason Mraz, has made a spectacular top 5 debut on the week's SoundScan/Billboard 200 album chart. The album - which features the smash single, "
I'm Yours" - entered the chart at No 3, with first week sales of 73,000.
In addition, the album took the No 1 slot on the Internet Albums Chart, No 2 overall on the Digital Albums Chart, and No 6 on the Indie/Small Chain Core Stores Chart.
What's more, "WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS." is proving a major digital sensation, with both the album and its expanded "Bonus Track Version" spending the week firmly lodged in the upper reaches of the iTunes Store's "Top Albums" chart. Of those purchasing the album via iTunes, more than 70% opted for the higher-priced "Bonus Track Version," which includes the album plus 14 exclusive new tracks culled from a variety of live and acoustic sessions. Mraz currently has three tracks from the album charting on the Hot Digital Tracks Chart.
Mraz celebrated the album's success with a performance on last night's installment of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." The San Diego-based troubadour's upcoming schedule of national broadcast appearances includes a live spot on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" (check local listings) on Monday, July 14th and an upcoming AOL live concert from New York City.
"I'm Yours," the first single from "WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.," is currently No 3 with-a-bullet at Triple A radio outlets nationwide, while also ascending the top 25 at Hot AC. In addition, the song is in the top 40 on the Pan-European airplay charts. A true online phenomenon, a search on YouTube uncovers 1800 fan-generated versions of Mraz's "I'm Yours" posted on the site, with 50-100 clips being added each week, currently with more than 20 million views.
One of modern music's most inventive and compelling live performers, Mraz has a trio of US dates slated for later this week: Friday, May 23rd at Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ; Saturday, May 24th at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, MI; and Sunday, May 25th at the National City Pavilion in Cincinnati, OH. Details of Jason's next full-scale North American concert tour will be announced shortly.
In late June, Mraz will cross the Atlantic for a slate of European headline shows and festival appearances. Among the tour's highlights will be a set at London's Hyde Rock Calling Festival on June 28th, which finds Jason sharing the stage will an all-star line-up including Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, and the Charlatans. Mraz will then spend early August on a much anticipated winter tour of Australia.
Mraz's first set of all-new material in nearly three years, "WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS." was produced by Martin Terefe, known for his work with KT Tunstall, Ron Sexsmith, and James Morrison. The album sees Mraz continuing to tread his own distinctive artistic path, melding a variegated musical tapestry with passionate, personal lyricism. Among the highlights are collaborations with British tunesmith James Morrison and singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat.
"WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS." was preceded by two individual EPs, "WE SING" and "WE DANCE," as well as a third EP, "WE STEAL THINGS," which is available as a digital bundle with purchase of the album on iTunes, and as part of a bundle when purchased via JasonMraz.com or AtlanticRecords.com. Physical versions of "WE SING" and "WE DANCE" are also available at independent retail outlets. All three EPs feature unique versions of various album tracks recorded during special intimate sessions.
"WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS." follows Mraz's two previous studio releases: 2002's RIAA platinum-certified breakthrough, "WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME," and 2005's "MR. A-Z," which debuted at No 5 on the Billboard 200, with career-best first week sales exceeding 80,000. Mraz has also released a series of concert recordings, including 2004's "TONIGHT, NOT AGAIN: JASON MRAZ LIVE AT THE EAGLES BALLROOM" and 2006's digital-only release, "SELECTIONS FOR FRIENDS."
For further information, including news, tour dates, and on-sale bulletins, please visit www.jasonmraz.com or www.myspace.com/jasonmraz. In addition, Jason's video blog - along with a variety of other travel adventures, live performances, and studio sessions - can be accessed at the Official Jason Mraz YouTube channel, located at www.youtube.com/user/OfficialJasonMraz.
