No, Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” did not set a new 2015 high for opening week sales.
It did, however, achieve something even more special: it debuted at #1 on the all-encompassing Billboard Hot 100.
Powered by what Nielsen Music reports as 337,466 first-week US sales (#1 on Digital Songs), 23.2 million first-week US streams (#2 on Streaming Songs), and 42 million weekly radio impressions (#28 on Radio Songs), “What Do You Mean?” becomes Bieber’s first career Hot 100 chart-topper.
The 337,466 opening week figure ranks as the year’s second-greatest for a new release. Only One Direction’s “Drag Me Down” (350,000) got off to a stronger start.
In addition to scoring the first #1 of his career, Bieber also sets an industry record: he is the youngest male artist to ever score a #1 debut on the Hot 100.
