It did not begin its run as a monster, but Lea Michele’s “Cannonball” definitely impressed within the context of the “Glee” universe.
And thanks to that impressive opening week, Michele becomes the first “Glee” cast member to land on Billboard’s Hot 100 as a solo artist.
Written by Sia, Benny Blanco and Stargate, “Cannonball” moved 51,000 digital copies in its first week to rank at number 22 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart and number 75 on the Hot 100.
While “Cannonball” represents Lea Michele’s first big music move outside of the “Glee” walls, it would be impossible not to compare its performance against recent “Glee” releases.
And it is a very pleasant flavor of comparison.
The “Cannonball” opening week sales count of 51,000 exceeds that of any “Glee” single from 2013.
The show’s covers of “Let Me Love You” and “Make You Feel My Love,” the latter of which was performed by Michele, moved 48,000 and 46,000 opening week copies, respectively, ranked as the hottest 2013 sellers.
They charted at 91 and 84 on the Hot 100, respectively.
One would, in fact, have to go all the way back to May 2012 to find a “Glee” single that charted higher than “Cannonball.” The cover of “Shake It Out,” that single, opened at number 71 following its inclusion in the “Choke” episode.