Halsey by Aidan Cullen, press photo courtesy of EMI Music Publicity
Halsey’s eagerly anticipated album “Manic” launched at midnight late Thursday/early Friday.
As of 1AM ET Friday morning, it is the #1 album on the US iTunes album sales chart.
The Halsey album is one of four new releases in the Top 5. The late Mac Miller’s “Circles” follows at #2, with Little Big Town’s “Nightfall” and Dustin Lynch’s “Tullahoma” respectively clocking in at #4 and #5.
Selena Gomez’s “Rare,” the lone holdover in the Top 5, sits at #3.
*A point of focus for the next few hours will be Eminem’s “Music To Be Murdered By.” Due to the surprise nature of the release (no pre-orders, no pre-release anticipation), it is not yet in the Top 10. That will, of course, change soon — and the album will likely challenge for the top spot later today.