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Biggest First Week for an Album Since 2001

EMI's Blue Note Recording Artist Norah Jones' New Release Becomes Global Phenomenon; Charts at No. 1 in 16 Countries - from the U.S. and UK to France and New Zealand. Jones' First Record Also Re-Enters Top 20 in U.S, U.K, and More; 'Come Away With Me' Comes On Strong A Year After Gaining Biggest-Ever Post-Grammy Sales Spike

Norah Jones' new album "Feels Like Home" (Blue Note) has hit the world by storm, selling more than one million copies in its first week in the U.S. alone and charting at No. 1 in at least 16 countries. The album entered the Billboard 200 Album chart today at No. 1, with first week sales of at least 1,022,000 units according to Nielson Soundscan, making it the biggest new album of the year to date and the first record in the U.S. to scan more than a million units in its debut week since July 2001.

Jones' follow up record bested first week sales of 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Tryin,'" which scanned 872,082 units in its first week last February 2003, and of Linkin Park's "Meteora," which sold 810,488 in its first week in March 2003.

"This was one of the biggest first week's sales we've had in the music category in our history," said Peter Faricy, Vice President Multi-media at Borders Group, Inc.

Ms. Jones' new record has also spiked sales of her eight-time Grammy-winning 2002 debut, "Come Away With Me." In the U.S., the album re-entered the Top 20 charting at No. 18 after spending a remarkable 103 weeks on the chart; a year after the album experienced the biggest post-Grammy sales bounce in history (since Soundscan began tracking sales). Elsewhere, "Come Away With Me" also climbed higher, including to No. 2 in Ireland (behind "Feels Like Home") to No. 3 in Germany and Denmark, to No. 8 in France and No. 5 in Italy and The Netherlands. The record remains a top seller across Europe, moving up to No. 8 on the European album chart last Friday. "Come Away With Me," which first reached No. 1 in the U.S. in January 2003 -- nearly a year after it debuted in February 2002, has gone on to sell more than 17 million copies around the world -- with more than 8 million sold in the U.S.

"We congratulate Norah on a fantastic record and we are pleased that fans have responded to her artistry," said Alain Levy, Chairman of EMI Music Worldwide. "The reception for both of Norah's records, as well as Coldplay's Grammy for Record of the Year last week underscores that EMI's focus on artists with long term career potential and global appeal is working."

"This is the kind of achievement that one can only expect from a truly original, extraordinary artist like Norah," said Bruce Lundvall, President & CEO, Jazz & Classics EMI Music, North America and head of EMI's Blue Note label. "It's not very often that an artist can span so many genres and enjoy such broad appeal. But that's what happens when the music is this good."

"We were the first store in the country to hit #1 with Norah's debut two years ago, and "Feels Like Home" looks to be a runaway repeat," said John T. Kunz, president of independent retailer Waterloo Records & Video, based in Austin, Texas. "People would come in and buy a half a dozen copies of 'Come Away With Me' at a time to give to their friends, and it looks like that kind of powerful word of mouth all over again. The music community here feels some real ownership in Norah's success. When Austin loves the music, they want to support the artist and spread the word."

"We are proud to have been part of the Norah Jones story from the very start," said Rick Krim, VH1 Executive VP of Music Programming and Talent. "This time around, between, our world premiere of the "Sunrise" video, unprecedented video play, and a week's worth of exclusive streaming of "Feels Like Home" on VH1.com, we put the full support of the network behind an artist who's become a big part of our family. We are thrilled to congratulate Norah on her extraordinary debut."

Norah Jones was born in New York City in 1979. She grew up in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. She moved back to New York in 2000, and signed with EMI's Blue Note Records in 2001. At the 45th Annual Grammy® Awards in 2003, Ms. Jones' "Come Away With Me" swept the evening, taking home eight of the coveted gramaphone trophies, including all major awards.

"Feels Like Home" has been warmly received by critics, with Rolling Stone giving it 4 stars, calling it "...a triumph of the low-key, at once easygoing and poignant...she's found, in two graceful albums, a whole different kind of mojo lurking inside the three-minute song," and TIME magazine, which remarked on her "casually brilliant vocals." In the U.K., Q called the record an "older and wiser sequel, where the quiet magic of each song gets stronger with each listen", and Mojo hailed Jones as "the great popular voice of her generation."

The first single from "Feels Like Home" -- the track, "Sunrise," was an early indicator of Ms. Jones' popularity online when it became the fastest selling record in a 24 hour period on Apple's iTunes music store. Ms. Jones' has a solid track record with Internet fans -- "Come Away With Me" was the biggest selling record of both 2002 and 2003 on Amazon.com.

The record has debuted at No. 1 in 16 countries. Her debut, "Come Away With Me" has also climbed back up the chart. Some examples follow:

* UK: "Feels Like Home" (Parlophone/Blue Note) entered the UK album chart at No. 1 with a first week sale of over 235,000 making it by far the biggest new album of the year and selling almost as many as the No's 2, 3 and 4 combined. Jones' 2002 debut 'Come Away With Me' also remains in the Top 20, rising to No. 16;

* Ireland: "Feels Like Home" entered at No. 1 and remarkably, "Come Away With Me" went to No. 2;

* Germany: "Feels Like Home" debuted at No. 1 on the German sales chart, just coming off reaching platinum status for "Come Away With Me," which also jumped to No. 3 this week.

* France: "Feels Like Home" debuted at No. 1; "Come Away With Me" jumped from No. 21 to No. 8 in the album charts.

* Norway: "Feels Like Home" charted at No. 1 in the VG Top 40 (the official album sale chart Norway)

* Denmark: "Feels Like Home" entered the Danish sales chart at number one, scanning more units than positions 2 to 5 combined. "Come Away With Me" jumped from No. 21 to No. 3.

* Other No. 1 Chart Debuts for "Feels Like Home": Austria, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, Columbia, New Zealand.