Photo : Luca Rossetti

Andrea Bocelli ‘Sì’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

Universal Music Group labels Decca and Universal Music Classics Achieve Historic Sales and Streams on Both Sides of the Atlantic

NEW YORK, November 05, 2018 – In the year of his 60th birthday and almost a quarter century since his debut release, global classical music icon Andrea Bocelli has topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for the first time in his illustrious career with the release of ‘Sì’ (Decca/Sugar Music), his first album of new original material in 14 years. The album, released in the U.S. on October 26, through Universal Music Classics, part of Verve Label Group, sold 126,000 equivalent units in its first week to debut at #1 stateside and simultaneously topped the charts in the U.K. for the first time.

One of the most universally loved and recognizable performers on the planet, Andrea Bocelli has sold in-excess of 90 million albums to date. His latest album ‘Sì’ has captivated audiences around the world and features Andrea collaborating with artists including Josh Groban, Dua Lipa, Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, Ed Sheeran and his 21-year-old son Matteo Bocelli. Uniquely for a classical artist, their duet together ‘Fall on Me’ has become a viral hit around the world with its music video garnering more than 21million views in just 5 weeks, while charting on streaming playlists globally.

‘Fall on Me’ also appears in the end credits of Disney’s latest feature film ‘The Nutcracker and The Four Realms’ starring Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman which debuted in theaters this week. ‘Sì’ was recorded at his home in Italy and produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Thirty Seconds To Mars).

Speaking on his chart success, Andrea Bocelli, says: “Life really never ceases to amaze, especially those who are madly in love with it and love what they do, rather than stubbornly doing what they love. I would have never imagined to achieve this result in a country that nevertheless, loved me from the very beginning. Yet, beyond, well beyond the numbers and the charts what really counts are the affection and the esteem of an audience; what really counts are the handshakes, the smiles, the graces, the applauses, which often, as in this happy circumstance, are translated into results that go beyond the rosiest expectation. My heartfelt thanks to all those people who wanted to reward my latest effort.  A big thank you also on behalf of my little, great Matteo who, in these days, has been living by my side, an indescribable experience shared with this extraordinary audience, to whom I owe the realization of a dream, which, as it rarely happens, has by far surpassed reality.”

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group said, “Andrea’s enduring success is testament to his boundless talent and he continues to demonstrate that great music knows no boundaries and defies genres.   We value our successful partnership with Sugar and are honored to continue working on Andrea’s behalf and look forward to his music continuing to inspire and entertain generations to come.”

Filippo Sugar, CEO, Sugar Music said, “Reaching #1 on the most competitive album chart in the world is an achievement that all of us at Sugar are truly honored to share with Andrea, with all of his family and all of the contributors to this wonderful album. The producer, Bob Ezrin, all of the writers of these exceptional songs, Andrea’s incredible management team headed by his wife Veronica, Scott and Maverick and all the very special friends at Decca and Universal. This is yet another milestone in the fantastic recording career of Andrea that began just over 24 years ago when my mother Caterina, first understood that he was a uniquely gifted singer.”

His fifteenth studio album, ‘Sì’ is truly international affair with songs sung in Italian, Spanish, English, French, German, Russian and Mandarin (a duet of ‘If Only’ with Taiwanese pop singer A-Mei topped the iTunes chart in Taiwan on release). In the UK, it is the first time a classical album has topped the Official UK Album Chart in more than 20 years – since the Titanic soundtrack in 1997. For Decca, who have worked with Bocelli alongside Sugar Music for two decades, the album marks their first UK/US chart double since Rod Stewart’s ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ topped both charts in 1971.

Rebecca Allen, President, Decca Records said, “Andrea Bocelli is a truly unique artist, an artist that continues to define and create cultural moments. We are hugely proud of our work with Sugar Music and feel blessed to have created a moment that reflects the brilliance & beauty of this artist and album. A day our label will never forget.”

Graham Parker, President of Universal Music Classics, US says, “We are honored to have played a role in Bocelli’s first ever #1 album in the United States and are thrilled for his success. For an artist who has been recording for over 25 years, this new record has it all, great songs, great talent, great collaborations, and it’s gratifying to see his talent and hard work recognized by his existing and new fans alike.”

Danny Bennett, President & CEO of Verve Label Group says, “Andrea Bocelli reaching #1 is well-deserved and historic. Sì is a musical masterpiece full of heartfelt, emotional songs that touch what the public are craving and needing at this time. We are proud to have played a part in helping to elevate classical music to become relevant across generations and establishing an album from a legendary artist in the pantheon of classical music.

About Decca Records
Decca is one of the world’s iconic record labels. The logo has been associated with some of recorded music’s defining acts: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Luciano Pavarotti and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few. Decca Records has been the number one classical record label in the UK for well over a decade, operating alongside its international ‎sister label Decca Classics. In recent years Decca Records has been selected as the official label partner of high profile events such as the 2018 Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the 2011 Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the London 2012 Olympics and the 2016 Paralympics. Decca is also home to such diverse and distinctive artists as Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot, Aurora, Ludovico Einaudi, Imelda May, Alfie Boe, The Lumineers and Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

About Verve Label Group
The Verve Label Group (VLG), a division of Universal Music Group based in New York City, is home to many of the most acclaimed artists in jazz and classical music, while also strongly focused on championing emerging talent across all genres. Verve Label Group is home to Universal Music Classics US, as well as Verve Records, Impulse!, and Verve Forecast. VLG’s current roster includes J.S. Ondara, Jon Batiste, Tank and the Bangas, Diana Krall, Yuna, Blake Mills, Shabaka Hutchings, Madison Cunningham, Max Richter, Andrea Bocelli, Daniil Trifonov, Lang Lang and more.

About Universal Music Classics, US
Universal Music Classics is the US home for European imprints Decca, Decca Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, ECM, and Mercury KX, as well as the US-based label Decca Gold, which serves as the American home for new classical and crossover artists. The revitalized Decca Gold imprint has forged partnerships with the New York Philharmonic, The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project, as well as new artist signings with Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and Friends, Sarah Brightman, Shulem, Anthony Roth Costanzo,  Vocal Point, Il Divo, Nadine Sierra and more.  The present roster for all of Universal Music Classics in the US includes Andrea Bocelli, Lang Lang, Max Richter, Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Daniil Trifonov, Anna Netrebko, Tori Amos, Ólafur Arnalds, and more.

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