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See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n
\n\tHow does her debut compare to our expectations? And what should she do next to take advantage of all of this? Billboard staffers and contributors answer these questions and more below. <\/p>\n
\t\t1. AD\u00c9LA\u2019s\u00a0PRIMA\u00a0bows at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 this week with 56,000 first-week units. Is that first-week performance better, worse or about what you expected?\u00a0\t<\/p>\n
\n\tLyndsey Havens: A bit better! I was expecting top 10, for sure, but once you remember that this album is home to her breakout hit and Hot 100 debut \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d \u2014 plus \u201cKGB\u201d and \u201cRed Bottoms\u201d and latest single \u201cNicole Kidman\u201d \u2014 it\u2019s easy to see how it landed in the Billboard 200\u2019s top 5.<\/p>\n
\n\tKristin Robinson: This is a little below what I expected. No. 4 is a very strong performance from a new artist, and she should be incredibly proud of that. That being said, I must be on the AD\u00c9LA algorithm because, based on how much I\u2019m seeing her song on TikTok, I actually thought this might be No. 2 or 3 this week. This just goes to show how much algorithms \u2014 or just a killer digital marketing campaign \u2014 can impact our perception of what is popular. <\/p>\n
\n\tAndrew Unterberger: Higher! A debut in the back half of the top 10 would\u2019ve still been a total success for AD\u00c9LA on this campaign, given how new she still is and how many hitmakers feel permanently entrenched in the chart\u2019s top five at this point. For her to get to No. 4 \u2014\u00a0well higher than recent efforts by more proven hitmakers like Karol G and Steve Lacy \u2014\u00a0is a real eye-opener. <\/p>\n
\n\tAlicia Urrea: It\u2019s about what I expected, but in the best way possible. As someone who has been watching AD\u00c9LA\u2019s transformation into the pop star she is now, I had a feeling PRIMA would have a very strong debut. The momentum around her has been building for some time, and the moment \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d dropped, it felt like the beginning of a much bigger moment for her. A No. 4 debut with 56,000 units feels like a strong indication of where she is right now, and I think she has a growing fan base that is invested in her, but there\u2019s also still room for her audience to expand. Considering how quickly her profile has grown, I think this is a very promising first-week result and, more importantly, a solid foundation for whatever is next.<\/p>\n
\n\tKristen Wisneski: It\u2019s pretty much what I expected. For her second album, I think this is a great result. She\u2019s put in the work, and it\u2019s clearly paying off. I hope she continues to grow and get even bigger from here. Moving 56,000 units in her first week is a great achievement, and I think even more people will continue to discover her and become fans as she grows.<\/p>\n
\t\t2. It seems like AD\u00c9LA has recently received a massive surge of attention in a relatively short period of time \u2014 what do you see as being the biggest thing driving interest in her at the moment?\t<\/p>\n
\n\tLyndsey Havens: I think it\u2019s been a series of right moves. Obviously, there\u2019s a bit of a built-in fanbase having competed on Dream Academy. But more recently, she opened on tour for Demi Lovato, which cracked open that fanbase even wider. She followed that run by debuting on the Hot 100 with a single from her upcoming debut album, which never hurts. And then there\u2019s the familiar beats of songs like \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d and \u201cNicole Kidman,\u201d which has only boosted familiarity for fans who hadn\u2019t yet bought in. These are just pieces of the full package, though, which AD\u00c9LA completes with her hot pink hair and open persona. She\u2019s not trying to fit into any particular box, and as a result her album showcases a range of sounds and topics, and I think that\u2019s what\u2019s continuing to drive interest now \u2014 she got us hooked, then actually delivered.<\/p>\n
\n\tKristin Robinson: The biggest thing driving interest in her at the moment is TikTok. I am a new AD\u00c9LA fan and I fell down the rabbit hole with \u201cAin\u2019t In LA\u201d\u00a0\u2014 which has a great trend around, it where people will share some random place they are from and say, basically, \u201cthe baddest b\u2013ches ain\u2019t in LA.\u201d All credit to her, though \u2014\u00a0she has followed up that song with \u201cNicole Kidman,\u201d and I\u2019m seeing that all over my feed too. I love the Nicole fan edits set to that song.<\/p>\n
\n\tAndrew Unterberger: It feels like she\u2019s already close to the complete package, in a way that pop fans are increasingly demanding from their hitmakers in 2026. It\u2019s not enough to just be a good songwriter or performer or dancer, or to have good style or social media or overall branding \u2014\u00a0you kinda need all of it, and you need it right away. Whether due to her early training or good artistic development or just her innate pop talents \u2014\u00a0almost certainly a combination of the three \u2014\u00a0AD\u00c9LA seems to have basically gotten there by the time of her first album. It\u2019s a lot to ask of any young performer, but it\u2019s right on time for pop stardom in 2026. <\/p>\n
\n\tAlicia Urrea: I don\u2019t think there\u2019s one single thing driving AD\u00c9LA\u2019s rise, and I think that might be why it happened so quickly. There seems to be a real appetite for a new generation of female pop stars who have a strong sense of identity and empowerment, and AD\u00c9LA has been able to position herself within that. Her team and label also deserve credit for giving her a recognizable visual identity with her pink hair and vibrant color palette. It makes her identifiable in a similar way to how Charli xcx\u2019s green became inseparable from the Brat era.<\/p>\n
\n\tBut ultimately, the aesthetic only works because there\u2019s an artist behind it. AD\u00c9LA is genuinely talented as both a singer and a dancer, and she doesn\u2019t seem to be treating those as separate parts of her artistry. Watching her lean equally into performance and vocals makes her feel like a fully formed pop artist, instead of someone who is simply benefitting from a viral moment.<\/p>\n
\n\tKristen Wisneski: She\u2019s uniquely herself, and her story is so different from everyone else\u2019s. She became popular through a group documentary, only to ultimately not be chosen. But instead of giving up, she continued pursuing her passion for singing and wanting this dream so badly that she found a way to stay in L.A. \u2014 even coming from outside the U.S. <\/p>\n
\n\tI think so many fans admire her dedication and determination. She was even learning English while working the night shift! You can genuinely see how badly she wants this, and she\u2019s such a powerhouse on stage. With her U.S. tour kicking off this week, I think people are going to get an even bigger glimpse of what she can do.<\/p>\n
\t\t3. Breakthrough hit \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d hits the Hot 100\u2019s top 40 for the first time this week, bounding 57-30. Do you think it will keep climbing into the top 10 \u2014 something relatively few 2026 hits have managed to do \u2014 or will its momentum taper off before then?\t<\/p>\n
\n\tLyndsey Havens: I think that as we head into fall, it could taper off. It\u2019s a fun, carefree and breezy song that came at the right time, and it makes sense that it would enjoy a post-album release bump, but I wouldn\u2019t necessarily expect it to reach the top 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tKristin Robinson: To me, it still has a good shot. I think her team at Capitol Records is really hungry to break her right now. It is always heartening to see an artist get that kind of support \u2014 unfortunately that\u2019s never a guarantee. Capitol has been coming off of a turbulent decade and under the purview of relatively-new CEO Tom March and president Lillia Parsa, they are really proving this year they know how to market a future star, with the successes AD\u00c9LA and label mate Sienna Spiro have seen. <\/p>\n
I think they will keep fighting for that song and keep the foot on the gas. And most importantly, I think AD\u00c9LA is hungry too, and willing to put in the work required to keep this song top of mind.<\/p>\n
\n\tAndrew Unterberger: One word: radio. Top 40 has barely even begun to test the waters with \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d \u2014\u00a0but it\u2019s coming, and given the classic Miley Cyrus sound of it (which Cyrus herself seems less than interested in these days), it\u2019d be pretty surprising if radio didn\u2019t end up embracing it with open arms. Once that happens, the doors may not just open to \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d as a top 10 hit, they might not close till sometime well into 2027. <\/p>\n
\n\tAlicia Urrea: I could see \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d tapering off before reaching the top 10, but I don\u2019t necessarily think that would reflect the song losing momentum. I think the bigger threat to its trajectory would be AD\u00c9LA herself. Now that PRIMA is out and multiple songs are getting attention, another track could overtake it. \u201cNicole Kidman\u201d is the obvious contender, debuting at No. 45 and has already generated traction online. I think there\u2019s a possibility this song gives AD\u00c9LA another chart push, and in that scenario, \u201cAin\u2019t in LA\u201d could plateau without disappearing from the conversation entirely. That said, I wouldn\u2019t count it out of the top 10 yet. A jump from No. 57 to No. 30 shows that the song still has momentum, and if streaming and social engagement continue to grow, there\u2019s certainly a path for it to keep climbing.<\/p>\n
\n\tKristen Wisneski: I truly believe this song will continue to climb while she\u2019s on tour and potentially come close or make it into the top 10. I love the song itself, but I also really love the meaning behind it. As I mentioned before, the fact that she\u2019s from Slovakia and not the U.S., yet always dreamed of becoming an entertainer and a singer, makes the message behind the song so powerful. She\u2019s inspired and rallied so many young girls from other countries to believe in their dreams, even if they didn\u2019t grow up in L.A. or come from a Hollywood background. Her story shows that you don\u2019t have to come from the traditional path to make it in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe\u2019s managed to build and retain a worldwide audience through this song, and I think that international connection is going to be a huge part of what keeps the momentum going for her.<\/p>\n
\t\t4. \u201cNicole Kidman\u201d may already be on its way to becoming the album\u2019s second hit, debuting at No. 45 in its first week. Do you think its hit potential is on par with \u201cLA\u201d or is it more of a one-week wonder?\t<\/p>\n