Lady Gaga's new album has debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, but that hasn't stopped the singer from agonizing over the fact that not everyone is a fan of hers.

ARTPOP tops this week's chart with first-week sales of 258,000 copies.  It's her fifth top 10 album, following Born This Way, The Fame, The Fame Monster and The Remix.  This marks the third-largest sales week for a female artist this year, behind Katy Perry's PRISM and Miley Cyrus' Bangerz, which sold 286,000 copies and 270,000 copies respectively in their first weeks.

Gaga's previous album, Born This Way, sold 1.1 million copies in its first week, and some are taking the not-as-strong sales for ARTPOP as proof that the singer's popularity has waned.  But technically, it's not fair to compare the sales of Born This Way to ARTPOP. You may recall that when Born This Way was released, it was available on Amazon for a limited time for just 99 cents, which led to massive sales.  After that controversial move, Billboard changed its rules, requiring a minimum first-week sales price for any album that hoped to be included on the chart.

Gaga is obviously hurt by such claims, and also, perhaps, by some less-than-stellar reviews of ARTPOP.  She tweeted, "I put so much love into my music, into my shows, I make it all for you. I'll never understand the overflow of hate sent my way. Or maybe that's what entertainment is now. It's more fun to point & laugh than appreciate the artist. I'll keep rehearsing my steps."

Meanwhile, the star is reacting to criticism of her performance with R. Kelly on Saturday Night Live this past weekend.  During their duet on "Do What U Want," he simulated sexual intercourse on top of her while she lay on her back on stage.  "Many interviewers quelped today about my 'SHOCKING' performance w/ R Kelly on SNL," she tweeted. "I'm beginning to think y'all aren't ready for the video."

 

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