Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” has sold over 1.1 million copies in the first week of its release in the U.S.
Spears expressed her gratitude to her fans and readers worldwide for their unwavering support, stating that she poured her heart and soul into the memoir. The sales figures include pre-orders, print sales, e-books, and audiobooks.
“The Woman in Me,” which was released on October 24, has received praise from critics for its compelling account of Spears’ journey to global fame and her ongoing struggles, including her conservatorship and her revelation about having an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake over 20 years ago.
In an Instagram post on the day of publication, Spears claimed that her memoir had become the highest-selling celebrity memoir in history. However, it is not the highest-selling memoir of 2023 so far.
While “The Woman in Me” topped the bestseller list last week, Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare,” released in January, sold 1.6 million copies in its first week.
Additionally, Spears’ memoir has significantly boosted streams and sales across her music catalog. According to Luminate, her catalog experienced an 18.2% increase in on-demand streams and a 36.8% increase in album sales within a day. The numbers continued to climb in the following days, with a 24% increase in U.S. streams, a 61.4% increase in album sales, and a 49% increase in digital sales.
The audio edition of “The Woman in Me,” narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Michelle Williams, has played a key role in the initial popularity of the book. Williams’ reading of the memoir has received high acclaim and is now the fastest-selling audio release ever for Gallery Books.
While “The Woman in Me” sold just under 418,000 printed copies, according to Circana, it falls below the first-week sales of other memoirs like Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” and Michelle Obama’s “Becoming.”
However, no nonfiction release has come close to the sales scale of J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which sold over 8 million copies within 24 hours of its release in 2007.
It is clear that Britney Spears’ memoir has captured the attention of readers and fans, making it a significant success in the publishing industry.
• AP Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report.
