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\n\tAs she has every four years since 2013, Lorde<\/a> returned with a new album this summer: Virgin<\/em>, her fourth LP, and first since 2021\u2019s lukewarmly received Solar Power<\/em>. <\/p>\n \n\tVirgin<\/em>, released on June 27, follows not only May\u2019s Billboard Hot 100<\/a> top 40-debuting lead single \u201cWhat Was That\u201d \u2014 her first song to reach the chart region since 2017 \u2014 but also an appearance on Charli xcx\u2019s culture-conquering \u201cGirl, So Confusing\u201d remix in 2024. This week, the set bows at No. 2 on the Billboard 200<\/a> with 71,000 units moved, according to Luminate \u2014 both improvements on the first-week performance of Solar Power<\/em> four years earlier. <\/p>\n \n\tWhat accounts for the Lorde bounce-back? And will she ever return to the chart\u2019s top spot, which she first reached two album cycles earlier? Billboard<\/em> staffers discuss these questions and more below. <\/p>\n \n\t1. Lorde\u2019s <\/strong>Virgin<\/em><\/strong> debuts at No. 2 with 71,000 equivalent album units moved. On a scale from 1-10, how excited do you think Lorde and her team are about that opening performance? <\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tHannah Dailey<\/strong>: I would give it an 8! It\u2019s very impressive that she outdid her last album by so much and proved that she still has room to grow this many years into her career. I also think that her team nailed the rollout plan, from the fan events \u2014 including the \u201cWhat Was That\u201d music video \u2014 to Lorde\u2019s return to social media. The success of this album probably feels really validating after all that hard work there.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tKyle Denis<\/strong>: For an album that\u2019s the follow-up to her most divisive set \u2014 and also boasts a lead single that barely scraped the top 40 \u2014 I\u2019d imagine Lorde and her team are pretty satisfied with this opening performance. I\u2019ll go with a 7.5.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tJason Lipshutz<\/strong>: A 7. Lorde\u2019s first album in four years was preceded by plenty of pop-blog buzz but no major comeback single or viral hit, calling into question what type of commercial performance Virgin<\/em> would earn when offered to the general public. A No. 2 debut, with a greater equivalent album units total than 2021\u2019s Solar Power<\/em>, is an unequivocal win for Lorde, and points to her continued appeal as a career pop artist whose work is digested in full-length statements. After scoring a smash with her debut single, \u201cRoyals,\u201d Lorde has transcended the need for new hits for listeners to invest in her album, as the performance of Virgin<\/em> proves once again.<\/p>\n \n\tAndrew Unterberger<\/strong>: A 7 feels right. It\u2019s a nice rebound from the relative underperformance of Solar Power<\/em>, and obviously it\u2019d have to be a blockbuster beyond what Lorde had ever managed previously to even have a shot at dethroning Morgan Wallen this week. Still, I wonder if her team had maybe hoped just a little for an opening number a little more within range of six digits \u2014 given the momentum that she was riding coming into this era, it didn\u2019t seem impossible. But this bow should still be more than acceptable for all involved. <\/p>\n \n\tChristine Werthman<\/strong>: Virgin<\/em> scored higher than Solar Power<\/em> in both units and chart placement, so I\u2019d be at an 8\u00a0if I were on Lorde\u2019s team. I\u2019m not going to 10 because, while I wouldn\u2019t anticipate Morgan Wallen numbers for Lorde, I\u2019d think that a four-year album gap and a fervent fan base would\u2019ve helped put a bit more distance between her and Benson Boone, a relatively new artist who got to No. 2 with 61,000 equivalent album units moved just a week earlier. Virgin<\/em> also trails Melodrama<\/em>\u2019s debut by about 38,000 units, so it takes the wind out of the sails slightly. But it\u2019s still a strong showing, hence the 8.\u00a0<\/p>\n