[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWHRW1gojY8]
By Cara Sulieman
SUSAN Boyle has dedicated her record-breaking debut album to her mum – saying she promised her she would “do something” with her life.
I Dreamed a Dream hit the shops today, but had already broken the sales record for pre-orders on website Amazon.
With bookies refusing to take bets on the CD reaching the top spot in the album charts this week, the debut was a success before it even hit the shelves.
And SuBo makes several references to her mum on the cover sleeve, dedicating her most famous song I Dreamed a Dream to Bridget Boyle, who died in 2007 aged 91.
“This is for you”
She writes: “It (I Dreamed a Dream) is about a mother living in hard times.
“Very similar to my dream on a more personal level of my ‘life gone by’ with mum who died at the age of 91 and who’s ‘dream’ it was that I should ‘do something’ with my life.
“Mum this is for you.”
And elsewhere in the sleeve notes there is a picture of Susan with Bridget, along with the dedication.
It reads: “I would like to dedicate this album to my beloved mother, to whom I made a promise to ‘be someone’.”
Diversity
The 48-year-old has said before that every song featured on the album means something to her, and the lyrics are accompanied by an explanation.
These comments provide an insight into the singer, who has struggled to cope with her meteoric rise to fame since she appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in April.
After losing the final of the talent show to dance troupe Diversity, the singer was checked into the Priory suffering from exhaustion.
But the note about the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ suggests that she had now come to terms with her new-found fame.
It reads: “About finding your way. Everything was new to me. I was scared, hope its better.
“I know it can be with your continued support which I find both touching and humbling.”
And she goes on to promise more than just a one-hit wonder as she writes about ‘The End of the World’: “Don’t be silly! It’s only the beginning!
“I want you to enjoy some more!”
With millions of copies of the album already sold in pre-orders, and millions more expected to fly off the shelves this week, it is anticipated that the star will still be in the number one spot at Christmas.
Bookies William Hill have put her as favourite for the festive top spot as some bookies refuse to accept bets.
And Margaret Mitchell, 69, from Edinburgh was one of the first fans to grab herself a copy in Edinburgh today (Mon).
“Just brilliant”
Out Christmas shopping with a friend, she had made the music shop her first stop to buy the CD.
She said: “I saw her on Sunday night on the X Factor and she was just brilliant.
“I’m a big fan and have been following her since she was on Britain’s Got Talent.
“She’s just so unusual and not what we were expecting. She’s just so good. I’m looking forward to hearing the album.”
Music store HMV have braced themselves for the rush to grab the singer’s album this week, expecting more than 300,000 copies to fly off the shelves.
“Biggest release of the year”
A spokeman for the company said: “Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed A Dream is set to become the biggest week-one album release of the year.
“Our online store, hmv.com, has received one of its largest-ever customer pre-orders for any album, whilst our high street stores around the country have been receiving numerous enquiries from fans for weeks now, especially those in her native Scotland.
“Based on this huge level of expected demand, which can only be boosted by SuBo’s much-anticipated X-Factor appearance this weekend, HMV predicts that the début album from the Britain’s Got Talent finalist will shift more than 300,000 copies in just six days – making it the biggest and fastest-selling week-one release of 2009.”
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