Lana Del Rey's chart-topping album, Born to Die (Image by rongzhiwei)

Singer Lana Del Rey’s highly anticipated album Born to Die was released last week to mixed reviews and outstanding sales (it hit No. 1 on the iTunes album chart above Leonard Cohen, Coldplay, and even Adele).

The question arises: What, if not musical ability, does it take to make it big in the music business?

Considering the publicity generated by her strange, atonal SNL performance, which was just bad enough to be interesting, her success on the charts makes sense. If listeners aren’t buying her album because they enjoy her music, they’re buying it to revel in how mediocre it is. But a new study on artist releases suggests there’s more behind Del Rey’s recent chart-topping than the media buzz surrounding her confounding public persona. It might also be a matter of good timing.

According to a study conducted by the Independent, January is the perfect month for an artist to release an album. At the beginning of the year, sales of only 30,000 albums can result in a No. 1 spot on the charts, resulting in increased sales, radio play, and gigs at major festivals. And after the holiday lull, people are ready for new, exciting music in the new year—even if it comes from Lana Del Rey.

For more on Del Rey’s new album check out Stephen Deusner’s article on Salon.com.

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