Beyonce’s ‘Beyonce’ Lands at No. 1, Sets New Records in the Process

Beyonce really doesn't need Target to sell her fifth album, the self-titled 'Beyonce."

The singer did a pretty bang up job shifting 617,000 copies in less than a week, with no advance notice or press.

The album easily debuted in the No. 1 slot and it set a few records in the process.

Beyonce is the first woman to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 with her first five albums, according to the music trade magazine. All of her prior solo albums  -- "Dangerously In Love," 2003; "B'Day" 2006; "'I Am ... Sasha Fierce," 2008; and "4," 2011 -- debuted in the top spot.

Only rapper DMX and folk act Kingston Trio have seen their first five albums debut at No. 1.

Beyonce's No. 1 is a much bigger story, since she did it with a much shorter sales window. Albums are released on Tuesdays and tracked through Sunday.

She released "Beyonce" on Dec. 13, and it ws sold exclusively via the iTunes store through at least Dec. 18. The physical CD hits retail outlets soon, as well, as copies were being manufactured.

The 617,000 tally is a personal best for Bey. "B'Day" had a first-week frame of 541,000 copies.

It's also the highest sales week for a female artist in 2013 and the fourth highest sales week of the year.

Beyonce also set records for iTunes. It was the largest sales week for an album in the U.S. iTunes store and was the fastest global seller, with 828,773 copies sold worldwide through Dec. 15. It was also the fastest selling iTunes album...ever.