Image caption Adele's debut album 19 has been in the US album chart for 71 weeks

Adele's second album, 21, has gone straight to the top of the US Billboard chart in its first week of release.

The record sold 352,000 copies, knocking Justin Bieber's Never Say Never: The Remixes down to number two.

Adele, who won a Grammy for best new artist in 2009, now has two albums in the top 20 after her debut record, 19, leapt back up the chart from 50 to 16.

Her single Rolling In the Deep also sits at number seven on the digital songs chart.

UK number one song Someone Like You, which the singer has been performing on US TV shows over the past week, is currently at number 45.

Meanwhile, Adele is on course to continue her chart reign in the UK.

She is expected to spend a third week at the top of the singles chart, with 21 also leading the album race for a sixth week.