Teen pop-rocker Avril Lavigne [ tickets ]'s sophomore album, "Under My Skin," sold more than 380,000 copies during its first week in stores, and enters the U.S. album charts at No. 1, according to Arista Records.

Lavigne's strong showing on this week's Billboard 200 chart--and the No. 2 debut of Slipknot's "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses"--ends the eight-week No. 1 residence by Usher's "Confessions."

Gretchen Wilson's "Here for the Party" holds steady at No. 4, while Method Man's "Tical 0: The Prequel," falls three places to No. 5, according to Billboard.

Phish [ tickets ] keyboardist Page McConnell has chimed in with his thoughts about the group's impending breakup in a message on the Phish's website.

"I still love the music we make but the situation feels different to me now," McConnell's message reads. "I guess in my heart I’ve known for a while that something had to change, but it wasn’t until this last weekend that my feelings really began to coalesce. I’m old enough now that I am able to look to the future without feeling that I need to balance it with my past. I find it ironic that half of my life has to go by before I am able to focus solely on the future. As a member of a successful rock band, it seems that every aspect of my profession encourages me to extend my youth as long as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I like feeling young, but more importantly I need to be honest with myself.

"The pressures and schedule of this work can take its toll personally as well as creatively. As someone who has recently been through a divorce, I know how traumatic change can be. But, I also know that if you are able to let go of things and embrace change there is the potential for incredible personal (and creative) growth.

"If I sound unusually candid in this statement, I am able to do so because in my mind I’ve already moved on to the next phase of my life. This is a feeling I believe I share with [Phish frontman/guitarist Trey Anastasio]. I have a four-year-old daughter and there is nothing more important to me than being with her. Come August, I’m not going to have to tell her how many days ‘til daddy comes back from tour. Combine that with my perception that the band’s vitality is not what it once was, and it’s easy to see how my mind quickly begins to move in one direction instead of a hundred directions all at the same time."

R. Kelly [ tickets ] will issue a new two-disc set titled "Happy People/U Saved Me" on July 13.

A judge in the Dominican Republic reportedly has approved the divorce of pop singer Marc Anthony [ tickets ] and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.