Justin Bieber flops as new album Journals fails to crack UK Top 40

The pop star entered at number 46 following an unconventional sales tactic

Even bizarre low-crotch trousers are not enough to secure Bieber a UK Top 40 result (Getty Images)

British fans have wished Justin Bieber an unhappy New Year after his new album failed to break the Top 40 on the Official Albums Chart.

The "Baby" singer’s latest offering, Journals, became his lowest-charting album to date after it bombed in at number 46 - proof that we do have taste after all.

Just to further dent Bieb’s notoriously bulky ego, Journals slid in unnoticed at number 174 in France, peaked at number 64 in Ireland and just nudged into Australia’s Top 40 at number 38.

The US Billboard chart has not featured the singer’s new album, with the Hollywood Reporter claiming it will not appear because it was a digital-only release and iTunes will not be reporting sales.

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Perhaps the 19-year-old’s recent spate of controversies while touring his Believe album has contributed to the poor sales of Journals.

More likely to blame, however, is its unconventional release tactic.

Believe went straight to the top spot worldwide in 2012, but ten of tracks on Journals had already been made available to fans through Bieber’s drip-fed 'Music Mondays' single releases.

This promotional strategy enabled listeners to purchase individual singles early before using the ‘Complete My Album’ feature on iTunes to pay a lower price for the full album.

The pop star’s recent flop follows disappointing box office takings for his latest concert film, Believe, which grossed just $3.1 million during its first three days of US release.

His first movie, Never Say Never, earned $29.5 million during the same time period in 2011, suggesting that Bieber’s popularity may simply have waned.

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The “Boyfriend” singer shocked his dedicated fanbase - known as the Beliebers – when he announced his ‘retirement’ from music numerous times in December.

“Urm, I’m actually retiring man,” he said on a Los Angeles radio station, causing many to think Christmas had come early.

Bieber’s long-suffering manager Scooter Braun soon denied the claims, before the singer ominously tweeted that he would, in fact, "be here forever".