(PR) Joni Mitchell celebrates her highest debut in the SoundScan era with the release of her new album "Shine" on Hear Music. In its first week of release, the album debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200 and sold more than 40,000 units. This marks Mitchell's strongest sales debut in a decade.

"Shine" marks Mitchell's return to music and is a superb collection of 10 songs that are at once compelling and poignant, exquisite and soulful, sublime and haunting. "Shine" has already been called "the best album by an artist of her generation since Bob Dylan's 'Modern Times'" by The Independent, and The New York Times described it as "inward-looking and rhythmically complex."

"Shine" is one of three new artistic endeavors launched by Mitchell this year. Last week in New York City Mitchell hosted a screening of the Alberta Ballet's, "The Fiddle and the Drum," which she served as co-creator and artistic director. The ballet includes two songs featured on "Shine," "If" (based Mitchell's favorite poem by Rudyard Kipling) and "If I Had a Heart." The screening was followed by an art show at Openhouse (201 Mulberry St.), curated by Violet Ray Gallery. Mitchell's "Green Flag Song," a mixed media photographic exhibition, is currently on exhibit until October 6th.