Second Starbucks Hear Music(tm) Debut CD, Sonya Kitchell's Words Came Back to Me, a Co-Release with Velour Music Group, Propels Newcomer into the Spotlight and onto the Charts

Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) Hear Music and Velour Music Group todayannounced that in the first week of availability since its release onApril 4, 2006, at Starbucks' Company-operated locations in the U.S.and Canada and traditional music retail nationwide, sales of SonyaKitchell's debut album, Words Came Back To Me, have exceeded 6,280units. Due to Starbucks' innovative marketing and distributioncampaign, the strong performance of the album's first single "Let MeGo" at AAA Radio, and several national TV appearances, the albumcharted at #6 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and #172 on the Top200 chart for the week ending April 9. Additionally, the album debutedat #14 on Billboard's Top Independent chart. Sales of the album atStarbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. between April 4 andApril 9 accounted for more than 70% of all sales in the U.S.

Sonya Kitchell, a 17-year old singer, guitarist and songwriterfrom Western Mass., is only the second artist to be featured in theinnovative Starbucks Hear Music(TM) Debut CD series, which was createdspecifically to introduce new and emerging artists with long-termcareer potential. Words Came Back to Me is a collection of 12 originalsongs (all penned by Kitchell) that Rolling Stone editor AnthonyDeCurtis calls "extraordinary ... a remarkably sophisticatedcollection of songs that belies the age of its creator." The new albumrepresents a dazzling debut by a remarkable young artist, blendingpop, jazz, folk and blues into a thing of soulful beauty. It is thefirst of three albums of Sonya's music that Starbucks Hear Music andVelour Music Group will co-release.

"Sonya is a phenomenally talented artist who awes and inspiresaudiences wherever she goes. The excitement around the album and theearly momentum is exactly what we envisioned for the Starbucks HearMusic(TM) Debut CD series," said Ken Lombard, president of StarbucksEntertainment. "The initial success of this album demonstrates that wehave created a new paradigm for introducing, marketing anddistributing albums from emerging artists, in collaboration withinnovative, forward-looking label partners like Velour."

"From the time we first started working with her (when she was 14years old) we've always believed that Sonya is an exceptionallytalented artist. Now we're excited to introduce her to the widestpossible audience with the Starbucks Hear Music(TM) Debut CD Seriesand the support of our traditional music retail partners," said SeanHoess, co-founder, Velour Music Group. "We look forward to workingwith Sonya and Starbucks Hear Music as she continues to create andrecord brilliant songs for years to come."

Positive early buzz for Sonya Kitchell has translated intosignificant media attention, including her national television debuton CBS' The Early Show (February 25, 2006) and her performance of "LetMe Go" on The Late Show With David Letterman (April 11, 2006).Positive reviews continue to roll in from the Los Angeles Times,Billboard, The New York Times, Village Voice, Teen Vogue, Elle,Redbook, The Wall Street Journal, and People, which rated the album 31/2 out of 4 stars, calling it a "remarkably mature and poised debut"from an artist with a "knockout voice" who is "destined for greatthings."

The album's first single, "Let Me Go," is enjoying breakoutsuccess -- for the week of March 6, 2006, it was the most added newsong at AAA radio. Additionally, Kitchell's multiple performances asthis year's South by Southwest festival were well received and foundthe young performer sharing the bill with established artists such asLyle Lovett and The Pretenders. Kitchell also recently performed atthe opening events of the two newest Starbucks Hear Music(TM)Coffeehouses, in San Antonio, Texas and Miami, Florida, which openedon December 19, 2005, and February 13, 2006, respectively. Alsonotable is Kitchell's dedicated online following. She was recentlyfeatured on MySpace.com, where she signed up nearly 10,000 new friendsand received more than 200,000 online plays in the last week alone.

Kitchell just embarked on a full national tour with 22 stopsincluding New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, L.A., SanFrancisco and Austin. She will also be opening for dynamic Britishsinger, songwriter and pianist Jamie Cullum in late June and earlyJuly. Please visit www.sonyakitchell.com/tour.php for the fullschedule.

Starbucks Marketing Campaign

Starbucks innovative marketing campaign in support of Words CameBack To Me includes in-store signage, point of purchase displays,in-store music play, and a T-Mobile(R) HotSpot Wi-Fi networkpromotion. Additionally, Sonya Kitchell will perform acoustic sets inselect Starbucks locations across the country and participate inStarbucks sponsored events. Starbucks also utilized its relationshipwith XM Satellite Radio to offer the Sonya Kitchell special onStarbucks Hear Music(TM) Channel 75 on XM Satellite Radio. The albumis being featured and is available for purchase online atwww.starbucks.com/hearmusic.

Similar to the multi-platinum, eight time GRAMMY(R) Award-winningRay Charles album, Genius Loves Company and Herbie Hancock's GRAMMY(R)Award-nominated album, Possibilities, Starbucks Hear Musicparticipated in many facets of Words Came Back to Me's lifecycle,including the marketing and distribution of the album.

About Velour Music Group

Founded by Sean Hoess and Jeff Krasno in 1999, Velour is a hybridrecord label and management company focused on quality,adult-alternative music across various genres, including pop, rock,soul and jazz. Velour's goal is to seek out "music with soul" -- notnecessarily soul music, but rather music with heart, music thathearkens to the core values of great songwriting and performance, bothlive and in the studio. By combining management and label functionsunder one roof, Velour has created a holistic and stable home for itsartists, one that is focused on long term career development and yetis able to nimbly respond to changing industry conditions.

About Starbucks Hear Music

Founded in 1990, and acquired by Starbucks Coffee Company in 1999,Starbucks Hear Music is the voice of music at Starbucks. StarbucksHear Music is dedicated to creating a new and convenient way forconsumers to discover, experience and acquire all genres of greatmusic through its CD compilations and music programming for Starbuckscoffeehouses worldwide, as well as its innovative partnerships withother music labels to produce, market and distribute both exclusiveand non-exclusive music. In 2004, Starbucks Hear Music launched a24-hour digital music channel with XM Satellite Radio (XM Channel 75),the Starbucks Hear Music(TM) Coffeehouse in Santa Monica wherecustomers can select from over 15,000 CDs or burn their own custommixes, and the Starbucks Hear Music(TM) media bars, a service thatoffers custom CD burning at select Starbucks retail locations inSeattle and Austin. In 2005, Starbucks Hear Music opened the StarbucksHear Music(TM) Coffeehouse in San Antonio, Texas. In 2006, Starbucksopened the Starbucks Hear Music(TM) Coffeehouse in Miami, Florida.Starbucks Hear Music(TM) CDs are featured at Hear Music and Starbucksretail locations, as well as online at www.starbucks.com/hearmusic.