WTF? Katy Perry selling 700 000 units first, what the hell were these "execs" smoking when they came up with this number?

Anyway why was this not an issue when Flo Rida released his albums...I mean he had a string of #1 singles if I am not wrong, and his albums barely went gold (if they did at all). Some people do not have the IT factor to pull off monumental album sales; Katy Perry happens to be one of them.