Friday, August 19, 2011

Hot 100 Chart Analysis- 08/27/2011

WINS:

1. Katy Perry- T.G.I.F. (Last Friday Night)

This is a very special win, in fact one of the most monumental achievements in pop music history. Katy Perry has now scored 5 number 1 singles off of her album Teenage Dream, tying Michael Jackson for the record of most #1's off of one album. Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul, and Janet Jackson come close with 4 each off of their albums, all occurring between 1989-1991. It's especially notable considering the digital age and the immediacy of access to music- Last Friday Night has been available to consumers for a full year now, and people have much more access to music through various outlets than in 1988 when Jackson initially broke the record. The reducing of the price of the single to 69 cents on iTunes, along with a newly released remix featuring Missy Elliott, (I've MISSED HER!!) helped edge "Party Rock Anthem" for the spot, but what really pushed her over the edge is how insanely huge it is at radio- it spends its 2nd week at #1 on Radio Songs with a bullet. Will she try for a 6th? "Peacock", while racy for radio even by today's standards, could be a huge smash. I will also admit that unabashedly love the video for "Last Friday Night".




25. Rihanna- Cheers (I'll Drink to That)

God, her album "Loud" is chock full of hits. This is the 8th single off the album, and it's only been out since the Christmas rush of 2010. I can say without a doubt that this might be her 4th #1 single off of Loud (thus tying aforementioned Mariah, Paula, and Janet) if digital sales are strong enough. It was an absolute hit the first time I heard it, and I'm not surprised they waited this long to release it. Surely this will be the last single from the album. It's actually a very smart strategy to wait and release one of the best songs on the album as a late-term release to keep album sales momentum. Though both Katy Perry and Rihanna's album sales numbers are very low considering their popularity, keeping an artist on the radio for as long as possible is key.

#70 Dev- In the Dark

It's by sheer coincidence that my 3 winners of the week (and one loser) are solo female artists- but really, we live in an era of solo female artist dominance. Los Angeles supports their local artists like no other, and Dev has been a mainstay on top 40 here since "Like a G6". Jumping from #92-#70 in one week, her new single "In the Dark" seems to have the momentum for top 40. Given her talk-speak style and lack of strong vocals, it seems like her success is a direct result of Ke$ha. The song itself is pretty catchy, and I'm all for LA artists making it big.


FAILS:

#18 Beyonce- Best Thing I Never Had

If I didn't know Beyonce's 3rd and 4th singles (Party and Countdown) off of 4 didn't have massive appeal and potential to be blockbusters, I would have immediately dismissed 4 as a flop. Run the World (Girls) was an interesting song but completely lacks melody or anything memorable other than the already heavily sampled Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor". I give her credit for having the balls to release such an unconventional single, but Columbia overcompensated severely with the release of "Best Thing I Never Had"- an average ballad released in a sea of turbo pop and house-hip-hop top 40. I'm honestly surprised it became a top 20 hit- it really attests to Beyonce's sheer star power. When she finally releases a song that current radio listeners can warm up to (without compromising with gimmicks and current trends) the album just might take off. Columbia has publicly stated they find 4 an "18 month" album, and the album has 3 absolutely killer potential singles. Can we please just get this average skip-over track out of the way and get to the GOOD songs on 4?



#57 Jason Derulo- Don't Wanna Go Home

Jason Derulo had 3 top 10 hits with his debut, on the back of an Imogen Heap sampled track, which pretty much solidified him as a relevant pop star of this era. Early indications of a sophomore slump are evident, as the first single from his second album, "Don't Wanna Go Home", peaked at #14 and is now rapidly descending the charts. The song itself, the millionth to sample of Robin S's dance classic "Show Me Love" sounds insanely uninspired- the desperation for a strong sophomore lead single is evident as it gives into every current trend. I mean, the song isn't a flop by any means- it peaked at #14. The problem is establishing an artist without a distinct personality and a good (but not unique) voice from the fierce competition.

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