In all honesty, I was surprised when the internet went into meltdown when Hold It Against Me first emerged - I never thought it was *that* good or innovative really, the dubstep interlude aside. Now, it's starting to look like it's not the type of huge hit she really needs at this stage in her career.

Euphorique wrote:

SLY being pushed as a single might keep the album selling a lot longer. The song just connected with most people, even those who generally don't like her stuff, and maybe just maybe they'll be swayed to buy the album - which is the ultimate goal. Radio and TV play should ensure that.

 

 

I'm sure once she's back from the US, TV shows will be begging her to sing it for them. Remember these amazing sales have been gleaned basically from one TV performance - and to a far from huge TV audience! Even an appearance on Graham Norton, for instance, should give it a massive boost. Plus I'm sure she will make a return appearance on her bezzie mate Alan Carr's show, just for an update as to what's happened since she appeared before the album was released. There's loads of legs in SLY just yet...

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by bellboys

In all honesty, I was surprised when the internet went into meltdown when Hold It Against Me first emerged - I never thought it was *that* good or innovative really, the dubstep interlude aside. Now, it's starting to look like it's not the type of huge hit she really needs at this stage in her career.

 

Why exactly does Britney need a "huge hit"? The only place "Hold It Against Me" has underperformed is in the UK, lord knows why. I have a feeling it's to do with the X Factor performance a few years back as it's not like she's promoted anywhere and she's doing well.

Why exactly does Britney need a "huge hit"? The only place "Hold It Against Me" has underperformed is in the UK, lord knows why. I have a feeling it's to do with the X Factor performance a few years back as it's not like she's promoted anywhere and she's doing well.

 

Past week 1 it's underperformed everywhere.

Past week 1 it's underperformed everywhere.

Not in the US though, it has remained in the Top 10 since debuting at #1, with the help of huge airplay.

Holy CRAP, how many songs (other than exceptions like "Someone Like You") debut on the B-List? Big hopes now that Foo Fighters can be the ones to finally break the cycle of big bands missing the top 10 (KoL aside). I love "Rope".

 

And White Lies too... it'll do feck all, hardly as much crossover potential as "Fairwell to the Fairground", but pleasing nonetheless.

Not in the US though, it has remained in the Top 10 since debuting at #1, with the help of huge airplay.

 

Entirely due to huge airplay.

This is its run on Hot Digital Songs:

 

1-3-10-16-28

 

Not a lot better than its UK run. It briefly went as high as #12 again on iTunes following the video premiere but has dropped out of the top 20 again now.

 

Holy CRAP, how many songs (other than exceptions like "Someone Like You") debut on the B-List? Big hopes now that Foo Fighters can be the ones to finally break the cycle of big bands missing the top 10 (KoL aside). I love "Rope".

 

And White Lies too... it'll do feck all, hardly as much crossover potential as "Fairwell to the Fairground", but pleasing nonetheless.

 

'Radio 1 artists' often enter on the B-List with their lead singles - Adele also did it with 'Rolling In The Deep', as did Biffy Clyro with 'That Golden Rule'. It's not that unusual. The number of B-List entrants seems to have gone up a lot in 2011 anyway, there must have been at least 7 or 8 of them already this year including 4 in one week.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Bray

It can't have much more potential than already going to #1 with 111,000 sales and looking set for a second week with high sales.

 

There's no point in putting out a song that's already massive (especially when she has another massive song still in the charts and a third a bit lower down). It'd make far more sense to push another song which has also shown potential, it went top 100 on iTunes after 21's release, then she'll have 4 big songs in the chart at the same time which will add even more to her already massive sales for both of her albums. Releasing SLY properly will be a huge waste on her label's behalf.

 

Also SLY will get airplay regardless of whether it's a single or not, so why not have another song getting airplay at the same time? People hearing more different songs from an album will give them more incentive to buy the album and album sales matter far far more than single sales.

 

Pushing any other single right now would be a total waste from her management. Sending 'Set fire to the rain' to radios now would kill its chances, since it would be totally overshadowed by 'Someone like you'. How can you fail to see this? It's basic charts knowledge...

 

It's not even an option for them, what people want to hear now is 'Someone like you' because of the Brits, so radios will eat it up and would ignore any other single that the label would send them. Radio programmers think in simple terms : "Ok, should we playlist this Adele track which is not exactly a single BUT which is #1 on Itunes right now and which everyone is talking about, OR should me play this official Adele single that the label sent us today but that noone cares about at the mo??". Obvious answer.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Hayzayy

Pushing any other single right now would be a total waste from her management. Sending 'Set fire to the rain' to radios now would kill its chances, since it would be totally overshadowed by 'Someone like you'. How can you fail to see this? It's basic charts knowledge...

 

It's not even an option for them, what people want to hear now is 'Someone like you' because of the Brits, so radios will eat it up and would ignore any other single that the label would send them. Radio programmers think in simple terms : "Ok, should we playlist this Adele track which is not exactly a single BUT which is #1 on Itunes right now and which everyone is talking about, OR should me play this official Adele single that the label sent us today but that noone cares about at the mo??". Obvious answer.

 

So you're saying labels should never release another single if the previous single is still doing well?

 

Someone Like You is going to be huge regardless of whether or not it's pushed as a single, as you said radio stations will be playing it anyway (as they already are) because of how big it already is. They might as well have another song out that will also be huge at the same time as SLY (and RITD). 3 songs being out at the same time will help her out in the album chart more than just 2 will and as I said album sales are what's more important. It doesn't even matter if Set Fire To The Rain flops on the singles chart (and given how much hype Adele has at the moment it's extremely unlikely to flop) if it helps to sell the album. Therefore they might as well put it out instead of putting extra emphasis on a song which doesn't even need it as it's already proving a huge hit without the big push...

 

Also, #131 on iTunes and being around that mark ever since the album's release with almost no airplay does not equal 'no one cares about it at the moment'.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Bray

Woo for Katy B and N-Dubz additions! ^_^

:D Born This Way and Someone Like You playlisted! And yeah James Blake also in B-List!

Entirely due to huge airplay.

This is its run on Hot Digital Songs:

 

1-3-10-16-28

 

The chart run is not that good but when u know that she survived Super Bowl and Grammy effects, then chart runs are pretty impressive imo.

This is her 2nd biggest radio hit in USA. Radio ate the song totally, but the sales weren't that good coz of SB and Grammies.

So you're saying labels should never release another single if the previous single is still doing well?

 

Someone Like You is going to be huge regardless of whether or not it's pushed as a single, as you said radio stations will be playing it anyway (as they already are) because of how big it already is. They might as well have another song out that will also be huge at the same time as SLY (and RITD). 3 songs being out at the same time will help her out in the album chart more than just 2 will and as I said album sales are what's more important. It doesn't even matter if Set Fire To The Rain flops on the singles chart (and given how much hype Adele has at the moment it's extremely unlikely to flop) if it helps to sell the album. Therefore they might as well put it out instead of putting extra emphasis on a song which doesn't even need it as it's already proving a huge hit without the big push...

 

Also, #131 on iTunes and being around that mark ever since the album's release with almost no airplay does not equal 'no one cares about it at the moment'.

 

Oh come on, you know very well 'Set the fire to the rain' would be snubbed if it was released to radios right now. 'Someone like you' has been 'a big hit' as you say for only one week and a day, and is starting to make an impact on radios now. Why would you harm the chances of 'SFTTR'? It could be massive if they wait for the 'SLY' mania to fade away a bit. Just admitt you thought too quickly and you were wrong, it won't do you any harm.

This album has still a long life ahead of it, it would be stupid to rush into 'Set the fire to the rain' now, when 'Someone like you' is still sounding fresh to a very wide audience. There would be no logic at all behind it.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Hayzayy

The chart run is not that good but when u know that she survived Super Bowl and Grammy effects, then chart runs are pretty impressive imo.

This is her 2nd biggest radio hit in USA. Radio ate the song totally, but the sales weren't that good coz of SB and Grammies.

 

Her chart run may have been adversely affected by SB and Grammys, fair enough, but in her second week she dropped from the biggest first week sales by a female artist ever to #3 and then to #10 the next week. That's not 'impressive' any way you spin it IMO. It's just another frontloaded fanbase hit as it has been in every single other country. Not even the video saved it, it gave it a boost for a very short time and it's now falling again, because the general public is clearly not interested in HIAM.

 

I don't see why radio can even be considered a parameter of success, if radio DJs wanted to they could just play a song no one cares about so much that it becomes a 'hit'. This is why I think airplay is a stupid addition to the Billboard Hot 100. That's a different story though I suppose...

Oh come on, you know very well 'Set the fire to the rain' would be snubbed if it was released to radios right now. 'Someone like you' has been 'a big hit' as you say for only one week and a day, and is starting to make an impact on radios now. Why would you harm the chances of 'SFTTR'? It could be massive if they wait the 'SLY' mania fades away a bit. Just admitt you thought too quickly and you were wrong, it won't do you any harm.

This album has still a long life ahead of it, it would be stupid to rush into 'Set the fire to the rain' now, when 'Someone like you' is still sounding fresh to a very wide audience. There would be no logic at all behind it.

 

I agree with the bolded bit. I didn't say anything about them putting out SFTTR right now. I just said pushing SLY as a single would be totally pointless as it's already massive. If people hear more different songs from an album, there's a better chance they'll hear more songs they *like* and if there's more songs they've heard from the album they like they'll have better reason to check out the album. Album sales mean more than single sales and more singles = more album sales regardless of how big the singles are.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Bray

I agree with the bolded bit. I didn't say anything about them putting out SFTTR right now. I just said pushing SLY as a single would be totally pointless as it's already massive. If people hear more different songs from an album, there's a better chance they'll hear more songs they *like* and if there's more songs they've heard from the album they like they'll have better reason to check out the album. Album sales mean more than single sales and more singles = more album sales regardless of how big the singles are.

 

 

 

But SLY is and always has been the one song that will appeal to the biggest audience IMO. It cuts through lots of genres, age groups, etc. It's effectively adele's 'You're Beautiful' in the sense that you don't have to be a certain age to identify with it. people of all ages unfortunately have/have had their heart broken. You just have to look at the comments on the YT vid to realise that this is the song on the album that will attract the most 'floating voters' to the album. Why would you muddy the waters by putting out SFTTR now? It makes no sense.

 

PS She can do no wrong at the moment - first day sales in the US of 150k! Hits Daily Double are now predicting first week sales of 275-300k...'and possibly higher' :o

But SLY is and always has been the one song that will appeal to the biggest audience IMO. It cuts through lots of genres, age groups, etc. It's effectively adele's 'You're Beautiful' in the sense that you don't have to be a certain age to identify with it. people of all ages unfortunately have/have had their heart broken. You just have to look at the comments on the YT vid to realise that this is the song on the album that will attract the most 'floating voters' to the album. Why would you muddy the waters by putting out SFTTR now? It makes no sense.

 

And it makes no sense to me to stick with having 2 massive singles when you could easily have 3. Putting out SFTTR is not going to adversely affect SLY or stop it from being really successful as it already *is* really successful, SLY doesn't even need to be a huge success to sell the album and neither does SFTTR, just having singles out there and getting heard sells the album and as I keep saying album sales are a lot more important than singles sales. SLY is already massive. Giving it a push as a single may make it more massive but putting out SFTTR will help the album more, because some people may not be interested in the album if they've only heard 2 singles but they may be swayed if they hear a third song they like. It's no coincidence that albums always climb when a new single from them is put out even if the single is a big flop. Would you rather have optimised album sales and 3 huge hits, or unoptimised album sales and only 2 huge hits?

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by Bray

Of course 'Someone Like You' should be pushed as a single. For god's sake, with proper single promotion etc such as a video, it can reach many people and it clearly has the potential to stay up there and keep the album selling. Logic!

 

I'm quite disappointed about Britney, I don't like her or rate her as an artist whatsoever but this is a fantastic pop song and so many leagues above dreck like '3' or 'Womanizer', this isn't gonna help its chart run now... such a shame her label buggered that up!

 

(scratches head) Surely the time to put out SFTTR is once SLY has stopped sprinkling its magic dust? That could be the 9late) Summer for all we know. That surely enhances the album's chances of selling consistently over a longer period? XL are in an unbelievably good situation here - they effectively can delay releasing SFTTR months compared to what I'm sure was their strategy before SLY and the Brits happened? It's a great bonus for them. There's no way on earth they will release it anytime soon - and we have to assume they know what they are doing more than me and thee.

Edited February 23, 201115 yr by bellboys

Of course 'Someone Like You' should be pushed as a single. For god's sake, with proper single promotion etc such as a video, it can reach many people and it clearly has the potential to stay up there and keep the album selling. Logic!

 

I'm quite disappointed about Britney, I don't like her or rate her as an artist whatsoever but this is a fantastic pop song and so many leagues above dreck like '3' or 'Womanizer', this isn't gonna help its chart run now... such a shame her label buggered that up!

 

 

 

Revolutionary thought - if I was XL I would even consider releasing the live version as a physical (no idea if they would be allowed to do this). I'm sure this song also appeals to people who wouldn't know how to download a song if their life depended on it. It would also be a great way of promoting the album to these types.