Surely Steps biggest problem was calling it part 2. How many people buy just a part 2 of something so you are limiting yourself to pretty much only people who bought part 1 and obviously not everyone will care for a part 2.

 

A really bizarre decision from their team.

Surely Steps biggest problem was calling it part 2. How many people buy just a part 2 of something so you are limiting yourself to pretty much only people who bought part 1 and obviously not everyone will care for a part 2.

 

A really bizarre decision from their team.

 

 

Thank you!! Finally someone else who says it, I've been saying this ever since it was released. They really should have just called it something else, if they truly wanted to link it to this era then call it Heartbreak In This City as that is a song on both albums, or take a lyric from What the future holds like "Downing in our history" or "Things to come"

Yeah I always thought it was such a bizarre decision. It never seemed to make sense to me as it makes it sound like a deluxe edition/re-release not a brand new album.

Well... I disagree!

 

There's been other "Part 2" themed albums in the past. Off the top of my head there's Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2, and the name of it didn't seem to let it down... it reached #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. Jay-Z followed up The Blueprint with The Blueprint 2 - and it was more successful.

 

The fact that Steps are midweek #2 so far (this position is confirmed on Popjustice from somebody who had the info) - surely this shows that their fans and the public have been receptive to it, regardless of it being "Pt. 2". If it was midweek #15 then I'd maybe get the point of it apparently being a problem or misfire, but as it goes it seems to be business as usual for them?

 

A few of the songs on this new album come from the same recording sessions as the previous album. Both albums are in support of their upcoming tour... from a branding point of view it probably made the most sense to use essentially the same title for it, indicating that this is all a part of the same era.

 

I'm sure the first week sales of Pt. 2 will inevitably be quite a lot less than Pt. 1, but it has only been 10 months between them. We're not in Q4, and unlike their previous few albums, this one really couldn't be described as a comeback album, so it won't have the same level of hype.

I don’t care which group are No 1 as long as it isn’t Drake for a second week

Well... I disagree!

 

There's been other "Part 2" themed albums in the past. Off the top of my head there's Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2, and the name of it didn't seem to let it down... it reached #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. Jay-Z followed up The Blueprint with The Blueprint 2 - and it was more successful.

 

The fact that Steps are midweek #2 so far (this position is confirmed on Popjustice from somebody who had the info) - surely this shows that their fans and the public have been receptive to it, regardless of it being "Pt. 2". If it was midweek #15 then I'd maybe get the point of it apparently being a problem or misfire, but as it goes it seems to be business as usual for them?

 

A few of the songs on this new album come from the same recording sessions as the previous album. Both albums are in support of their upcoming tour... from a branding point of view it probably made the most sense to use essentially the same title for it, indicating that this is all a part of the same era.

 

I'm sure the first week sales of Pt. 2 will inevitably be quite a lot less than Pt. 1, but it has only been 10 months between them. We're not in Q4, and unlike their previous few albums, this one really couldn't be described as a comeback album, so it won't have the same level of hype.

 

I think Part 2 of albums can do fine the example of the Blueprint is different due to the wait between the two albums allowed hype to build but again it’s the short time frame between them which may affect it but let’s face it number 2 midweek is fine and they are doing well.

 

There was only 14 months between The Blueprint (September 2001) and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (November 2002)!

I don't see how Jay-Z in 2002 is comparable to Steps in 2021....Different eras, different genres. The Justin comparison is a bit better, but the first 20/20 Experience was a big comeback album and the latter was pretty bad sequel so there's that.

Yeah didn't the 2nd 20/20 experience do much worse.

 

Steps could release an album of burping and their fans would buy 9 copies each, this doing considerably less to me says it's put off people being part 2 as it will indicate it's more of the same. Part 2 has more formats so it's doing a lot worse really.

There was only 14 months between The Blueprint (September 2001) and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (November 2002)!

 

Tbh Jay I didn’t realise it was so close always thought it was 2 - 3 years or something! But the length of time for this Steps stuff def still impacts it for me!

Actually with Bad Habits so stable and the weak competition I wonder if we could see an all Ed Top 2 this week (both Top

3 definitely).

Actually with Bad Habits so stable and the weak competition I wonder if we could see an all Ed Top 2 this week (both Top

3 definitely).

If you apply OCC rules to the Spotify chart you end up with Bad Habits at #8 or #9 so I doubt it, with it still having strong sales and Amazon though I think it could still make Top 5.

If you apply OCC rules to the Spotify chart you end up with Bad Habits at #8 or #9 so I doubt it, with it still having strong sales and Amazon though I think it could still make Top 5.

Just thinking about chart sales Bad Habits did 37k ACR equivalent last week and I can’t see much beating 35k apart from Shivers and Girls Want Girls. The Drake songs are down by almost half on Spotify.

 

Fully expecting an Ed 1-2 in First Look anyway.

Foals would be a fairly recent example, the Part 2 for Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost didn't have too much of a sales decline from Part 1 (26k -> 20k)

 

(granted it's not the same scenario since Foals' second parter was entirely new material, though Steps' fanbase is similarly dedicated)

Foals would be a fairly recent example, the Part 2 for Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost didn't have too much of a sales decline from Part 1 (26k -> 20k)

 

(granted it's not the same scenario since Foals' second parter was entirely new material, though Steps' fanbase is similarly dedicated)

 

Losing 6k when you are only starting at 26k is a big decline, it's over 20%

Losing 6k when you are only starting at 26k is a big decline, it's over 20%

 

I don’t think you can really make those comparisons when very few artists sell the same equivalent of albums on every release. Just look at spice girls Spiceworld was undeniably huge but if you’re going to compare to Spice then it’s almost a 50% decrease in sales.

I don’t think you can really make those comparisons when very few artists sell the same equivalent of albums on every release. Just look at spice girls Spiceworld was undeniably huge but if you’re going to compare to Spice then it’s almost a 50% decrease in sales.

 

I assumed the 26k and 20k was opening week? Didn't Spiceworld open with more than Spice?

Losing 6k when you are only starting at 26k is a big decline, it's over 20%

In fairness it was a Part 2 to a record that came out just 7 months earlier, naturally the sales will drop off but I wouldn't say 20% is particularly steep in that regard

Glad bad habits on acr

First Look coming up at 6!