I think she will overtake black stone cherry for number 5.

 

Then fall below Weeknd to 6

 

The only thing that was missing was the music - exactly what she was trying to sell.

How was it missing if her Radio 2 gig was broadcast on national TV?

G Norton repeated on BBC1 tonight but not until 12.35am i think so....... lol

Also interesting that they considered Vegas High as the title for the album !!!!!!!!! thank goodness they didnt!

 

Why did you title your album Tension?

 

We first considered Vegas High as a title for the album, which is one of the tracks on the record and alludes to my future residency in Las Vegas, which starts in November 2023. But Tension seemed more intriguing. There was a moment when I said to myself: “I hope it doesn’t sound too depressing. On the news, the word is used in a negative way. But once we made that decision, I was really surprised to see how well it was received by the public. People have been really looking forward to an album called Tension.” As for the cover, we had chosen it before we knew the record was going to be called Tension. The photographer, Haris Nukem, would usually make a sketch of each snapshot before the shooting. What he then captures with his camera looks like the original sketch. He was the one who came up with the idea of the diamond. He said to me: “I don’t know why, but I picture you holding that diamond”. Some things happen out of nowhere. I like the song Tension because it can hold several meanings. The diamond is a subliminal image – that of creating beautiful things under pressure. I think people could feel it thanks to that cover, especially when they know how diamonds are made, which is under duress.

 

You said in a press release that this album was a mix of your personal reflections, a feeling of abandonment in the club, as well as peaks of melancholy...

 

Melancholy can be a happy place. There are a lot of songs in my repertoire that mix sadness and joy at once, like All the Lovers (2010). And we all like to dance with tears in our eyes from time to time. Robyn handles this to perfection on hits like Dancing on my Own (2010) and Call your Girlfriend (2011), as does Gloria Gaynor on the anthem I Will Survive (1978). These are songs that seem tailor-made for dancing but contains lots of different feelings beneath the surface. As for my personal reflections, most of the songs are about my life. Story, for instance, is about the people who help you through difficult times and who, as a result, become part of you.

Hold on to Now is a song that perfectly represents your musical universe, mixing epic electronic sounds with melancholy. What does this track talk about?

 

The desire for euphoria partly comes from the fact that we’re experiencing the post-covid times, and that the world has been through a lot recently. But it also comes from my personal story, from a relationship in which you neither know where you’re going nor what you’re doing. And I’m not in that relationship anymore. But there was a time of my life when I just tried to understand what had happened. That’s why in this song I sing: “Floating on this feeling together. Yeah, we’ll figure it out somehow. Keep holding on to now.” I wanted to write about the fact that we spend so much time wondering where we’re going that we forget to enjoy the present moment, even though that moment isn’t going to last. This title is about that period of time when I’m looking for answers, and I can’t find them. In the meantime, I say, “Keep holding on to now.” Hold on to Now raises an existential question we’re all asking ourselves – how can we make sense of it all?

 

Was it difficult to choose the single coming after Padam Padam, which gathers 17 million views on YouTube?

 

It hasn’t been any easy task, clearly. With Padam Padam, people were out clubbing. We could have calmed things down with a single that said “come to the lounge area now”, but we chose something as upbeat as Padam Padam. That track was Tension. People seemed to like it too, so I was delighted.

 

What a lovely deep interview! Wish TV hosts would also ask her these kind of questions instead of the usual TikTok, charlene, recording studio in hotel rooms, etc. etc.... no wonder a lot of people still think of her as a lightweight.

 

I wasn't aware of this though - "We first considered Vegas High as a title for the album, which is one of the tracks on the record and alludes to my future residency in Las Vegas". I would've imagined that the tune, lyrics, etc. were composed independently and the title is coincidental to the Residency. But her quote here almost sounds like "hey, we got the residency in Vegas. Let's write a song about it"

 

Down across the board, but the most surprising/concerning thing to me is the streaming for Tension being considerably down on Disco’s second week streaming…

Good point - could be due to several things...perhaps more new interesting/high profile releases this week and the previous few compared to Disco's Oct/Nov release? Again, all just hypothesis.

Week 2 Monday midweek comparisons:

 

Tension

2,834 Overall

1,264 CDs

681 Streaming

514 Vinyl

355 Downloads

20 Cassettes

 

Disco

8,935 Overall

5,995 CDs

1,135 Downloads

942 Streaming

795 Vinyl

68 Cassettes

 

Down across the board, but the most surprising/concerning thing to me is the streaming for Tension being considerably down on Disco’s second week streaming…

 

 

i think Spotify supported Disco more? + 2 extra tracks. Also people streamed more music as couldnt do much else in lockdown? Also i never saw Disco anywhere near priced at £15.99 for a deluxe.

Edited October 2, 20231 yr by SmileyKylie

The number of tracks doesn't affect the chart sales in the UK that much. The problem with Tension is that people are only streaming the title track and PP - others are doing quite badly. Hold on to Now has some potential in it, others not so much (this is just based on the numbers, not quality of the song)

 

Daily streams on Spotify:

Hold On To Now - 146,296

Things We Do For Love - 70,741

 

This is a huge gap between 3rd and 4th most streamed song.

 

EDIT; I also think that the track order is a fail. The album should open with something else than the biggest hit, and by the fourth track (Tension), people have already heard the hyped stuff. Disco had a better track listing: Magic (2nd single) was the opening track, Real Groove (a standout) third, and Say Something 6th.

Edited October 2, 20231 yr by Sour Candy

On Spotify yes.

 

Its 3rd on Apple Music so its doing well there

 

 

This week i would reduce the Standard Itunes to £4.99 and Deluxe to £9.99 for a day or 2.

Edited October 2, 20231 yr by SmileyKylie

Down across the board, but the most surprising/concerning thing to me is the streaming for Tension being considerably down on Disco’s second week streaming…

How is it possible when Tension still sits @ #3 on Apple Music's chart? :thinking:

How was it missing if her Radio 2 gig was broadcast on national TV?

 

I was meaning The One Show, GN etc.,

Her Radio 2 gig was a greatest hits with a few Tension tracks

 

I think this could be an album where the singles success get more attention than the album, that's fine by me!

How is it possible when Tension still sits @ #3 on Apple Music's chart? :thinking:

 

There could be some data missing - sometimes from the Monday mids there are some that haven’t reported all their data.

The album will tick along nicely and its more than likely there is more to come from BMG to help the album, singles grabbing attention is always great to see plus it will help the album.

Yeah I think the streaming for DISCO was helped because of the pandemic. The fans were streaming hard at home all day.

I was meaning The One Show, GN etc.,

Like I had mentioned earlier - she probably knows performing on those shows has very little ROI

 

She performed that "seconds to midnight" song with the years&Years dude on The One Show and it had zero impact on the chart/sales.

 

She performed Real Groove, Music's too sad without you, etc. on JR -- zero impact

 

hell, Mae Muller did a good perf on Saturday and she's only #33 on the album chart.

 

Goes to show the ROI on performing doesn't justify the prep work and costs that go in. She's better off just sitting on the couch and talking.

All that effort and promo in USA for PP to miss the Billboard top 100 and album to sell 24k then probably disappear.

 

I know it was all based on selling Las Vegas etc and tickets etc but hopefully next album she just concentrates on UK, Europe, Australia and maybe a little South America/Mexico promo.

 

That said, the American Idol Padam moment did start the whole era off and obviously has contributed to its streaming success.

 

Leaving LV out of the equation, its been a lot of effort to sell 24k of albums at say $20 each = $480k only generated before all her costs

Have to say it’s disappointing for the US, was hoping for Top 15 - there was next to no promo for Disco and it entered at #26, so all that slog for radio and TV to get 5 places higher - probably would’ve gone Top 25 without it all.

 

Just shows how hard it is to crack America hence why artists spend 6+ months trawling through all the TV and radio stations, doing signings and local shows etc.,

 

 

Yep, she probably would have got most of those sales without the promo and travelling around

 

 

also interesting Music Week article with Rick Astley https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/no-on...ongevity/088603

It is what it is...

Picked up the HMV exclusive CD this morning.

 

I agree the exhaustive promo in the states was a waste of time. Especially when 'Padam Padam' was doing insane numbers over here.

Padam Padam would have been huge in UK and Europe. She got streams in USA but no chart positions in Europe outside UK and Ireland. Shame

 

Anyhow I am sure BMG will learn for KM17

 

Kylies 11.99 itunes album is the most expensive in the chart.

Edited October 3, 20231 yr by SmileyKylie