Posted January 5, 20232 yr Now that we have lived with The Lost Tapes for a while, think back to 2013 and Flatline and what if this album hadn’t been shelved. What would your single releases look like? What track, of the three, would you use to lead off the Deluxe edition (assuming that came later) or would you drop the Deluxe at the same time?
January 5, 20232 yr I would say I’d start with Today, then Flatline, then Summer. Flatline was a flop, like it or not, and Today would have bigger potential. Then follow with Flatline, once the audience is warmed up. And a post-album release that is Summer, given it has the best reaction on Spotify from natural plays. But I feel anything would flop in 2013 under MKS. It wasn’t time and place, and the label clearly didn’t respect them much.
January 5, 20232 yr I don't feel 'Flatline' was a flop, it wasn't getting played on any radio, the buzz wasn't there then like it is now either.
January 5, 20232 yr But I feel anything would flop in 2013 under MKS. It wasn’t time and place, and the label clearly didn’t respect them much. Once Polydor underwent the restructure and the guy who initially signed them it was over. The new team had no idea how to market them and ultimately left them to their own devices with the Flatline release. Going by the notion that they had a label that supported them and they could've garnered some support I still would've gone with Flatline, then Today, then album, then Love Me Hard for the winter/early spring months and finally Summer of '99 for the late spring/summer months.
January 5, 20232 yr I know 'Flatline' wasn't supported by pretty much anyone (and that was mainly due to a bad marketing, like tommie said). But getting to #50 on release is a flop, no matter what the circumstances are. I think the key thing was the Radio 1 playlisting, which just didn't happen. But we cannot re-write the history with'what-ifs' and I'm really happy for the track. I remember how I was sitting at work, and they released it, and I felt absolutely euphoric until the end of that day!
January 5, 20232 yr I know 'Flatline' wasn't supported by pretty much anyone (and that was mainly due to a bad marketing, like tommie said). But getting to #50 on release is a flop, no matter what the circumstances are. I think the key thing was the Radio 1 playlisting, which just didn't happen. But we cannot re-write the history with'what-ifs' and I'm really happy for the track. I remember how I was sitting at work, and they released it, and I felt absolutely euphoric until the end of that day! Though, to be fair, the #50 position was based on one (?) days sale, hence why it charted for a second week at 54. Had they released it on Sunday it would've likely gone top 30, which is still a flop but at least top 40. Unfortunately though, songs can't really do that much without exposure. I recall it re-charting on iToonz weeks later when they did a random acoustic performance on some morning show. So it feels like people were receptive to the track... if they heard it.
January 5, 20232 yr It always felt like exposure and support at the time was what held it back, which is a shame.
January 5, 20232 yr What was the reasoning for 'Flatline' being released on that day? I don't think there's much they could've done to improve the outcome with anything they released at that point (with radio not willing to play them etc), but to cost themselves a fairly easy top 40/30 hit there was madness.
January 5, 20232 yr What was the reasoning for 'Flatline' being released on that day? I don't think there's much they could've done to improve the outcome with anything they released at that point (with radio not willing to play them etc), but to cost themselves a fairly easy top 40/30 hit there was madness. They got a performance slot on Alan Carr and probably felt like they wanted to take maximum advantage of it: wrSVcL91z_c To be fair, it going top 30 wouldn't have changed anything. Unless it went into the top ten I feel like Polydor still would've shelved everything. Edited January 5, 20232 yr by tommie
January 5, 20232 yr Thinking back to around September 2013 I would've led with Summer of 99, then followed it up with Flatline around December/January 2014. then Victory following in June/July and and close it off with Back In The Day in October/November. So it'd look like: Summer of 99 Flatline Victory Back In The Day (The hope would be that having Sia as a co-write on Victory would help after the huge success of Chandelier. (Not my personal preference but what I think might've worked). Edited January 5, 20232 yr by One_For_Sorrow
January 6, 20232 yr I’d have liked to have seen, this run: Boys Love Me Hard Flatline Summer of ‘99 Edited January 6, 20232 yr by McAndrew
January 6, 20232 yr I would have leaked 'Flatline' (it's obviously great but not a lead single you want for mainstream success, if that is what Polydor wanted) and had the Blood Orange remixes of 'Lay Down in Swimming Pools'/'Entertainment' do the rounds on Soundcloud/blogs (and get critics/NME/Pitchfork on board) to build some hype — and then launch with 'Today'
January 9, 20232 yr I don’t know in what order but the singles for me are: Summer of 99 Beat is gone (needs a radio sounding edit) Today I'm alright Edited February 5, 20232 yr by Sacred3
January 23, 20232 yr Looking back at what I put initially I would add Back To Life. Potentially as a Double A with Back In The Day. I’d release the deluxe off the back of that.
January 23, 20232 yr Anything under MKS wasn’t going to work. No one new them as MKS, and most places they went they were introduced as the original Sugababes . The Gp didn’t get it, and only the die hard fans did.
