Member Since: 12/25/2003
Posts: 13,870
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HDD spills tea on Ariana & Zayn/Harry, shades Max, Billboard
Quote:
SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS: While Republic ruler Monte Lipman was delighted to have the top two albums last week, Ariana Grande was naturally disappointed that, after her first two albums debuted at #1, Dangerous Woman finished #2 behind label mate Drake in sales plus streaming (SPS) 178k to 176k, and to Blake Shelton in sales 166k to 131k. These numbers aren’t in themselves bad; in fact, the album would’ve topped the sales chart in 13 other weeks this year. But its performance does lead to questions about her management, or lack thereof. While top Untitled managers Stephanie Simon and Jennifer Merlino have been with Ariana from the very beginning of her TV career, she has little or no music management now, with her mother Joan Grande unofficially playing the role but reportedly giving little in the way of compelling input. Given the present situation, could ex-manager Scooter Braun possibly be on the way back in? Ariana’s good but not great streaming numbers (120m) and single sales (652k) reflect the strength of the first single, which was a big radio callout record but not a smash; it peaked at #7 in airplay at Pop. Some have described the record as Max Martin 101; i.e., it sounds like a lot of other current pop records. No offense, Max—your body of work is second to none, and we bow before your life-size statue in our office lobby every day. But “Dangerous Woman” is no “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
STYLES WATCH: ZAYN’s sales of 300k+ in TEA, 105m video views and 177m streams on the album (of which 160m are on “Pillowtalk,” his recent #1 hit), are being scrutinized in boardroom discussions regarding how big a check to write to Harry Styles for his services. Most of those who are in the hunt believe Harry has a greater upside than his former 1D bandmate, and ZAYN is said to be a bit precious about promo opportunities, while some have described Harry as the hardest-working man in showbiz. Expect Harry’s free agency to end soon.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? In the years The Voice has been on the air, none of the winners or finalists who scored record deals has managed to launch a viable career. Will the hit show ever deliver a bona fide hitmaking star? Speaking of TV, people are saying that the Billboard Music Awards were an embarrassment, representing a new low for music awards specials. The ratings were meager, and the show failed to move the needle whatsoever for any of the acts who performed. What’s the incentive for a major artist to do the show? Is TV exposure that important to, say, Madonna or Rihanna at this point in their careers?
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http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=301417
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