Huge single, tanking album.
The above narrative is one Pop pretender Cheryl Cole will be all too familiar with this week. For, following record-breaking sales of her latest single ‘Call My Name’, its housing album ‘A Million Lights’ is on-course to debut with lukewarm sales – and miss the top spot altogether.
According to official midweek figures, ‘Lights’ has sold just over 10,000 copies and is set to debut at #2 on the Official UK Album Chart this Sunday. The set, Cole’s 3rd solo, is currently being outsold by Justin Bieber‘s ‘Believe’ on a ratio of 2:1 (physical units).
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Such numbers put the 28 year old on-course to open with sales of 40k-50k – respectable for a UK release at this time of year. Yet wholly disappointing when considering the costly “all-out” album campaign, as well as the 105,000 debut of 2010’s ‘Messy Little Raindrops’ and the 125,000 of her first solo effort ‘3 Words’ back in 2009.
So much for not needing the X Factor machine?! Indeed, each of her previous releases were supported by Simon Cowell‘s scaffolding – yet when left to her own devices (still with massive media coverage and single sales), Cole is selling 50% less.
We’re not entirely surprised, though. For, like the Rihanna‘s of the world, smoke and mirrors will only distract the masses long enough to sell £0.99 singles, not £9.99 albums.
With an irony-soaked “live” tour on the horizon, a Girls Aloud reunion thereafter, and Cole’s history of having “front-loaded” album sales due to never “smashing” with follow-up singles, it looks like she’s on course for her first so-so seller.
The moral of the story? We’re in the midst of a recession; hence if artists really want folk to part with their cash, they need to give them reason enough to. In Cheryl’s case, switching “on” her mic would be a start.