Once America’s sweetheart, some will argue it was Ariana Grande‘s sweet tooth (see: donut licking incident) that left a sour taste in music lovers’ mouths. If so, it’s this very distaste that has seen itself reflected in the chart performance of ‘Focus’ – the official first single from the singer’s third studio effort ‘Moonlight.’
Barely giving time for the heat from her donut disaster to cool, Grande quickly tried to shift the public focus back to her music when she announced the single’s arrival in September 2015. By October, the horn-heavy tune was blaring from the speakers of her faithful #Arianators, many of whom praised the songstress for the rhythmic bop and the increased intensity of its accompany music video’s choreography. Outside of the fan group, however, some critics were none-too-impressed and quickly noted the number’s similarity to her last album’s inaugural single – the Iggy Azalea-assisted ‘Problem.’
But, that’s just where the problem began…
Making an impressive debut at #7 on the singles’ chart (her sixth top 10 entry), the song’s premiere on the tally was accompanied with news she’d entered history books for being the first artist to debut in the top 10 on the Hot 100 with releases from his or her first three albums.
The placement came as a glimmer of hope for fans who feared the negative press surrounding the young singer’s diva behavior would impact the focus on ‘Focus.’ Sadly, they were right.
Drowned in news around the triumphant comeback of Adele and devoid of the promo push afforded ‘Problem,’ ‘Focus’ quickly faded out of the top 10 and has been on continuous descent since. The feat quickly led Ari & co. to distance themselves from the record, so to speak, by sharing with outlets the song was not indicative of the sound of ‘Moonlight’ as a full body of work.
The damage control, as of time reporting, hasn’t done them any favors.
That Grape Juice wants you to weigh in: ‘Focus’ – Product vs. Promotion?
Did the Max Martin-produced cut just miss the musical mark all together or is it just suffering from a marketing mishap?