LT had Burn It Down which launched it forward. I like THP more, but it hasn't had a huge single. Being #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts doesn't count.
1. Who the hell is Sam Smith 2. Lana's album is going to consist of maybe 2-3 pop singles, 1 song that has a good remix, and some stuff that only a few people will ever listen to more than a few times. People will buy the hell out of it, listen to it for about a year, then forget it ever existed. I hate that LP's preorders are the lowest ever, considering this is one of their best and most hyped releases in a good minute. I think they fucked the promotion up on this one with not doing a real music video for GATS and not getting the best songs out there as bait and opening preorders as soon as possible. Really the last two records have been promoted like crap. I think Warner doesn't think they can earn any new LP fans, and are not investing the marketing $$$ they should. I really think this shows how much of an effect marketing can have. Watch any older live performance of Lana where she doesn't have an army of backing musicians + autotune. Even newer ones she just stands on stage looking confused. She's this enormous image, and her (badly and very sparingly) reviewed album is gonna sell a gazillion copies because she made a movie and quit music forever but jk and got her face overhauled and sounds like she's fucked up out of her mind on downers. I give her career another album at most, unless she seriously re-invents herself (again). I don't mean to offend any Lana fans, and I realize that these are my opinions and that people like different music for different reasons. If you have a connection to something she's written, then of course that has tremendous value for you and by all means buy her albums and go to her concerts and start a LDRassociation.com or whatever. I just think in another 10 years no one will remember her except for the few super fans who have deeper reasons for it than her singing ability / persona / whatever. Hell, LP had some DUMB ASS songs in their nu-metal days, and I was into them as shit. They also had some things that went much deeper and a shit load of songwriting/arranging/performing talent, and that is the difference between LP and, say, Limp Bizkit. I think Lana is a Limp Bizkit.
Sam Smith is a great artist with lots of talent who is on the up-rise. His Debut album 'In the Lonely Hour' (which I personally find to be a better album than 'The Hunting Party') will make him quite famous for sure. At least in the US. Not sure about other countries. If you want to hear his music, here are the singles form the album which I recommend you check out (the whole album I mean): [video=youtube;pB-5XG-DbAA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-5XG-DbAA[/video] [video=youtube;182TRJq9Zt8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=182TRJq9Zt8&list=UU3Pa0DVzVkqEN_CwsNMapqg[/video] [video=youtube;K0G9T5Bnjlc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0G9T5Bnjlc[/video] Also, I just read your full post. I respectfully disagree. While this is probably considered a pop album, there is not a single upbeat song on the album to appeal to the masses. She didn't make songs to sell. She made songs that are her's and stuck to making music she wanted to make. You can tell this by listening to the album. Also I don't think it's fair to make a baseless assumption that people will only listen to some of the album "more than a few times." That's a pretty baseless assumption off of nothing. Sure, you may not like Lana, but that doesnt mean the album won't be good to people. I actually find the album fantastic. Just like 'In the Lonely Hour' I also find 'Ultraviolence' better than than 'The Hunting Party.' 'Ultraviolence' is my favorite album of the year so far. I hope it charts the best out of the three because to me, it is the best album. Yes, this is just my opinion. Yes, you don't have to agree. Yes, I'm not saying I want you to agree. But what I am saying is that it's not fair to make baseless assumptions like the claims you stated in this part of your post.
Lana is a good artist. She may be "pop" but she isn't your typical pop artist who makes catchy songs for the sake of money. It's her type of music that no one else can emulate. Same goes for Sam smith. But I am really disappointed with LP's numbers if these are true. I was expecting an increase to be honest, especially with the hype this generated with the "OLD LP" fans. Also, does anyone have any idea how accurate these numbers can be taking past examples and stuff?
Of course I hope LP will make it somehow to No. 1 in the US just to keep their track record. In the long term Lana will sell more than enough CDs It seems to me LP is more popular in Europe and Asia. We don't need to diss any artists. We always have to face the LP haters and don't like any kind of unfair attitude towards the band (not talking about not liking their output, more about how people express their opinion and see it as the only "truth") and so are fans of other artists. Music is something that should connect people rather than provoke a discussion about who is more relevant. I listened to Lanas new album, nothing for my taste right now. But as an LP fan I learned a lot regarding taking time to enjoy music. A thousand suns and LPs statements that accompanied the album cycle were really influential in that matter in a positive way. So who knows, perhaps her album will grow on me when the moment is right. And if not, fine by me. There will defo be enough people that dig her new stuff and there is no reason to somehow interfere with their enjoyment. On another note: LPs marketing wasn't really good this time. I don't know, but I was hoping for more viral and mysterious stuff. Sometimes the small and neat ideas do wonders. They are the kings of social media and there are a dozen ways to get people interested as long as the quality is there. Perhaps next time instead of the suits (or whoever was responsible at Warner?) they should give other fresh or innovative people a chance to work on something (perhaps I should somehow work on this topic as part of my master thesis in 2 years, unfortunately my university most likely won't let me without a real "object" to work on).
How people want LP to evolve their music in order to become anything but mainstream while still caring so much about maintaining No.1 appeal makes my head hurt.
Who is writing that? It is part of the human nature that people want to see success for something they like.
Itunes Store Update: #4 'Ultraviolence' #8 'In the Lonely Hour' #10 'The Hunting Party' Singles: #5 'Stay With Me' by Sam Smith #43 'Brooklyn Baby' by Lana Del Rey #51 'Ultraviolence' by Lana Del Ray #71 'Final Masquerade' by Linkin Park #81 'Shades of Cool' by Lana Del Rey #90 'West Coast' by Lana Del Rey Also Lana only released 4 songs prior to her album where as LP did 5.
Would you be saying the same thing if Linkin Park was doing the best on itunes instead of last of the three?
I think Linkin Park have a bigger international audience than an American one? I dunno. Everyone everywhere seemed to like the album but people actually buying the album is less? I don't understand. What about cds? How do they come into picture? Also, I don't think it's a competition between Linkin park and Lana. It seems like both albums are being bought mostly by their fans. Sure, she's doing much better but it is not overwhelmingly so. If a bigger artist releases something, they're both gonna be defeated.