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Can artists still succeed with multiple singles?


Bradley

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Bradley

This is a genuine question. I feel like nowadays artists seem to be unable to have multiple singles succeed in one single era. Previously, Gaga could express wishes of releasing five to seven singles and it would still be realistic. If you express such a desire in today's climate, it would be labelled as absurd. In today's music industry, artists almost always push one single for Grammy recognition, commercial success and hence it would become the staple of that particular album era. In 2011 and even 2013, Gaga wanted to release 'lots of singles' from each album. She released 5 from Born This Way, and even though only 3 from ARTPOP, she did express at Jingle Bell Ball that she wanted to release 'lots of singles'.

Here are some examples of what artists did to push one single, at the expense of other singles:

Lady Gaga:

Million Reasons was selected to be the staple of Joanne. It was pushed and campaigned for Grammy recognition, although having a video that is very 'non-visual', it surprisingly became one of Gaga's most viewed videos, amassing 200 million views. Perfect Illusion, A-YO, John Wayne are completely ignored just to make room for Million Reasons at every single live event.

Shallow was pushed for the Oscar, once again at the expense of Always Remember Us This Way and I'll Never Love Again, which to date have not been performed live. Shallow amassed a staggering 580 million views on YouTube, and (im not sure) 700 million views on Spotify. It went on to win every single award conceivable to the human mind.

Ariana Grande:

An artist of Ariana Grande's popularity would have released five singles at least in 2011. But she released three from Sweetener (NTLTC, GIAW and Breathin'), and three from Thank U, Next (TUN, 7 Rings and BUWYG, I'm Bored). The third singles were also given less attention in comparison to the second (7 Rings particularly). You could notice that there is always one single that overshines other singles. And this phenomenon is less noticeable in 2011.

And then we have Shawn Mendes singing In My Blood for 1000 times even though he has so many other songs.

Gaga was huge with The Edge of Glory, but that didn't stop her from promoting You and I and Marry the Night.

I perfectly understand why they do what they did, but I guess I'm just curious, is there no way to bring back the 2011 releasing strategy back to today's climate? If Gaga attempted it with LG6, would it fail miserably? Or would it actually produce an era whose potential is much more fully explored? I mean as fans, surely you want your artist to perform and shoot videos for as many singles as possible. Thoughts?

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Bradley

Also Katy and Taylor's new eras seem to be dwindling already, I have a feeling it's so difficult to sustain the momentum nowadays than before. People seem to pay attention to your first two singles, and then completely ignore your album.

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FfFfFfFF

As opossed to before more singles are supposed to come pre-album because they are new material and create hype. The moment the album is released on streaming is the last moment with new material  (and the last moment that creates hype). The last single of an era is becoming the single released on the album release day for the same reason. It's a consequence of streaming making  music easily acessible so there is pretty much nothing we can do to stop it.

But I don't think is either good or bad, just a sign that times changed.

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sipthistea

There are too many artists today that people have a hard time paying attention to a whole project by an artist. They usually focus on one single and forget about the rest, they move on to the next person's song. 

Although it gives the chance to more people to get to know more upcoming talents, it takes away the attention from full projects by others. 

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bloody g

In the age of the streaming there's so much material to listen that even A listers have to fight for their audience.

Nowadays communication spreads quicker and new artists, trends, sounds, news arise in the spawn of days and the entire world looks into another direction all of the sudden.

It's so weird to me that people still pay attention to Gaga and Bradley's drama. Shallow's success is truly a miracle.

『𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝』
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Bradley
10 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said:

As opossed to before more singles are supposed to come pre-album because they are new material and create hype. The moment the album is released on streaming is the last moment with new material  (and the last moment that creates hype). The last single of an era is becoming the single released on the album release day for the same reason. It's a consequence of streaming making  music easily acessible so there is pretty much nothing we can do to stop it.

But I don't think is either good or bad, just a sign that times changed.

That's a good point, I think artists will think 'The entire album is already out anyway. Why should I release a song that they already have heard before?' It just leaves so many songs unexplored in terms of visual interpretation.

Previously, Gaga selecting her fourth and fifth singles would be as exciting as her second and third singles, because we know she would perform them at various events. We'd also hear them on the radio.

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Ryusei

Not every era can be Teenage Dream :triggered: also sorry to tell you but 2 is multiple in which case Ariana just did it recently... 

Musery
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Killa

When was the last time an álbum had 5 singles that were out of this world, all deserving of "single" treatment?

Also singles arent a thing anymore, no way any label os gonna spend money that way, if it doesnt benefit for the sales gain.

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Lucas

That's the effect of streaming being so important in charts now imo. People stream the song for weeks/months until they get bored of it, so songs chart longer and labels maybe don't want to release more singles as long as a single is still charting high 

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JusKeepBreathin

I doubt the record company is going to push Ariana's third single. It already went to #2 on BB100. It was only blocked by her second single that was still at #1. 

ANTI had 523 singles and they pushed her last one hard. But she had some that didn't take off. 

Music right now is viral because of streaming. You either have a hit or you don't. It doesn't matter how big a star you are. 

 

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." -Martin Luther King Jr.
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lifeasgeorge
24 minutes ago, Killa said:

When was the last time an álbum had 5 singles that were out of this world, all deserving of "single" treatment?

Also singles arent a thing anymore, no way any label os gonna spend money that way, if it doesnt benefit for the sales gain.

1989 i think? 

1) Shake it Off

2) Blank Space

3) Bad Blood

5) Wildest Dreams

5) Out of the Woods

6) New Romantics (this might not have been an official single but I'm omw to work and can't check lol)

live and let live
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PopThatArt

If they actually get off their ass and off twitter and promote the music properly giving performances of it on tv shows, doing talk shows everytime a new single is out, promote the **** out of the music,  like they use to before social media. 

200w.webp?cid=790b76115d0906d54967797041

Go see A Star is Born
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gabeoz
1 hour ago, lifeasgeorge said:

1989 i think? 

1) Shake it Off

2) Blank Space

3) Bad Blood

5) Wildest Dreams

5) Out of the Woods

6) New Romantics (this might not have been an official single but I'm omw to work and can't check lol)

I never remember New Romantics being a single. But that’s an artist of Taylor’s caliber that she couldnt even replicate with reputation

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Streaming killed the traditional album release wbk. An album's singles are album teasers for all practical purposes  in the streaming era. However, I don't think that shift harms artists like Gaga who are acutely interested in the single treatment of a song. Nowadays, an artist can plan for the singles of an album release just like they plan for a tour. You don't tour before an album's release, you don't release singles after an album's release, etc. Interscope and Gaga sitting down and determining the singles off LG6 months before LG6's release is highkey a dream scenario.

Anyway, I don't think most albums need more than three singles. As we all know, constant promo causes artist burnout and who honestly cares about an artist singing on a talk show?  A couple of singles before the album release, one the week of release, and the streaming favorite as the final single is perfect. I think your observation that the viral hit"phenomenon is less noticeable in 2011"  is untrue. In the past, fourth and fifth singles were starved of $ and/or attention. Like, lbr, California Girls and E.T. are not co-equivalents despite their equal chart peak and, of course, Dark Horse cannibalized everything else off Prism (though I think DH was one of the first streaming-determined hits tbf). 

If I were a recording artist, I'd treat singles as proper teasers to a visual album (always a visual album) and the ensuing short films would establish important themes and hint at the world I'd later create in the film and on tour. For example, it would've been insane if Gaga released BTW, MTN and You & I in the months before BTW and the videos were woven together into a single narrative later expanded upon during the BTW ball. The Joanne videos are somewhat like what I imagine but releasing the three-part project before the album came out would've immensely strengthened her thesis.

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moonboywow

American artists should release the album and lead single and video all in the same day at the same time. And then do a few performances of like two or three to just satisfy the fans and put on a good show and that's it. 

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