Title: Idol Schmidol - Jordin Not Setting Off Sparks
Description: Chart Watch
nymphadora - November 29, 2007 04:00 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
Week Of Nov. 26, 2007: Idol Schmidol - Jordin Not Setting Off Sparks
Posted Wed. Nov 28, 3:47 PM ET by Paul Grein in Chart Watch
Josh Groban’s Noel becomes the first holiday album in 13 years to reach #1 on Nielsen/SoundScan’s list of the nation’s top sellers. But I’m more struck by the tepid entry at #10 of Jordin Sparks’ eponymous debut album. That’s the lowest entry to date for a debut album by an American Idol winner, taking that dubious title away from Season 3 champ Fantasia, whose Free Yourself opened at #8.
Sparks’ album sold 119,000 copies, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the 30,740,000 viewers who watched Sparks beat Blake Lewis in the Idol season finale last May. My arithmetic skills aren’t what they used to be, but I think that means that only about 1 in 250 Idol viewers went out and bought the album. (Where’s an eighth grader when you need one?)
Sparks’ opening week sales tally (as distinct from chart ranking) is also the lowest for a debut album by an Idol champ. It’s less than half of the opening week sales (298,000) rung up by Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks. It’s even less than half of the old low-end record tally (240,000) held by Fantasia. Sparks’ opening week total is scarcely more than that achieved by Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee (116,000). To put these numbers in a little perspective, the strongest opening for a debut album by an Idol winner is Ruben Studdard’s Soulful, which opened with sales of 417,000. (Clay Aiken, who was runner-up to Studdard in Season 2, had the strongest opening of any Idol contestant to date. His Measure Of A Man started with sales of 613,000.)
Part of the problem may be Sparks’ single, “Tattoo.” It’s an attractive, well-crafted single, but also an utterly generic one. It could be by just about anybody. It gives little hint as to what makes Sparks unique. |
durden - November 29, 2007 04:37 AM (GMT)
I feel bad for Jordin.
I was honestly expecting much better numbers from her. She had three things going for her: 1. Backing from a major label 2. A hit song on radio 3. The timing of her release.
Elliott had none of those things, yet still managed to sell only about 25K less than Jordin did.
mominny - November 29, 2007 02:59 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (durden @ Nov 29 2007, 12:37 AM) |
I feel bad for Jordin.
I was honestly expecting much better numbers from her. She had three things going for her: 1. Backing from a major label 2. A hit song on radio 3. The timing of her release.
Elliott had none of those things, yet still managed to sell only about 25K less than Jordin did. |
I feel bad for Jordin as well. She is very talented. I think she'll be okay. She is worth Jive's investment.
ElliottisTrueBlue - November 29, 2007 07:37 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (durden @ Nov 28 2007, 11:37 PM) |
I feel bad for Jordin.
I was honestly expecting much better numbers from her. She had three things going for her: 1. Backing from a major label 2. A hit song on radio 3. The timing of her release.
Elliott had none of those things, yet still managed to sell only about 25K less than Jordin did. |
Because...well, she's a sweet girl but she's rather boring. Her voice sounds like a million other teen girl singers out there, if not better than a bunch. Nothing really distinct about her or her music...Elliott wasn't your conventional heartthrob and wasn't the type you'd expect to even go Gold, but he just had something that she didn't (of course the voice, but something I can't put my finger on) :1word:
concertcris - December 5, 2007 05:30 PM (GMT)
:chat: Well, I actually do like the song "Tattoo" however found the rest of her album not too interesting. Most of the songs sound the same. The Clive Davis group wanted a pop star and they got their wish however it appears that most people are looking for someone more unique like our Elliott who is doing great without that group's influence. I bet old Clive is really kicking himself for not signing Elliott in the first place.
Anyway, I do think Jordin will eventually pick up speed on her sales as she is in the Vh1 top 20 countdown. Good luck to her!
:hapiholidays: to everyone!
luvthatelliott - December 12, 2007 05:04 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (mominny @ Nov 29 2007, 09:59 AM) |
| QUOTE (durden @ Nov 29 2007, 12:37 AM) | I feel bad for Jordin.
I was honestly expecting much better numbers from her. She had three things going for her: 1. Backing from a major label 2. A hit song on radio 3. The timing of her release.
Elliott had none of those things, yet still managed to sell only about 25K less than Jordin did. |
I feel bad for Jordin as well. She is very talented. I think she'll be okay. She is worth Jive's investment.
|
She is talented AND it's nice to have someone like her for my girls to look up to. She's not a size 2 and seems very comfortable wtih that. She seems wholesome and real - not a whole lot of that around anymore. Also, I think my girls could listen to her cd without me having to worry about the lyrics. That;s nice for a change.
elizajv - December 12, 2007 04:27 PM (GMT)
I like Jordin's song Tattoo but have no idea what the rest of her album sound like. But I wish her success since she seems to be a nice girl.
Jarvs - December 12, 2007 05:30 PM (GMT)
Jordin's album is pure raw material though "No Air" the duet with Chris Brown is priceless and I think it will be nominated for Best R&B song on the 2009 Grammy's.