Idol Extra got my vote. :)

Guys,

Don’t forget to vote at XM Radio. :)

I voted the extra performance because the focus is all on BLAKE! and not the band

Pam just voted this morning thanks.. they play HMW at 2:30 AM? who the heck hears then?

joyce,

That’s a good question. I submitted my daily vote just after midnight eastern time. I suppose someone is listening. LOL

I guess people like the “same old, same old” people resist change…

Aww, that’s just until they hear Blake crooning in their ear!:-)
He has a persuasive way about him, no?

Aww, that’s just until they hear Blake crooning in their ear!:-)
He has a persuasive way about him, no?

Bully,

He definitely makes me swoon! :-D

Joyce,

It’s not an uncommon sight to see songs get overnight play especially if you look at the Mediabase chart at the individual stations listed there. It’s always better to get play in the daylight and evening hours when more are listening. I don’t think anyone argues with that. :) Most of the stations playing HMW are spreading the airplay out and a small # are giving exclusive overnight play. It just varies. :)

Charm and radiance. Yummy.:-)

Indeed! Those are 2 of B’s greatest qualities. :)

they tried to get the big stations first with BA I think and that approach didn’t work. Now they are showing his charm and radiance to the smaller stations and hope that the plays pick up and it spreads to the bigger stations who don’t want the rinky dink midwest ones having the new music first.

Newduck,

maybe I missed something, but I do NOT remember the record label pushing BA to the big markets at all. Only the small to mid sized markets bothered to play the song, and no, one or two spins on the L.A. station isn’t my idea of promo. I don’t believe the NYC or Chicago stations ever played that song ONCE, despite the fact that many of us requested it.

The label isn’t willing to invest the $$$$$ on Blake, since I guess they are too busy blowing it on Leona. JMO. She gained 1,600 spins this past week??? WTF? That is almost unheard of and shows that they are heavily promoting her song to those stations with the legal payola BIGTIME.

Their promo with regard to BA and HMW has been half-assed, wouldn’t it make more sense to spend a few bucks on the big markets and see if the smaller markets follow the trend of the larger stations than this plan?

Believe me, the vast majority of songs CAN get mass airplay if the label wants them to. I hear so much garbage on the airwaves that has no business being in the Top 40 if you go by quality of the music/lyrics, yet it is because the label is shelling out money to push it.

yet, I do believe now that 19E put forth very little money to have the song played,, they did the guest appearances but the air time is best strategy to attract the masses.

Joyce,

is the label responsible for Blake’s in-studio radio station promo events or is that the job of his management 19E, anyway? I have no idea. I thought Arista would be responsible for the radio promo. They don’t want to spend any money on him, since they blew over TEN MILLION on a record contract to Leona. They were going to make SURE she succeeded in the States, no question.

All I know is that it seems like some spins on a NYC radio station would have more impact than the promo at ALL these smaller stations.

talk about playing garbage, how about playing OLD garbage…I emailed a station recently complaining they were playing such old music that were popular when I was young (now that’s old) sometimes I think these old songs are just “Fillers”..

Joyce– I pretty much only listen to those JACK stations, for just that reason: I LIKE a variety of the old songs! I also listen to a Top40 one, but when they get too jiggy and street-fresh for my taste I usually find my way there.

The Mixed stations are the only ones that will take the “risk” and play something like “Dig” by Incubus. Wierd huh.

CJ, I agree, it was SWEET!

The station WNKS has played HMW a couple of times; once last night and once about a week ago. Maybe they are testing it out. It is Charlotte North Carolina. They are ranked #25 which would be the highest ranking station playing HMW so far. Maybe we could request it through this form and let them know we like it. If anyone thinks this is a bad idea just say so. I also included the WIHT (Washington DC) request form. They have HMW as a Hot Pick on the All Access site, but have not yet started playing the song. On both the forms, just fill in the information on the bottom and hit the submit button.

WNKS request form

WIHT request form

For the most part, I would rather listen to XM 20 than my local top 40 station. lol

Don’t feel bad about how long it took for you to accomplish your goal. I went to school with ladies who started out in college after high school, stopped for a while to start their families, and then went back and finished and most of them too much longer than it has taken you so don’t feel bad. Congrats on all the hard work you are putting in! No one loves doing those papers. :)

yay!!! finish those papers show them whose boss!!!

Idol Winner Stamps

You’re telling me that possibly Arista charts of popularity of a singer on You TUbe..seeing the #’s, then possibly promoting? not sure how this works..how did Leona make money before the promo here? is there money for Arista or any other in you tube? or possibly Arista was banking on his popularity of AI

Me singing See You Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EST4oLzneY

I actually like your singing better the cyrus at least you can carry a tune..Have you thought about taking voice lessons? there’s talent there…I can’t carry a tune

You Tube is one of the areas they look at to try and gauge popularity. Of course sales are a huge part, but MySpace, You Tube and overall searches are other forms. Leona got off to a good start even before her album was released in the UK because her single sold so huge. Then when “Spirit” came out in the UK, even with a delayed release date she was selling huge and at record breaking numbers. This is major money in the labels pockets. Believe me if she tanked in the UK she wouldn’t have had a huge push here despite the pricey contract.

Clive sees the people he signs out of AI in a completely different way than he does with other new artist because he believes they have a built in fanbase as a result of the millions that watched/voted for them. I do think the lack of interest and any substantial sales bump after his return to AI may have hurt any chances for further investment. If they think interest isn’t great they won’t spend much money. The AI appearance should have been a good launch for HMW and they were banking on it. Regardless of how early in the show he appeared, which I think wasn’t a great timeframe, they still view AI as a huge promotional tool.

I’m mostly pissed that the label refuses to get B any big market airplay, how the f*** do they expect the song to take off WITHOUT that? I don’t care if he sang in the first minute of an Idol results show when most of the viewers probably missed him, that is NOT enough to get a single to take off. Songs need repeated exposure on TV in the form of videos or on the radio to go anywhere, Jordin’s “Tattoo” is a prime example (that song didn’t do much of anything for months until her video was on VH1 and the single got majorly pushed to stations by the label).

Really!!! WOW thank you and thats me singing with a stuffed up nose!!! I’m gonna audition for AI in like 3 years!!!So look out for me (except don’t look for Dani.. thats not my real name!!!)

Beatoff

Live Freestyle

so by judging by his “hits” on You Tube, then I don’t see a tour in the future

Which hits on YouTube are you talking about Joyce?

alright maybe BA wasn’t the right 1st choice, but HMW is good and it’s going at turtle pace..so by judging by his “hits” on You Tube, then I don’t see a tour in the future..I don’t understand. where did this fan base go??..oh well I keep enjoying and hoping for the best

Joyce,

it’s hard to tell if HMW could be a hit or not, when most people are NOT even hearing the song in the first place. Look at Blake’s audience impression on the mediabase charts, it’s very small because the song is isn’t getting spins in the big markets so fewer people are getting exposed to it. Jordin’s “No Air” has almost 9,000 spins a WEEK (second most of any song) and an impression of 57 million, whereas Blake has only 280 spins and an impression of .55 million.

Honestly, how can anyone expect his song to get hot with that lack of exposure? Many times the reason people even check out youtube is because they DID hear the song or saw the music video beforehand, or hear another song by that artist and wanted to check them out some more.

Clear Channel and the major market stations do focus group type stuff via call outs. Songs are also rated on certain websites. Song interest is tested in smaller markets. If Clear Channel and the major markets were getting signs of interest in HMW, the song would get more airplay. Blake does not appear to have tested well. His music may be too gimmicky and too 80’s based. He doesn’t have a large fanbase and if there is a choice between spinning Chris Brown’s new tune and spinning Blake’s, Chris Brown will get the slot each and every time because on every level that the stations and labels care about he’s a proven commodity.

Blake’s tv appearances don’t spike huge increases in his Amazon ranking (going from 970 to 400 usually is a matter of maybe a couple hundred CDs), his iTunes sales don’t go through the charts. His Yahoo and YouTube searches don’t go up. His MySpace plays don’t go through the roof. That’s why the most recent round of major appearances will likely be his last and I don’t expect a tour. If we are lucky we might get a few random club shows but Arista is going to be done investing money once the radio tour is finished.

As somebody who likes Blake’s music, I’ve come to accept awhile ago that Blake has limited appeal and a small niche. There isn’t one single indicator that says otherwise. 280 spins is almost as bad as no spins at all because it means that instead of refusing to sample the product, they sampled one bite and decided to throw the rest away.

I compared Tatoo and No Air..the 2 songs release w/Jordin to BA and HMW the 2 songs released w/Blake..since we can’t read Arista’s mind, then I guess we won’t know, we can only speculate…so back to just being a fan..

I’m always gonna be a Blake fan and right now I’m here to enjoy the ride. I’m not sure how long it will be but thats why I’m gonna spend every second of it as if it were the last

dani,
Lovelier words were never spoken. I am right there with ya girl. You are very wise for your age!

280 spins is almost as bad as no spins at all because it means that instead of refusing to sample the product, they sampled one bite and decided to throw the rest away.

Wow! I didn’t know they already threw away the song? I learn so much here!

Thank you!!! I’m odd compared to most kids my age… I like helping people and I have a good understanding of things! Everyone at achool thinks I’m a little weird.. I think I’m just a liitle off beat!

that was an analogy refering to the fact that the stations have played it a couple times and then either not played it again or not added it to regular rotation

I didn’t know that. I’ve been looking at Mediabase for my information. There are 20 stations currently playing HMW (with greater than a couple of spins) each. HMW is also showing up in the “Taking Off” menu. Each week, stations continue to show up in the “Add” list at the All Access site. There are also stations that show up on the YES site that are playing the song “more than a couple of times” that aren’t monitored by mediabase. That is the current story today. It could all change, tomorrow, but it is what it is. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place for my information.

dani,
Good for you. If everyone were the same in this world it would be a very boring place.

Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place for my information.

No, you are looking in the right place for spins but you do seem to be putting too much stock in the idea of having 280 spins total on a dozen or so middle to small market stations. Being on the “taking off” chart really doesn’t mean much. I’ve been down this road before as a fan of another Idol. I personally think it’s over for Blake with HMW. I’d love to be proven wrong but so far there aren’t any factors that logically tell me otherwise.

I’m totally not boring!!!

Blake’s tv appearances don’t spike huge increases in his Amazon ranking (going from 970 to 400 usually is a matter of maybe a couple hundred CDs), his iTunes sales don’t go through the charts. His Yahoo and YouTube searches don’t go up. His MySpace plays don’t go through the roof.

Correct, and the label/management does look at these things.

Boy, reading this doom & gloom is a real downer

I am not sure if downer for me. I do not take other bloggers’ posts too personally. It is just their opinion and they are entitled to their point of view as much as other posters are to theirs. I think the difference that I see is in what people chose to focus on and to discuss here. If talking about negative things is what they prefer to focus on, oh well, there is nothing that I can do about it. I personally look for positive things in what is currently going on with Blake’s music, as this gives me joy and is rewarding to me.

Here is the video from yesterday’s WIXX interview. AWWW, he has his glasses on. He looks cute in them.

OMFG I swear I almost got to talk to him *try to get thought outta my head*

Topic 2: I’m surprised that no one has discussed the Happy Meals dolls that someone posted about earlier this week. If you want to see the “Blake” doll it is here

He’s All About The Electronic Scene

I think Blake is extremely talented, but in the end, I can’t force someone to like his type of music-it is a little different (which is why I love it so much!). Also, I think that some people have kind of forgotten about him and moved on; I’m still surprised that so many people don’t know that he has an album out. But then I remember that they don’t read TP everyday to find out new information. :D Blake mentioned in one of his interviews that he wanted to organize his fan base a little more, and I think that’s a great idea. Bulletins reminding his fans that the single is out, here’s where you can listen to it, etc. Actually Pam, you do a pretty good job of that!

Honestly, the recent string of events are unfortunate, and aren’t really the whole fault of anyone. Do I think BA was a risky first single-yes, but I loved it and thought it would be great on radio. Do I think major radio markets should have been pushed more for both singles-absolutely, but I have no clue why it wasn’t. Was the AI appearance unforunate due to the time slot-definitely, but Blake was probably the one that wanted his band there. Do I think that Blake could have handled his PR a little better-yeah, but sounds like he’s getting the hang of it now.

I think Blake will always be in the industry, and I feel in different capacities-production is such an obvious fit for him. He’s pretty lucky-he’s talented, seemingly charming, and good looking. Blake is going to be fine-and HMW is a beautiful song, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for it to be a success. All I know is that my musical world is infinately better since the introduction of Blake.

I am well aware of how things look at the moment and this is coming from someone who keeps track of all the stats and numbers. So, basically nothing that was said last night was really anything new to me. Even though I do realize the seriousness of the situation, I still want to enjoy the CD that we have and it’s a CD I still want to listen to even 4 months later. That is not something you will hear everyday. :)

Blake put up his AI Extra performance on his page yesterday. :)

I am not at all bothered by what others say about HMW and its progression. It just gives me a little bit more perspective on things as a whole. That way while I hope for the best for Blake and the album, I also realize the risks. The music business is very tough and I’m just happy that Blake has had so many doors opened to him. As for the future, it will take care of itself. I’m just enjoying this thrilling ride. I have no doubt Blake will be around in some musical capacity for a long time and I’ll be there to support him.

I read that Miami article, and I thought the tone was rather callous.I wonder at the hater attitude some industry people have. Idol has proven to produce legitimate talent, so why the hating you know? It’s almost like he’s suffering from the DonnyOsmond syndrome, where people dismiss him as the past flavor of the month/kid fav.

Mmm. All I know is, the potential he has for remix and freestyle has me looking towards the future for more. Even if this deal ends at Arista, it won;t be the end of his talent. He’s not an empty envelope, he’s only getting started. There’s more.

As for this information about focus groups and testing singles out ahead of time, why did the label go for “Break Anotha” if it tested so badly ahead of time? And why would the big markets not even play the song once in some cases? I think there’s more going on than just focus groups, but that’s my opinion.

I’ve already said before that I kind of wanted KNOW MY NAME as the second single since it’s radio-friendly and has the Lupe Fiasco collaboration; I cannot believe THAT song would test poorly with focus groups when it sounds like a lot of other songs on the radio and has a respected rapper featured. If the stations refused to play that, I’d know it’s strictly a payola issue (or lack thereof).

As for this information about focus groups and testing singles out ahead of time, why did the label go for “Break Anotha” if it tested so badly ahead of time?

I have no idea if the label did any testing at all. I do know Clear Channel stations look at a variety of statistics to determine if a song from a new artist should be added, including call outs. Basically if the song got a spin on a medium market station and the station didn’t get much feedback from average listeners or if the song didn’t test well or did poorly on a “Pick it or Kick it” type segment, there is no reason to increase spins on that station and no reason for the major markets to pick it up. In fact when the major markets don’t pick up a song it makes it less likely for a smaller market station to pick it up in regular rotation because 1) they take it as a sign Clear Channel hasn’t given its blessing and 2) they take their cues from the major markets as far as heavy rotation. Most smaller stations that are conglomerate affiliated (Clear Channel stations) won’t put a song in regular rotation until it cracks the top 40. How does a song crack the Top 40? They get heavy rotation in major markets where the spins = large impression numbers.

I don’t see it as a conspiracy. As far as WalMart, well unless you are a major name with a major release, it’s always a struggle to find the CD simply because of how disorganized they seem to be nationwide. I’ve had problems finding CDs of many artists. This isn’t a Blake specific thing. It’s not good for Blake but somebody who really wants the CD will either go to another store or go to iTunes (or Amazon). He’s been seen by millions on AI, at least a million on GMA, Regis&Kelly, etc. He’s been exposed a great deal on TV. While I’m sure there are people who don’t know the cd is out, there also doesn’t seem to be a groundswell of people out there desperately looking for a Blake Lewis CD. He may well have been “flavor of the month” for most AI viewers.

Most smaller stations that are conglomerate affiliated (Clear Channel stations) won’t put a song in regular rotation until it cracks the top 40. How does a song crack the Top 40? They get heavy rotation in major markets where the spins = large impression numbers.

Hummus,

Well, his label wanted to go with the small markets first and ignored the larger markets even with “Break Anotha”. Right then I figured they weren’t going to promote him the way I’d like him to, and it’s a half-assed strategy. It makes no sense to not push larger cities to play the song, since way more people will get exposed to the single that way (audience impression). So, yes, his song will be ‘doomed’ if the label persists in this method because that method would doom almost EVERY song there is.

For those of you who have very closely followed the Mediabase charts all this time, how are the current markets for HMW comparing to BA?

Your comment also just reinforces my view that the music industry is a monopolizing corporation that is producing a subpar product IMO.

While I’m sure there are people who don’t know the cd is out, there also doesn’t seem to be a groundswell of people out there desperately looking for a Blake Lewis CD. He may well have been “flavor of the month” for most AI viewers.

Hummus– I could easily go into the CD aisle right now, and locate with an outstretched fingertip an album of Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks, or several others. They have, still, multiple displays, and are well-spotted. Lewis, being an “L”, can get shoved placed and buried any number of places. The silly thing of an alphabetizer hasn’;t be utilized at all, nor is it helpful in actually LOCATING it, if I wanted one. I knew it was there, and it was difficult for ME to find! LOL.
(That is worse than poor marketing, it’s sabotage. It was so even when he was on the Top10 list.)
If I was a ciustomer, leisurely shopping to buy Blake’s album as seen on Regis and KellyZOMG!11!! while grocery shopping, I would not see it,despair, and move on. I would forget all about it on my way to purchase Milk or socks.

I unfortunately do agree with your Flavor of the Month comparison. Some people have moved on to S7, or a fav therein. *sigh* Your ideas have been very well expressed today, and I do appreciate your candor.

awwww Chrissy. I appreciate that. :) Fans do somewhat have to play a role in all of this and I guess I feel like I’m doing my part and I would even say the same for some of the others who post here daily as well who are working hard to promote Blake as much as they can.

Aww Pam– yeah. I feel too, like I’m doing what i can every week to help Blake. Little things, that I just try to do daily, I hope somehow it helps him is all. That’s one thing we can say, and that is, we have tried to support him from the start.:-)