JADE - "Fantasy" + Debut Album

General question: Why do acts these days wait until single 3 or longer to release their album? The biggest buzz is usually around the first single, but often by the 3rd interest is lower. (Thinking also of Dua releasing her album after Illusion rather thank straight after the much bigger hit of Houdini)
 
General question: Why do acts these days wait until single 3 or longer to release their album? The biggest buzz is usually around the first single, but often by the 3rd interest is lower. (Thinking also of Dua releasing her album after Illusion rather thank straight after the much bigger hit of Houdini)
Because the way things work now, everything leads up to the first week sales then the campaign is essentially over. All the preorders, variants are for the first week chart placement.
 
Surely but I think Fantasy is too intellectual for the GP.

It's literally a pop song.

I've played it to some friends last weekend and everybody seems to like it. I've seen it mentioned/used several times in my social feeds, more than Angel Of My Dreams. The song is doing fine. Bring on the remixes.
 
General question: Why do acts these days wait until single 3 or longer to release their album? The biggest buzz is usually around the first single, but often by the 3rd interest is lower. (Thinking also of Dua releasing her album after Illusion rather thank straight after the much bigger hit of Houdini)

I think it depends on the way it’s looked at. Once the album is out, it tends to end up being the end of the campaign itself. So Jade could have released the album after Angel for example. And we may have got a 2nd single. But I highly doubt we’d get a 3rd. Quite simply because everyone that wants it has the album and the songs from it. It’s harder for songs to hit (Unless you’re Sabrina - even Taylor just seems to release one single and an album then that’s it these days).

The album would have to hit hard in order to show the record company there’s an appetite for more singles. And for most especially female pop singers, the albums do alright but not enough to give confidence to record labels that more singles would be worth it. Especially as like said, where would you promote them?
 
Yeah something Little Mix did to make the campaign longer in that era was to always release the post album singles as remixes… That way it was a “new” song. That’s why so many artists are doing Deluxe nowadays. Save a couple songs to extend the album campaign.
 

Mvnl

Staff member
I assume that's mostly to make sure the singles fare well though?
Like a song that's already on the album, if pushed as a single, could still get more casuals/non-fans to check out an album I'd think? (Though with lack of promo opportunities and monoculture probably a lot harder than before?)
 
I assume that's mostly to make sure the singles fare well though?
Like a song that's already on the album, if pushed as a single, could still get more casuals/non-fans to check out an album I'd think? (Though with lack of promo opportunities and monoculture probably a lot harder than before?)
Yeah it’d be a lot harder to see No More Sad Songs or Power climb up the charts without them being a new release with a feature, for instance.
 

Mvnl

Staff member
Yeah it’d be a lot harder to see No More Sad Songs or Power climb up the charts without them being a new release with a feature, for instance.
Considering the bops they are that really feels like a flaw in the system. Luckily Little Mix had songs where a feature fitted well enough (we don't talk about Touch).
 

Mvnl

Staff member
I suppose there's the factor that actual fans won't necessarily start replaying one particular song on repeat just because it's 'a single' with no new version.
 
Genuinely finding some of this “Little Managers” style chat bizarre.

The woman is *everywhere* in a way that frankly I can’t recall for a pop group girl going solo. She has, clearly through her own charisma and talent, earned the love of some of the most important tastemakers out there (and yeah that’s potentially “the gay mafia” but hey).

The resource, planning, passion (and pain) that’s gone into this is surely about setting her up for the long haul. They’re not waiting to see how a single does before deciding if she needs to record a couple of new bops & get some features. It’s an intricate campaign already filled with spoilers and easter eggs that suggest a whole world has been assiduously mapped out, due to the buy-in of a lot of people who want her to succeed as a grown-up proposition. The investment seems accordingly appropriate: it’s all high-quality, artistically-driven content but it’s not at the multi-million pop sheen expenditure level; presumably in line with the kind of £££ they hope to get back.

Fantasy, and it’s Jools Holland-linked launch, feels like it’s about giving middle-aged gays and their community a slinky number that’s sat there waiting on her Spotify for the holiday drinks party season. It’s about ensuring the most affluent end of the pop consuming market see her as an intelligent offering, and indeed someone they might even shell out money to see live (where the real £££ is now for an artist!) without fearing it’d be a gig full of 12 year old Ella’s like a Little Mix show. They absolutely want people who’ll buy deluxe vinyl with high-fashion photography too.

Seen through that lens, Fantasy’s “underperformance” feels more like an intentional move to filter down to a mature audience for whom her Little Mix background isn’t necessarily a positive.

And I assume that’s coming from Jade herself: she clearly wants to get out and do shows to crowds she can chat to about Motown and butt-plugs; not young people who’ve learned the choreo and whose parents will flood MumsNet with “WHAT WAS THIS FILTH!!!” once they’ve got home.

Basically: this album’s happening, the more important question for anyone currently in panic mode might actually whether it’s gonna be the album for you?

A *second* solo album might be the thing to worry about. It doesn’t seem like the label expectation is ridiculously outsized like Roisin’s “Overpowered” though (which is actually a decent comparator, although with the proviso that Moloko wasn’t a complex heritage for Roisin, the way that Little Mix potentially has to be handled carefully for Jade); and she feels absolutely on track for current Roisin & Jessie levels of success. Fantasy performance included!
 
Genuinely finding some of this “Little Managers” style chat bizarre.

The woman is *everywhere* in a way that frankly I can’t recall for a pop group girl going solo. She has, clearly through her own charisma and talent, earned the love of some of the most important tastemakers out there (and yeah that’s potentially “the gay mafia” but hey).

The resource, planning, passion (and pain) that’s gone into this is surely about setting her up for the long haul. They’re not waiting to see how a single does before deciding if she needs to record a couple of new bops & get some features. It’s an intricate campaign already filled with spoilers and easter eggs that suggest a whole world has been assiduously mapped out, due to the buy-in of a lot of people who want her to succeed as a grown-up proposition. The investment seems accordingly appropriate: it’s all high-quality, artistically-driven content but it’s not at the multi-million pop sheen expenditure level; presumably in line with the kind of £££ they hope to get back.

Fantasy, and it’s Jools Holland-linked launch, feels like it’s about giving middle-aged gays and their community a slinky number that’s sat there waiting on her Spotify for the holiday drinks party season. It’s about ensuring the most affluent end of the pop consuming market see her as an intelligent offering, and indeed someone they might even shell out money to see live (where the real £££ is now for an artist!) without fearing it’d be a gig full of 12 year old Ella’s like a Little Mix show. They absolutely want people who’ll buy deluxe vinyl with high-fashion photography too.

Seen through that lens, Fantasy’s “underperformance” feels more like an intentional move to filter down to a mature audience for whom her Little Mix background isn’t necessarily a positive.

And I assume that’s coming from Jade herself: she clearly wants to get out and do shows to crowds she can chat to about Motown and butt-plugs; not young people who’ve learned the choreo and whose parents will flood MumsNet with “WHAT WAS THIS FILTH!!!” once they’ve got home.

Basically: this album’s happening, the more important question for anyone currently in panic mode might actually whether it’s gonna be the album for you?

A *second* solo album might be the thing to worry about. It doesn’t seem like the label expectation is ridiculously outsized like Roisin’s “Overpowered” though (which is actually a decent comparator, although with the proviso that Moloko wasn’t a complex heritage for Roisin, the way that Little Mix potentially has to be handled carefully for Jade); and she feels absolutely on track for current Roisin & Jessie levels of success. Fantasy performance included!

I really enjoyed reading this take but also agree with @Joe.

Does Jade want to be (and also be perceived by the public as) an intelligent popstar, an artist and slightly left of centre? Yes.

Does her label want her to ideally, you know, shift some units and make them some money? Also yes.

No label ever had a plan to purposely make their artist a “Top 60 Hitmaker”
 
Genuinely finding some of this “Little Managers” style chat bizarre.

The woman is *everywhere* in a way that frankly I can’t recall for a pop group girl going solo. She has, clearly through her own charisma and talent, earned the love of some of the most important tastemakers out there (and yeah that’s potentially “the gay mafia” but hey).

The resource, planning, passion (and pain) that’s gone into this is surely about setting her up for the long haul. They’re not waiting to see how a single does before deciding if she needs to record a couple of new bops & get some features. It’s an intricate campaign already filled with spoilers and easter eggs that suggest a whole world has been assiduously mapped out, due to the buy-in of a lot of people who want her to succeed as a grown-up proposition. The investment seems accordingly appropriate: it’s all high-quality, artistically-driven content but it’s not at the multi-million pop sheen expenditure level; presumably in line with the kind of £££ they hope to get back.

Fantasy, and it’s Jools Holland-linked launch, feels like it’s about giving middle-aged gays and their community a slinky number that’s sat there waiting on her Spotify for the holiday drinks party season. It’s about ensuring the most affluent end of the pop consuming market see her as an intelligent offering, and indeed someone they might even shell out money to see live (where the real £££ is now for an artist!) without fearing it’d be a gig full of 12 year old Ella’s like a Little Mix show. They absolutely want people who’ll buy deluxe vinyl with high-fashion photography too.

Seen through that lens, Fantasy’s “underperformance” feels more like an intentional move to filter down to a mature audience for whom her Little Mix background isn’t necessarily a positive.

And I assume that’s coming from Jade herself: she clearly wants to get out and do shows to crowds she can chat to about Motown and butt-plugs; not young people who’ve learned the choreo and whose parents will flood MumsNet with “WHAT WAS THIS FILTH!!!” once they’ve got home.

Basically: this album’s happening, the more important question for anyone currently in panic mode might actually whether it’s gonna be the album for you?

A *second* solo album might be the thing to worry about. It doesn’t seem like the label expectation is ridiculously outsized like Roisin’s “Overpowered” though (which is actually a decent comparator, although with the proviso that Moloko wasn’t a complex heritage for Roisin, the way that Little Mix potentially has to be handled carefully for Jade); and she feels absolutely on track for current Roisin & Jessie levels of success. Fantasy performance included!

So much reaching in this post I’m genuinely worried for your back.

I don’t think one nu disco tinged single, a Jools Holland performance, and some butt plug merch is enough for the middle aged gays to suddenly collectively proclaim Jade their new Jessie Ware or Roison Murphy.

Furthermore, to suggest the single flopping is ok because it’s all part of a much bigger meticulously planned strategy that will capture her this market is, respectfully, fanfiction.
 
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It’s absolutely fantastic but it’s not as instant as Angel. I reckon they probably just decided to save FUFN as the album launch song having seen how well the first single did, and I think they must have known this wasn’t a sure fire hit.

For most artists, the days of guaranteed hits are over so hopefully if FUFN is as big as everyone says this is all going to work out. She’s got ‘it’ more than any Uk girlband member gone solo I can think of really - she’s Robbie but for the gays. (And remember how his debut campaign went…)
 

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