This week’s Big! Idol! Billboard! Update! WHEE! Right here.
Highlights (and random music news):
- Not Idol related but interesting: Kayne West’s CD “Graduation” debuts on the Billboard 200 at #1, posting the album chart’s largest sales total in more than two years. He handily won the well-publicized
pr stuntfeud with Fifty Cent, whose album “Curtis” debuted at #2 selling 691, 000 copies. Here’s the big news–The Top 4 sellers on the Billboard 200, West, Fifty Cent, Kenny Chesney (his album debuted at #3 selling 387, 000 copies) and Hanna Montana (133, 000 copies) together totaled 2.2 million units, more than all titles combined on last week’s entire Billboard 200. Wow. Back to Idol… - Fred Bronson of Billboard’s Chart Beat reports that Carrie Underwood’s huge hit single, “Before He Cheats” is now, after 55 weeks on the chart, in the top 10 longest-charting songs in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. If it hangs on another 5 weeks, it will be in the top five. This week, “Before He Cheats” dips a bit on the Hot 100, from #32 to #39.
- Season 5’s Mandisa had a good week on the album charts. Her CD “True Beauty” climbed from 195 to 143 on the Billboard 200, from #12 to #6 on the Top Christian Albums chart, and #13 to #7 on the Top Christian and Gospel albums chart. For more on Mandisa’s post Idol journey, read here.
- All the Idols, except for Mandisa (23% increase) and Daughtry who climbed one spot, from #22 to #21 (11% increase) suffered declines on the Billboard 200 this week.
- On the song charts, Daughtry’s “Over You” continues its climb, from #38 to #37 on the Hot 100. Check out the video for “Over You” at VH1 VSpot. I can’t figure out if the chick in the video killed her boyfriend or not…and who is getting over who?
- Jordin Sparks’ “Tattoo” climbs the pop charts (from #84 to #75 on the Pop 100, from #45 to 40 on the Pop 100 Airplay). Carrie Underwood’s single “So Small” takes a hit on the Hot 100–from #17 two weeks ago, to #25, to #44 this week. The surge two weeks ago was due to her single being made available on iTunes. Her video just debuted on CMT this week. Why is it that cars are always being destroyed in her videos? heh. I expect the song to climb next week. It did climb a bit up the Hot 100 Airplay chart–from #52 to #45.
Much, much more after the jump! So CLICK!
- While Jennifer Hudson and hip-hop artist T-Pain were in Vegas for the MTV Video Music awards, they headed into a Vegas recording studio to lay down tracks for a duet. T-Pain says, “It’s gonna be her featuring me, a real back-and-forth, old-school male/female duet. It’s gonna be real nice.” No word on whether the track will appear on Jennifer’s upcoming album… I wonder if T-Pain bought Jennifer a Drank? Budabump… Sorry! Couldn’t resist.
- Here’s more news on Bo Bice’s upcoming album release. “See the Light” drops on Oct. 23 (same day as Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival Ride”). However, the CD will be sold exclusively via Wal-Mart stores through the indie StartArt label. So, if you hate Walmart and you’re a Bo Bice fan…well I don’t know what to tell ya. The first single “Witness” will be released to radio later this month.
- Ford Motor Company has enlisted Kelly Clarkson as a spokesperson for the company’s “Warriors in Pink” campaign. Ford hopes to spread awareness of breast cancer during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Kelly filmed a PSA for the campaign. She also models “warrior wear” that can be purchased on the site.
- Last Item–Kimberley Locke speaks out, via her blog. She clarifies some statements she made to Billboard regarding the possibility of touring next year with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. A couple of days later, Clay, via his blog, said there would be no tour. He also expressed some displeasure that the story leaked to the press. Says Kimberley:
In fact, in my last conversation with Clay he suggested that my manager and agents contact his. They did. And they have spoken. And in telling Billboard we were “in talks” and “Now it’s up to our agents and managers to book it, ” I was being truthful in the information that I had received.
I told Billboard I was “hopeful” that the tour would come together. (That didn’t get printed.) In no way did I imply that we were all committed to this tour idea. So contrary to Clay feeling “unfortunate, ” that the story “found it’s way to the press unauthorized, ” it was not “unauthorized.”
It was put out there by me, who conceived the touring idea and called my friends for their involvement. If Clay had chosen to return my phone calls over the last two months, he would perhaps not feel as “unfortunate, ” and he would have been made aware that I mentioned it to Billboard.
EEP!
