album Rita Ora - 'You & I'

[reymiu]

1 hour ago, Nashe said:

Don't Think Twice & Unfeel It should've been the first two singles.

They were so dumb

Nah - Unfeel It is not catchy imo

 

Here is how I would have released singles 

 

1st radio single - Praising You

2nd radio single - You & I

Buzz single 1 (to create hype and sell 'vulnerable' narrative) - Shape of Me

Buzz single 2 (again, to sell 'vulnerable' narrative and also to show that the album will be mostly AC) - Girl in the Mirror

3rd radio single (to coincide with album release) - You only love Me

4th radio single - Notting Hill

 

 

 

 

[Nashe]

bloody hell, I was hoping it would make the top 5

 

first a #11 and now a #6.... oh well

[Nashe]

#19 on the German album chart is very impressive! Phoenix went top 20 aswell

[wildthaughts]

[prézli]

6 hours ago, Nefertiti0 said:

#6 on the UK Official Albums chart - 6,227 units [3,895 CDs, 950 vinyl, 529 downloads, 853 streaming]
You & I tops the Official Record Store Chart as the most purchased album of the past 7 days in the UK’s independent record shops.

The physicals saved her. This is what BMG is good at.

Edited July 21, 2023 by prézli

[Cbreezy]

10 hours ago, prézli said:

The physicals saved her. This is what BMG is good at.

Literally. 

 

Very happy at the top 10 placement (which was very nearly top 5). 

 

But the numbers are shocking. Both the fact that 6k will get anyone a top 10 these days and that these are the numbers Rita is doing. 

 

Between the lengthy pre-orders and signings, I would have expected more for even the physicals. 

 

And even though I knew she's no longer a streaming girl, just 800ish streaming copies is a shocker too. 

 

All that said, I take back what I said about BMG not being the best fit. 

 

For who she is and where she is (e.g. not streaming at all), she's actually in a good spot with them if they can keep ensuring her top 10 albums and using physicals to do it.

 

The PR spin for this can be "hit album" (they'll probably even spin her a #1 based on the fact she topped some indie sales chart). She can then just go all out with her DJ collabs and collabs in general to feed her streaming momentum. That she can do without the pressure of pushing an album up the hill and then strike with an album when she's created the right swirl of buzz around her name. Based on what she's said ("going back into the studio"), I'd bet that's what she has planned anyway. 

[prézli]

1 hour ago, Cbreezy said:

All that said, I take back what I said about BMG not being the best fit. 

Well, Atlantic was better. She had hits at there and the album went Gold later.

[prézli]

Even the exclusive vinyl is not sold out.

 

https://ritaora.tmstor.es/product/111604

[Cbreezy]

5 minutes ago, prézli said:

Well, Atlantic was better. She had hits at there and the album went Gold later.

In some ways, yes. In some ways, no. 

 

In liking Rita but not being a stan, I feel I always take an objective stance on her predicament. 

 

Atlantic, yes, were better for her on the singles front. Playlisting, radio etc. But context is key: that was 5/6 years ago when she was in her mid-20s. As more of a GP-leaning singles artist, even they would have had an uphill battle trying to reheat her hype as a 30-something with no real/substantial core fanbase. 

 

Remember, both Bang and How To Be Lonely flopped on Atlantic. The latter benefitted from the excuse of "oh, dropped during the pandemic" but that was the first time we saw her not getting playlisted on streaming or radio. And we saw how, without it, her singles are now essentially DOA. 

 

Let's also not forget that the UK is renowned for dropping its hitmaking girls like their success never happened. Almost overnight it feels, for example: Jess Glynne, Cheryl, and countless others. Maybe it's because it's a smaller market, so there isn't technically room to thrive on a particular format when not super mainstream anymore (in the way the American girlies can). Or could just be that wretched "once you're 30+, you're out". Again, having a career that is so dependent on gatekeepers and surface popularity (rather than an active core base) is a dangerous game so many of these GP-pleasing Pop girls fall victim to over and over. 

 

In any case, BMG clearly can't get Rita a hit single. At this rate, it would be a lottery-win type of luck needed for that. But what they do seem adept at doing is delivering top 10 albums driven by physicals. All while allowing the artist to own the masters. Hence, BMG's popularity with older artists either left out to dry by streaming or those who've been burned by the ruthless and arguably exploitative nature of the major label system. Some (myself included) might scoff at the "owning masters" thing when considering that owning 100% of something that doesn't sell is still a loss lol. However, when you think about how music can be used in commercials, movies, and other sync capacities (as well as the random chance of something hitting), it becomes clear why such ownership would be a good look for an artist like Rita. 

 

Seeing how paltry her streaming pull is is why I'm backtracking on the "BMG isn't a good fit" thing. If she keeps active with her other ventures and does music (as she has) in more of an "as and when" capacity, dropping music via BMG allows her to keep up appearances as somewhat of a "notable" act that can still score top 10 albums between ventures. Going back to a major would show her shortcomings in a really glaring and brand-damaging way. The majors are often very tunnel-vision and streaming-led these days, which is her exact weak point. So, unless a major is willing to go all-out with pushing her (payola and all), it's not worth it. 

 

This is somehow way longer than intended lol. All the pro-BMG ish aside, they do still need something to "hit" (be it one of the singles or a random TikTok moment). Something, anything. Because much as ownership is good (great, even), selling 6k first week is not going to see anyone recoup anything (think about how much is being split). So, it's almost like a vanity project in a way. 

[wildthaughts]

43 minutes ago, prézli said:

Well, Atlantic was better. She had hits at there and the album went Gold later.

Atlantic literally delayed Phoenix for 2 straight years even when she had streaming hits, then they tried to give her another reject (HTBL) to repeat the success of Your Song and they failed. She records what she wants at BMG, Atlantic was throwing rejects and calling it a day.

[Cbreezy]

20 minutes ago, wildthaughts said:

Atlantic literally delayed Phoenix for 2 straight years even when she had streaming hits, then they tried to give her another reject (HTBL) to repeat the success of Your Song and they failed. She records what she wants at BMG, Atlantic was throwing rejects and calling it a day.

Atlantic was a good fit...back then. 

 

IIRC, the guy that signed her (and thus prioritized her) left before HTBL. And her lack of prioritization in the wake of that was glaring. Very. 

 

Based on her PEOPLE interview, it seems a big incentive to go to BMG was making more money from her actual music. The sense I got/get is that for as big as her music was during her Atlantic stint, she didn't see much/any of the $$$$ from it. Something her not having a hand in writing some of her biggest hits during that time and a glance at the number of writers and producers in the mix makes it easy to see (how this was the case). 

[Mordecai]

Commercial success aside, I just hope she keeps churning out the music like those interviews suggest. Even if she never sees her former success ever again if she follows up with another album quickly she might just be able to create a small fanbase that will be there for the music

[reymiu]

While 6.3k is bad, it's not like her peers are able to sell much better these day

 

Her main peer / frenemy / competitor - Ellie Goulding (same debut time in early 10s, who also sang pop/dance and peaked in mid 10s like Rita, who also used to share same manager with Rita) debut with 11.8k in April this year

 

Ellie: 7.1k CDs - 2.1k vinyl - 838 cassette - 639 digital downloads - 1.158 sales-equivalent stream 

 

Rita: 3.9k CDs - 950 vinyl - no cassette - 529 downloads - 853 streaming

 

So while Ellie has much better cd sales than Rita : that's to be expected since (1) she's bigger and has a larger core fanbase (2) she was able to release albums more consistently, hence building more loyal fans (3) her campaign lasts longer, first single Easy Lover was released in Jul 2022 and she released more singles

 

However

 

The digital downloads and streaming are not that much different.... And Ellie's streaming was boosted by her Alok Collab "All by Myself" (nearly 100M on Spotify now)

 

All that's to say the 10s UK pop girls are having a hard time adjusting to streaming / playlist era. Rita is having the same fate as the others. Ellie flopped, Rita flopped and Jess Glynne's likely to flop too

 

Sure the campaign could have been amended a little bit (namely the single releases) but ultimately I think Rita did best with her limited commercial & promotional resources

 

[Nashe]

She won't be able to tour, get brand deals and secure relevant festival spots off of "top 10 albums" alone. She needs em hits & singles success, but she won't get them on BMG because they ain't big in the streaming game.

I agree Atlantic wasn't the right fit anymore, but there should be at least 1 major label which would take her on again.

Counting such a talented woman out for being "over 30" makes me sick to my stomach. 

[SomeGirl]

I personally don’t believe she can’t have a hit with BMG. While an issue when it comes to streaming playlisting is certainly that major labels control 70-80%, BMG still got her a pretty high reach, even if the positions weren’t the best and they were missing key ones, like Hot Hits UK, which has been an issue for her even before BMG. (And that’s also to do with Spotify, not labels). UK radio play, though playing a small part these days, has also been good. The biggest pusher of music these days, and the clearest obstacle for her, is TikTok. She needs a far better and concrete TikTok strategy. YOLM was the only song to chart, not only because it was clear UK radio/chart fodder, but because of a TikTok trend using the song. It was the only song to have a TikTok strategy at all. Much like how streaming services took power from radio, TikTok has now taken it from the streaming services. To focus on streaming playlists as the biggest issue to solve is to be behind the eight ball. 
 

If Kylie can have her biggest hit by far in a decade, on BMG, largely thanks to TikTok pushing it, why can’t Rita?  It’s literally the same thing major labels are really relying on at this point to break songs. And you don’t need a major label to get Chris Olsen to promote you. Major labels don’t have a monopoly over TikTok. 
 

And aside from all that, being on a major label does not guarantee you a huge push, or good playlist positions, just like being on a big playlist also doesn’t guarantee you a hit. What it does likely guarantee her is a lack of control over her output and being de-prioritized for artists deemed more important.

Edited July 22, 2023 by SomeGirl

[SomeGirl]

21 hours ago, Nashe said:

bloody hell, I was hoping it would make the top 5

Missed by only 170 copies

[YoungDreamer]

To be honest with you all, it's a good performance, but not great. Something that should be evaluated by Rita and BMG's team is the return on investment made during this era, from production to marketing. We don't know yet if she has signed a multi-album contract with them, and everything may change. However, with BMG, she seems happier and more comfortable, so I don't see anything that would make her switch labels again, except for the issue I mentioned.

 

It's worth noting that although Kylie Minogue currently has a successful single on the UK charts, it took two whole albums, heavily promoted, for her to reach this point in her partnership with BMG. I understand that they are at different points in their careers, but I don't see why Rita couldn't emulate this long-term strategy as well. The career management model of Kylie, in many aspects, is similar to what Rita envisions for herself, and Rita should draw inspiration from it (and who knows, maybe BMG could facilitate a collaboration between them at some point).

 

I agree with SomeGirl. TikTok is a path that currently could bring commercial success to Rita's singles on the charts. She almost achieved this with "You Only Love Me." Knowing Rita, she won't give up easily. She likely already has collabs in the works, and she has been consistently talking about the deluxe version of the album. Even if she won't be touring, she will be available to continue promoting these projects, especially considering all the strikes happening in Hollywood right now.

 

I believe there are crucial points she should explore to increase her fan base, given that she is essentially starting her career positioning from scratch:
 

1. She needs to be more active on social media, creating content that connects with her audience. Identifying her true target audience (which seems to be young women) and investing in it wholeheartedly. Engaging genuinely with her fans.
    
2. Exploring other partnership opportunities beyond just DJs. I know this might not be entirely up to her, but a good A&R team should be able to find good opportunities. Her A&R team seems to be somewhat stuck in this particular direction, making her somewhat predictable in this aspect. These partnerships don't necessarily need to be with big artists, but of course, the bigger, the better. Again, I understand it doesn't solely depend on her, but it's an important point that needs to be fixed by her team.
    
3. She shouldn't give up on TV and acting projects, at the end of the day a bag is a bag, but her music releases should be coordinated with these projects. BMG should actively seek good sync opportunities for her, like the missed chance with the Belvedere commercial, where an unreleased song of hers was used.
    
4. Investing in a creative team that pushes her to explore themes and sounds she hasn't ventured into yet. She needs to demonstrate versatility as an artist, exploring different styles and presenting a cohesive artistic universe and vision for each project. The friendship with people like Charli XCX, which seems to be a genuine person on her side, could be helpful.
    
5. Ensuring that all her advertising contracts involve her music. Apparently, she has something in the works with Primark, and they funded an action during the album release week, so the same energy should be present in all other contracts as well. At the beginning of her career, with Adidas and DKNY, she did this correctly, but afterwards, she rarely used her music in advertisements. This is something that needs to come back into play.
    

Moreover, her team should keep an eye on new platforms and emerging trends in the digital landscape. Being present on these platforms can help expand her fan base and reach a younger audience. She should be open to unexpected collaborations, not only in music but also with influencers or brands, as these could create standout moments in her career.

[Laura Palmer]

She did it 

[Nefertiti0]

  

 

 

[BlackJesus]

6 minutes ago, Nefertiti0 said:

  

 

 

wooooooow they really admitted she doesn't sign anything

[Mordecai]

Not me buying a personally signed CD even though I was clowned once before with her 'signature' on my copy of Phoenix 

[reymiu]

Nnnn this is not a good look at all...

 

She has a few fans and her team scammed they 

[Nefertiti0]

4 hours ago, Mordecai said:

Not me buying a personally signed CD even though I was clowned once before with her 'signature' on my copy of Phoenix 

did you already get it? some fans have had their orders cancelled

 

[SomeGirl]

One issue at least seems to be that Banquet isn’t upfront about the fact they pre-write the messages. 
 

 

[Mordecai]

13 hours ago, Nefertiti0 said:

did you already get it? some fans have had their orders cancelled

 

Thankfully mine was dispatched a few days ago so I should be getting it, but this is still not a good look 

 

Rita sis you've probably only got a couple hundred fans now who'd pay for this, you could've done the bare minimum at least