Carrie Underwood - "Last Name"

[Marv]

Although 'Last Name' was sent to radio on Monday, 'STSM' stll would have reached #1 by the end of the week; the drop in spins for 'All-American Girl' didn't really accelerate until Thursday or Friday, by which time 'STSM' was #1 & still climbing.

As I posted on the thead for 'All-American Girl', 'STSM' overtook 'AAG' in points at Country Aircheck last Wednesday (3-12), although both songs gained spins during the week of March 5th-11th)---178-119 in favor of AJ.

Leilamaurizia---I goofed!!!!!!

I would apologize to rowdawg, but he's used to my screwups!!!!

[pacolim]

really like her 2nd album.

[zaclord]

leila & rowdawg are right... "Last Name" murdered "All-American Girl"... and that lead to Alan being #1 this week. there is no other possible explanation.

lets put it this way... if "Last Name" were not released until next week, "All-American Girl" would be spending it's 3rd week at #1 this week.

[rockingcountry]

I think Carrie is probably satisfied with two weeks at #1.

[Zazie]

Mar 17, 2008 17:57:37 GMT -5 @rockingcountry said:

I think Carrie is probably satisfied with two weeks at #1.

At this point in her career, I'm sure she's satisfied by whatever satisfies her label. Later on, that might change.

[zaclord]

a pretty decent debut this week (#46) considering it wont be going for adds for 3 more weeks

[S4C]

AllAccess just switched "Last Name" to impacting March 24th... I'd say that makes it official. Though I find it hard to believe that they actually thought radio would wait until the previous date to start playing it. At least, that's what this comes off as to me.

[zaclord]

hmmm... that makes me think that Arista wasn't intentionally trying to kill AAG this week. maybe they just wanted Alan to gain a lot of ground on her and take over #1 next week. because they would have to be crazy to actually think that LN wouldnt debut in at least the 40's this week.

otherwise i dont get why they would change the date a week later

[rowdawg21]

Today's Country Aircheck said that the add date was incorrectly listed before.

[adreeanna]

Mar 10, 2008 10:45:08 GMT -5 Mike said:

I really, really, really hope Roman White doesn't end up directing this video. Time for a change.

Oh my gosh -- my same thoughts!

[queensporsche]

Mar 18, 2008 19:05:10 GMT -5 @zaclord said:

hmmm... that makes me think that Arista wasn't intentionally trying to kill AAG this week. maybe they just wanted Alan to gain a lot of ground on her and take over #1 next week. because they would have to be crazy to actually think that LN wouldnt debut in at least the 40's this week.

otherwise i dont get why they would change the date a week later

I'm not so sure about that. I have a feeling that some radio stations were asked to "kill" AAG. My local station went from 45 spins to 7 spins in one week for AAG. That kind of a drop is NOT NORMAL!!!

[rockingcountry]

Mar 18, 2008 21:23:20 GMT -5 @adreeanna said:

Mar 10, 2008 10:45:08 GMT -5 Mike said:

I really, really, really hope Roman White doesn't end up directing this video. Time for a change.

Oh my gosh -- my same thoughts!

I agree, guys. Time for something new.

[John77]

Mar 18, 2008 21:39:55 GMT -5 queensporsche said:

Mar 18, 2008 19:05:10 GMT -5 @zaclord said:

hmmm... that makes me think that Arista wasn't intentionally trying to kill AAG this week. maybe they just wanted Alan to gain a lot of ground on her and take over #1 next week. because they would have to be crazy to actually think that LN wouldnt debut in at least the 40's this week.

otherwise i dont get why they would change the date a week later

I'm not so sure about that. I have a feeling that some radio stations were asked to "kill" AAG. My local station went from 45 spins to 7 spins in one week for AAG. That kind of a drop is NOT NORMAL!!!

I'm with you, queensporsche... As much as I hate to admit it, my gut tells me that something funny happened here. Going 45-7 in a week is just totally out of the norm - even at CHR! Stations usually will gradually back off a song. You get 5-10 stations doing this, and it's pretty easy to make room for something else to get to #1...

[flamethrower]

According to Billboard, Last Name is the top debut at #46 on the Hot Country Songs chart this week.

[Marv]

That loss of 38 spins in one week @ KMPS was bizarre to put it mildly, but the double-digit gains in spins at stations in Phoenix, Raleigh, Greensboro & SLC (total of 57) certainly counterbalanced that plunge @ KMPS.

'STSM' passed 'AAG' in spins on March 12th, whereas 'Last Name' had a modest 49 spins during the week which ended on March 12th.

'AAG' didn't start to plunge in spins at any other stations until March 14th.

'Last Name' should enjoy a superb debut @ Country Aircheck come Monday evening, which will easily make this the highest debuting song in Ms. Underwood's stunning career, and a debut which will undoubtedly leave her legions of fans pumped with joy.

Then she could conceivably break her own personal mark and make a run at Gretchen Wilson's record for highest debuting single by a female with her next single.

And the march to #1 rolls on........

[rowdawg21]

I guess they're already starting to do research for the next single because I just did a survey with five songs from Carnival Ride. They were "I Told You So," "I Know You Won't," "Flat On The Floor," "The More Boys I Meet," and "Just A Dream."

[casanova]

Mar 20, 2008 16:40:21 GMT -5 rowdawg21 said:

I guess they're already starting to do research for the next single because I just did a survey with five songs from Carnival Ride. They were "I Told You So," "I Know You Won't," "Flat On The Floor," "The More Boys I Meet," and "Just A Dream."

where?

[carriefan0209]

Mar 20, 2008 11:46:36 GMT -5 Marv said:

That loss of 38 spins in one week @ KMPS was bizarre to put it mildly, but the double-digit gains in spins at stations in Phoenix, Raleigh, Greensboro & SLC (total of 57) certainly counterbalanced that plunge @ KMPS.

'STSM' passed 'AAG' in spins on March 12th, whereas 'Last Name' had a modest 49 spins during the week which ended on March 12th.

'AAG' didn't start to plunge in spins at any other stations until March 14th.

'Last Name' should enjoy a superb debut @ Country Aircheck come Monday evening, which will easily make this the highest debuting song in Ms. Underwood's stunning career, and a debut which will undoubtedly leave her legions of fans pumped with joy.

Then she could conceivably break her own personal mark and make a run at Gretchen Wilson's record for highest debuting single by a female with her next single.

And the march to #1 rolls on........

Wait how will this break records?! It isnt #1 on the jump or taking off chart. I thought it was taking off somewhat slowly?

[Marv]

Ms. Wilson's excruciating 'All Jacked Up' debuted @ #24 @ R&R, and that's the highest debut for any single by a female vocalist that I'm aware of.

[zaclord]

"So Small" debuted at #20! you don't remember that?

[jeff]

ok i just skimmed through this thread. i dont have numbers to back me up, but i wouldnt be surprised if carrie went along with letting AJ get a #1. its been some time since he got one on radio, and she respects him a lot. there isnt much of a difference in impact on regular radio listeners, between 2 or 3 weeks at the top, except for fans and chartwatchers who like to take into account the cumulative weeks at #1 for all songs by an artist.

about the video, i dont really want to jump the gun on how i think it'll turn out until i see the end product. i really do hope, however, that someone else directs the video. one also has to wonder how much time she has to make a video. so i wouldnt be surprised if she went to the narration route.

[leilamaurizia]

Mar 20, 2008 20:25:43 GMT -5 @zaclord said:

"So Small" debuted at #20! you don't remember that?

The #20 debut is for Billboard and BDS-based R&R. I think Marv is referring to the Mediabase-based R&R and now Country Aircheck.

Although, Marv, since technically "So Small" debuted at #20 in the BDS-based R&R, then doesn't that mean Carrie already has the record on R&R? On Country Aircheck, SS debuted at #25. Since Country Aircheck didn't exist during Gretchen's "All Jacked Up," then doesn't that mean Carrie also holds the record on Country Aircheck? Ha! :)

[carriefan0209]

Leila are u a lawyer? ;)

[MFM29]

any date for the video?

[leilamaurizia]

Mar 20, 2008 16:40:21 GMT -5 rowdawg21 said:

I guess they're already starting to do research for the next single because I just did a survey with five songs from Carnival Ride. They were "I Told You So," "I Know You Won't," "Flat On The Floor," "The More Boys I Meet," and "Just A Dream."

Late reaction from me-- how interesting! I guess "Just a Dream" isn't the sure shot for the 4th single after all. I am a bit surprised that of the album tracks, it has one of the, if not the least, amount of 'renegade' play. Not that I consider pre-single play a reliable indicator of what the next single should be, but at the very least, it gives an idea of what some PDs/DJs like. Listener preference is unpredictable. I judge that by the downloads sold which comes after the fact of single release and at this point, can only be measured by sales during the time of album release. JAD did pretty well there and is the top-selling of the remaining album tracks that charted.

Just a Dream - 16,053 (as of 11/4/07)
Flat on the Floor - 7,221 (as of 10/28/07)
Twisted - 4,749 (as of 10/28/07)

Of the 5 tracks in the survey, only Just a Dream is currently getting 0 spins. In order of total AIs on all stations so far,

The More Boys I Meet - 2.430M AIs, 253 spins
Flat on the Floor - 1.300M AIs, 217 spins
I Told You So - 1.244M AIs, 118 spins
I Know You Won't - 0.484 M AIs, 41 spins

Surprisingly, "You Won't Find This" has the most renegade play in terms of AIs with 2.702M AIs and 223 spins.

Can you tell I'm bored?

So which track did you most favorably comment on, rowdawg?

[zaclord]

oh gosh... i am gonna die! the 2 best ones left (FOTF, JAD) against the 3 worst ones (ITYS, IKYW, TMBIM). oh i wish i would have gotten that survey! "Just A Dream" FTNS!!! (for the next single)

[Marv]

Leilamaurizia--I just plain whiffed on 'So Small' debuting @ #20 at BB (eclipsing Ms. Wilson's #24 debut @ R&R with 'AJU')---it just skipped my mind.

The fact that 'AJU' ran out of gas very quickly has certainly made many more PDs more squeamish about adding singles by artists before the callout results come in, and that especially applies to singles by females.

Chuck Wicks and especially James Otto have had no problems in marching up the charts, whereas established female stars such as Trisha Yearwood & Sara Evans can't get much traction at the format anymore, which is really a shame, IMHO.

[rowdawg21]

Mar 22, 2008 11:59:28 GMT -5 leilamaurizia said:

So which track did you most favorably comment on, rowdawg?

It was a three way tie for me between "I Told You So," "Flat On The Floor," and "Just A Dream." I think any of these songs would make good singles. If I had to pick one, I would go with "Just A Dream" since it seems like a good single for the fall.

[JJ]

I hope it's I Know You Won't.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 20, 2008 16:40:21 GMT -5 rowdawg21 said:

I guess they're already starting to do research for the next single because I just did a survey with five songs from Carnival Ride. They were "I Told You So," "I Know You Won't," "Flat On The Floor," "The More Boys I Meet," and "Just A Dream."

The most encouraging thing to me about this is that this means "I Told You So" is in the running for future single status. It's one of the best songs and vocal performances on Carnival Ride for me. "I Know You Won't" is absolutely killer live and the studio performance is also excellent, but I'm not sure it would play well on radio. "Just a Dream" seems like an obvious single to me. I think that a ballad should follow "Last Name," followed by an uptempo song and, if there is a 6th single, another ballad.

As far as the uptempo tracks go, I prefer "Crazy Dreams" and "Get Out of This Town" to the studio versions of "Flat on the Floor" and "The More Boys I Meet." But "Flat on the Floor" is a great song and Carrie's studio vocal has grown on me (her live performances definitely top the studio vocal for me, though). "The More Boys I Meet" is the only song of the five that I'd really rather not get released. It's funny but not as charming as it should be and I find the studio vocal to be overclarified to the point of grating.

Back on topic, this looks good to hit the top-30 by week's end, yes?