Second singles you prefer over lead singles.

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Are there any songs that were released as a second single that you prefer over the lead singles? 

Janet:

So Excited (I honestly think this should have been the lead single from 20 Y.O., instead)

Britney:

Sometimes (BOMT has never really been my favorite. I actually feel more nostalgic when listening to Sometimes)

JoJo:

Baby, It's You (I just like the R&B vibe here more)

Madonna:

Material Girl (I feel that LAV is her most annoying song ever. Material Girl is much more tolerable)

Deeper and Deeper (I have to be in a special, kind of mood to listen to Erotica, but with Deeper and Deeper, I'm always up for it)

Rescue Me (same with Erotica, I have to be in a certain mood to listen to Justify My Love)

Girl Gone Wild (just not a huge fan of Give Me All Your Luvin', it feels so juvenile)

Mariah:

The Art of Letting Go (#Beautiful just never did much for me...)

Whitney:

I Have Nothing (Always felt that I Will Always Love Is You is highly overrated, and I get so tired of my dad playing this damn song all the time, lol)

Michael Jackson:

Billie Jean (I'm actually shocked that he chose "The Girl Is Mine" as the lead single. I'm like really, Mike, really???)

Remember The Time (Black or White has a great message and all, but Remember The Time is a total, sexy bop for me! I love that New Jack Swing)

The Way You Make Me Feel (I did enjoyed dancing to the Bad video during my youth, but these days, I much prefer TWYMMF)

Rihanna:

Hard (Never liked Russian Roulette)

[Mylo13 💜]

This thread was seemingly made for Taylor Swift lol.

Teardrops On My Guitar > Tim McGraw
White Horse >>> Love Story
Back To December >>> Mine
Begin Again > We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
...Ready For It? > Look What You Made Me Do
You Need To Calm Down > ME!

I do prefer Shake It Off to Blank Space though.

[Crimsonio]

Taylor:
Begin Again
Blank Space
...Ready For It?
You Need To Calm Down

Janet:
Someone To Call My Lover

Katy:
Teenage Dream
Unconditionally

Carly Rae:
Run Away With Me

Carrie:
All-American Girl
Heartbeat

Gaga:
Poker Face

Rihanna:
Unfaithful
Disturbia
Needed Me

[leonagwen]

Gwen Stefani Love Angel Music Baby album- Rich Girl> What U Waiting For. The Sweet Escape album- The Sweet Escape> Wind It Up.

[sirskimask]

The Weeknd
The Hills > Often

Travis Scott
SICKO MODE > Butterfly Effect

Kanye West:
Stronger > Can't Tell Me Nothing
Heartless > Love Lockdown
Runaway > Power

Drake:
Find Your Love > Over
One Dance > Hotline Bling
Nice for What > God's Plan

Post Malone:
Too Young > White Iverson

Kendrick Lamar:
The Blacker the Berry > i

[Ginger Spice]

I'm sure when you get down to it, there are plenty of examples of this, but I'm thinking specifically of lead singles that disappointed me initially, where as the follow up restored my faith in an album.

Madonna: Ghosttown > Living For Love
Taylor Swift: Blank Space > Shake It Off
Janet: So Excited > Call On Me

And not that the former disappointed me here, but Circus > Womanizer and that's that on that.

[tanooki]

Justin Timberlake: My Love completely overshadows SexyBack and Mirrors completely overshadows Suit and Tie

[thegreatdivine]

Drake:
Hold On We're Going Home > Started From the Bottom
Passionfruit > Fake Love
Headlines > Marvin's Room

[thegreatdivine]

Rihanna:
Stay > Diamonds
What's My Name > Only Girl (In the World)

[thegreatdivine]

Billie Eilish:
When the Party's Over > You Should See Me in a Crown
Bellyache > Ocean Eyes

[thegreatdivine]

The Weeknd:
Blinding Lights > Heartless
The Hills > Often
Belong to the World > Kiss Land
I Feel It Coming > Starboy

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Mar 20, 2020 7:11:39 GMT -5 thegreatdivine said:

Rihanna:
Stay > We Found Love
What's My Name > Only Girl (In the World)

Stay is on Unapologetic and WFL is on Talk That Talk

[thegreatdivine]

Mar 20, 2020 7:18:48 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

Mar 20, 2020 7:11:39 GMT -5 thegreatdivine said:

Rihanna:
Stay > We Found Love
What's My Name > Only Girl (In the World)

Stay is on Unapologetic and WFL is on Talk That Talk

Silly mistake. Both albums were released so close to each other, I usually mistake both songs for being on the same project.

[Deleted]

Mariah Carey:
The Emancipation Of Mimi - "We Belong Together" > "It's Like That" (both are great songs, though, but WBT was an iconic moment)
E=MC2 - "Bye Bye" >>> "Touch My Body" (a highly unpopular opinion, I imagine 😂)

Whitney Houston:
Whitney Houston - "You Give Good Love" > "Thinking About You" (both are good songs, though)
I'm Your Baby Tonight - "All the Man That I Need" > "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (another unpopular opinion, I believe 😬)
My Love Is Your Love - "Heartbreak Hotel" > "When You Believe" (very close call, though - all single choices from this era were extremely high quality)

Panic! At The Disco:
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" > "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (same with Emancipation, both are great, but the second single was a career-defining hit)

MIKA:
The Boy Who Knew Too Much - "Rain" > "We Are Golden"
Songbook Vol.1 - "Stardust" >>> "Live Your Life"
My Name Is Michael Holbrook - "Tiny Love" >>> "Ice Cream"

Katy Perry:
One Of The Boys - "Hot N Cold" > "I Kissed A Girl"
Teenage Dream - "Teenage Dream" > "California Gurls"
Prism - "Unconditionally" >>> "Roar"

Maroon 5:
Overexposed - "One More Night" >>> "Payphone"

Ed Sheeran:
X - "Don't" > "Sing"
No.6 Collaborations Project - "Cross Me" >>> "I Don't Care"

I might have gotten a bit carried away... 

[jessutation]

Taylor Swift:
(reputation, 2017): "...Ready For It?" > "Look What You Made Me Do"
(1989, 2014): "Blank Space" > "Shake It Off"

Beyonce:
(Dangerously In Love, 2003): "Baby Boy" > "Crazy In Love"
(I Am...Sasha Fierce, 2008): "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" > "If I Were A Boy"
(Beyonce, 2013): "Drunk In Love" > "XO"

Ariana Grande:
(Sweetener, 2018): "God is a woman" > "No Tears Left To Cry"
(Thank U, Next, 2019): "7 rings" > "thank u, next"

Nicki Minaj:
(The Pinkprint, 2014): "Anaconda" > "Pills N' Potions"

Rihanna:
(Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007): "Shut Up And Drive" > "Umbrella"
(Talk That Talk, 2011): "You da One" > "We Found Love"
(Unapologetic, 2012): "Stay" > "Diamonds"

Selena Gomez:
(Revival, 2015): "Same Old Love" > "Good For You"
(Rare, 2020): "Rare" > "Lose You To Love Me"

Meghan Trainor:
(Title, 2015): "Lips Are Movin" > "All About That Bass"

The Black Eyed Peas:
(The E.N.D., 2009): "I Gotta Feeling" > "Boom Boom Pow"

The Weeknd:
(After Hours, 2020): "Blinding Lights" > "Heartless"

Selena Quintanilla:
(Amor Prohibido, 1994): "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" > "Amor Prohibido"

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2020 18:25:15 GMT -5 jessutation said:

Meghan Trainor:
(Title, 2015): "Lips Are Movin" > "All About That Bass"

The Black Eyed Peas:
(The E.N.D., 2009): "I Gotta Feeling" > "Boom Boom Pow"

Great call for both of them! 😉 "Lips Are Movin" has the charming production of "All About That Bass" but with much better lyrics and a stronger doo-wop vibe, which I really appreciate. As for "I Gotta Feeling", it's the timeless party anthem 😍

A few others come to mind, now that I think about it...

Madonna:
Like A Virgin - "Material Girl" > "Like A Virgin" (both are pretty strong songs, though)
Music - "Don't Tell Me" > "Music"
American Life - "Hollywood" >>> "American Life"

Michael Bublé:
To Be Loved - "Close Your Eyes" > "It's a Beautiful Day" (I totally understand why the latter was chosen as lead single, and it's a great song, but I just love "Close Your Eyes" for its tenderness)

Queen:
Jazz - "Don't Stop Me Now" >>> "Bicycle Race / Fat Bottomed Girls" (the latter is admittedly pretty fun, but "Don't Stop Me Now" is an iconic anthem)
The Works - "I Want to Break Free" > "Radio Ga Ga"

[Agent Yoncé]

TBH, with the exception of her first two eras, all of Gaga's second singles were better than the leads.