Carrie Underwood - “I’m Gonna Love You” #1 All-Genre iTunes

[desertfloods]

If anyone thinks these sales number won't come if she is still under Sony, you're kidding yourself.

I have always felt that her image, her songs are skewed towards older demographic age groups. People also don't seem to be that interested in listening to loud vocal/beltings and drama/revenge songs on streaming.

As I was watching her GMA performance of Crazy Angels, I thought to myself, why does this look less fun and energetic than her first live performance of CA recently? I feel like the public generally never got to see her fun personality on tv, not like how she is on tour. Her performances on tv tend to fall in the technically perfect but very predictable routine, tbh.

I think this album is a great change of artistic direction though. She just needs to work harder this time around on getting people to take notice of the change!

[iHype.]

She is approaching 40+ and has been around almost 20 years. Nearly every female artist in her territory is pulling similar numbers. The mainstream success will eventually end at some point.

Country radio moves slow and Country albums are long burners though. This could end up going Gold in the long run with a hit or two.

[Carriefan1190]

Jun 13, 2022 21:29:13 GMT -5 @underwood said:

Jun 13, 2022 20:57:50 GMT -5 Carriefan1190 said:

Carrie never should’ve left Sony BMG, because Capitol has dropped the ball here big time. 28-30k is a colossal joke compared to her previous albums. 

I doubt her changing labels has anything to do with her decrease in sales. As good as Storyteller was, that was her last album with Sony and I remember how many complaints fans had about the promotional rollout and lack of exciting moments during that era.

But that still managed a 170k opening week and 4 top 2 singles, even though it had been 5 years since her last full studio album. I do get that she is almost 40, but she is arguably one of the top 3 females in this format still and these numbers are not good. I hope this album has longevity because this album is full of potential radio hits.

[Mike]

So many valid points above me. To go from 251K pure sales to 28K-33K is obviously a gut-punch. The industry has been evolving so much since her last release with the exclusion of bundles and the rise of streaming that she's never really had a hold on. I think one of the biggest factors is that Apple never figured out a way to track streams/listens on actual PURCHASED albums. She is #1 on iTunes. But, how many actual listens is she getting from those? We'll probably never know. I think that's a major flaw for a lot of legacy/long-standing artists. Like, count the sale, but how much are those tracks are ACTUALLY being consumed on a day to day basis?

"My Savior" benefited from hitting two different audiences that she doesn't have this time around. I think "Ghost Story" is a great track and they did give it ample promo, but there are so many instant singles on this record that could have taken that place. I don't know if it's the new label or management to blame, but this has been an issue with her for a while. They cannot keep playing it safe. Put the banger out first. Get people excited.

Such a bummer. I love this album.

[bornfearless2000]

Does anyone know how many albums she has in contract with UMG? After CP, MG, MS, maybe DNR is her last one under the contract? Something is fishy with CDs distribution this time. Maybe UMG tries to jeopardize her sales so it will be hard for her to move to different label. Just a thought.

I was concerned about the sales, but since its a really really great album, i tried not to think about it and just enjoy the music. We’ve had 15 years of her ruling the chart.

[daddy]

Jun 13, 2022 21:24:56 GMT -5 Typo said:

Something is off with distribution of this album. My Gift opened with 41k in SEPTEMBER 2020 and My Savior opened with 68k physical units just last year.

Her audience still buys physical at retailers and they weren’t stocked. I don’t know who’s to blame for that tho.

This. Album sales have not declined this much since MS release. Plus this album should appeal to more people than MS. While “Ghost Story” might not be the biggest album seller, MS didn’t really have any hyped singles to promote it either.

The response from most fans in the US that I’ve read is they couldn’t find the album in stores. Something is really messed up with distribution for some reason, and I think that’s the primary cause for those numbers. It’s unfortunate, but I hope they can get them in stores asap and have a couple steady sales weeks.

[Ling-Ling]

The opening is unfortunate. Her bad streaming numbers are a real hurdle and losing tour bundles was always going to be a big blow. Plus, as others have stated, she's twenty years in. Diminishing returns are expected. I can't speak to the stock issues in stores, I had no issues and it was stocked everywhere in my city. Plus, people can click on their Amazon and Target apps and just get it that way. Did it have some impact? Probably, but I think people are blowing that out of proportion (and seriously, Capitol is sabotaging Carrie? LMAO).

That being said, the drop didn't have to be this severe. This is the second album that Capitol has fumbled IMO. They bungled CP with the single choices and let's be real, she lost some standing at radio. But that album had a much bigger promo push behind it, naturally so, it was her first album on Capitol and they had something to prove and nothing was spared (also, tour bundles, lol). The promo for this album has been incredibly tame compared to past eras. She also hasn't been keeping her core fed outside of that Aldean duet, the longest break from country radio in her career. And I get that Capitol was trying to course correct the shaky single performances from CP, but they pivoted way too hard and released the safest/blandest song on the album as the first single. "GS" has not connected and I doubt it will. It's just not a good first single and it's not a song that lends itself to memorable performances or a video. Not even hanging from a rope could make that a dynamic single choice. She has catchy, attention grabbing songs on this album, ones that lend themselves to more memorable videos and performances. Why weren't they released? It's just bizarre to me. "GS" is going to take months to peak and her album will probably be off the chart by then.

They need to work the hell out of radio with this, since she's stuck on tour for awhile. This album is good and it has hits, they just need to release them and hopefully she can salvage her relationship with radio listening audiences a bit. And she cannot play around on her next album, she has got to start it off with a flaw free, dynamic single that reminds audiences of why they love her in the first place. And she has got to be more ambitious with the promo and her image IMO.

[daddy]

Bold statement I’m comfortable making: “Burn” should be released next for the Winter/Spring and would be Carrie’s highest impact single since Church Bells.

[jenglisbe]

Jun 13, 2022 22:24:45 GMT -5 Mike said:

She is #1 on iTunes. But, how many actual listens is she getting from those? We'll probably never know. I think that's a major flaw for a lot of legacy/long-standing artists. Like, count the sale, but how much are those tracks are ACTUALLY being consumed on a day to day basis?

iTunes sales are so miniscule at this point that this is not a huge loss. Even if the album sold 5k through iTunes for the week, all of those people would need to listen to the entire album 125 times each this week just to equal 5k more in sales.

It does seem like places don't have the physical product in stock, and that is a main reason for the low sales since she is dependent on physical sales.

Miranda's recent album opened with 36k SPS, so Carrie looks like she will be in that neighborhood. Miranda's lead single is only just now entering the top 10 and came out literally 5 months before "GS." It's wild how slow country radio is right now. That really affects sales, too. It's why streaming is so important now in terms of keeping albums afloat.

[taylor is terrified]

Jun 14, 2022 8:21:48 GMT -5 daddy said:

Bold statement I’m comfortable making: “Burn” should be released next for the Winter/Spring and would be Carrie’s highest impact single since Church Bells.

“Burn” has branded itself in my head. It’s playing on loop incessantly. “Church Bells” did this to me and became one of my absolute favorite songs from her period. “Burn” HAS to be released at some point. We could say that about nearly every other song on this album, but not giving “Burn” her flowers would be a glaring mistake.

As with “Church Bells,” I’m halfway to declaring “Burn” in my Top 10 all time of her career.

[Carriefan1190]

Jun 14, 2022 8:21:48 GMT -5 daddy said:

Bold statement I’m comfortable making: “Burn” should be released next for the Winter/Spring and would be Carrie’s highest impact single since Church Bells.

Burn needs to be the next single, with Crazy Angels next for Summer 2023 and then Velvet Heartbreak next for Fall 2023. Potentially have Pink Champagne as a 5th single as well. This album is full of radio hits, but they need to choose the right ones to keep the momentum going on radio.

[daddy]

Jun 14, 2022 8:38:44 GMT -5 Carriefan1190 said:

Jun 14, 2022 8:21:48 GMT -5 daddy said:

Bold statement I’m comfortable making: “Burn” should be released next for the Winter/Spring and would be Carrie’s highest impact single since Church Bells.

Burn needs to be the next single, with Crazy Angels next for Summer 2023 and then Velvet Heartbreak next for Fall 2023. Potentially have Pink Champagne as a 5th single as well. This album is full of radio hits, but they need to choose the right ones to keep the momentum going on radio.

Personally I think I’d go:

2. Burn
3. Pink Champagne
4. She Don’t Know
5. Velvet Heartbreak

Although I bet we get four singles, one of which I think will definitely be “Crazy Angels”. It’s not my favourite, but it seems to be connecting well and I think it could be a hit for her. I just really hope at least 2 of the others I mentioned are singles with Burn being absolutely necessary.

[zdm1998]

The more that I sit on it the more I don’t think the sales are horrible. Bearing she trends upwards and can open close to 40k that’s pretty spot on honestly.

Her peers are pretty close. Jason and Carrie have always had similar sales figures under normal circumstances (CP was not normal due to the inflated tour number.) Jason opened with 37K and that was when IIDLY was nearing the top of the chart and he had great exposure.

I do think if we didn’t have the stocking issue she could be closer to 50k. Really we can’t compare this number to her previous sales because sales accross country are sh*t. We have to look at her peers, and like her, their numbers are sh*t. All of this is due to streaming. One album is equal to 1500 streams, and her casual fans aren’t going to stream an album that only has 12 tracks enough to be in that range for her to maintain her level.

[Typo]

The positive is her numbers always trend upward, but I’m not sure Fallon is enough to make an impact.

[14887fan]

Maybe they bet on CMAF being the thing that was going to bring them strong sales, with so many album-buying country fans being in one place at one time. I would get the logic, but to only have 2 major national promo opportunities lined up during the week of release is odd to me.

A bummer of a start to what could’ve & should’ve been a deserving homerun for such a solid record. It’s wild because she remains an absolutely massive draw when it comes to touring.

[Typo]

Jun 14, 2022 7:19:48 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

I can't speak to the stock issues in stores, I had no issues and it was stocked everywhere in my city. Plus, people can click on their Amazon and Target apps and just get it that way. Did it have some impact? Probably, but I think people are blowing that out of proportion.

I disagree. Carrie still appeals to an older generation - the types who come across an album during grocery shopping at Walmart or dining out at Cracker Barrel. I know it sounds easy enough to just order a physical copy online, but I just don’t think that’s how this audience works. I can tell you right now nobody in my family is purchasing any albums on Amazon.

[daddy]

Jun 14, 2022 11:14:47 GMT -5 Typo said:

Jun 14, 2022 7:19:48 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

I can't speak to the stock issues in stores, I had no issues and it was stocked everywhere in my city. Plus, people can click on their Amazon and Target apps and just get it that way. Did it have some impact? Probably, but I think people are blowing that out of proportion.

I disagree. Carrie still appeals to an older generation - the types who come across an album during grocery shopping at Walmart or dining out at Cracker Barrel. I know it sounds easy enough to just order a physical copy online, but I just don’t think that’s how this audience works. I can tell you right now nobody in my family is purchasing any albums on Amazon.

Agreed. Can simply look at her physical sales vs streams/downloads to realize the importance of having this album well stocked in stores. For anyone living in the US, does the stocking seem to be better than earlier in the week?

[Ivy Leegue™]

Sheesh. Sometimes, I forget how sales/chart-obsessed Pulse is. I listen to a lot of "flop" artists. Doesn't take anything away from their impact on my life or the quality of the music. I refuse to get upset about Carrie's sales or lack thereof, when she remains (and always will remain) richer than I ever will be in this lifetime.

[carrieidol1]

Jun 14, 2022 10:22:07 GMT -5 14887fan said:

Maybe they bet on CMAF being the thing that was going to bring them strong sales, with so many album-buying country fans being in one place at one time. I would get the logic, but to only have 2 major national promo opportunities lined up during the week of release is odd to me.

A bummer of a start to what could’ve & should’ve been a deserving homerun for such a solid record. It’s wild because she remains an absolutely massive draw when it comes to touring.

Touring is where the money is, anyway. It’s clear that her “new” label put an emphasis on that from the start, for which I’m very thankful. I’m sure the upcoming tour will do very well and hopefully push the album to Gold, which would constitute a success imo.

[popwizard]

My Gift and My Savior were GREAT albums. My Savior being her only album to win a well-deserved Grammy. I’m sure word of mouth helped sell that album along with perhaps the pre-release songs. Even I bought My Savior the CD album even though I pay for Spotify and can stream for free. It’s that good.

Ghost Story is a strong lead single in my opinion. It’s a grower and I love the lyrics. She’s also coming off the high of If I Didn’t Love You. Just my opinion, but this doesn’t come off as a strong album.

David Garcia was great for My Savior and some Cry Pretty songs but I don’t know if the problem is him or if it’s Capitol. They both kind of coincided with drop off in radio success and now album sales. I don’t think it’s Carrie judging by the success when she releases great music (My Gift, My Savior, If I Didn’t Love You)

[toomuchboy]

Jun 13, 2022 21:09:49 GMT -5 misterscribbs said:

Jun 13, 2022 20:57:50 GMT -5 Carriefan1190 said:

Kinda upset. She probably won’t even get to continue her #1 country album streak now because of Morgan Wallen. He sold like 60k last week. Carrie never should’ve left Sony BMG, because Capitol has dropped the ball here big time. 28-30k is a colossal joke compared to her previous albums. It’s a shame because this is easily one of her best albums.

I mean, maybe. But at the end of the day, the move is what Carrie wanted. This isn’t something she was pushed towards. She gets to work with who she chooses now, which for her, I think is the most important. Also, it isn’t unusual for someone who is approaching two decades into their career to not come close to matching sales from when they launched. She’s fine. She’s not going anywhere. Outside of the label, us hardcore fans are the only ones who really care about sales anyway.

This, combined with the fact that Cry Pretty ultimately was polarizing to country listeners and she has just come off genre-jumping with My Savior. In a sense, she's put out a lot of material recently, even though this is her first country album in a while. I'm less worried because the material is clearly strong and there are many stellar single options to help regain footing at radio where the CP era was a little shaky.

I believe the album, much like what we're seeing in the first single's performance, will be a grower, imo. With options like "Crazy Angels," "Pink Champagne," "Faster," "She Don't Know," etc. I'm willing to bet that by the time her third single is peaking (which will be ages from now) sales for this will be perfectly fine.

[jenglisbe]

Jun 14, 2022 11:59:34 GMT -5 carrieidol1 said:

Jun 14, 2022 10:22:07 GMT -5 14887fan said:

Maybe they bet on CMAF being the thing that was going to bring them strong sales, with so many album-buying country fans being in one place at one time. I would get the logic, but to only have 2 major national promo opportunities lined up during the week of release is odd to me.

A bummer of a start to what could’ve & should’ve been a deserving homerun for such a solid record. It’s wild because she remains an absolutely massive draw when it comes to touring.

Touring is where the money is, anyway. It’s clear that her “new” label put an emphasis on that from the start, for which I’m very thankful. I’m sure the upcoming tour will do very well and hopefully push the album to Gold, which would constitute a success imo.

I didn't pay attention at the time; was her deal with this new label a 360 deal (or more so one where the label gets part of the touring)?

Jun 14, 2022 12:28:19 GMT -5 toomuchboy said:

I'm willing to bet that by the time her third single is peaking (which will be ages from now) sales for this will be perfectly fine.

Keep in mind very few stores even have physical product anymore, and certainly not of 'older' albums. So, for albums to have legs streaming is a major factor.

[Typo]

4 out of 5 stars from AllMusic:

Album by album, Carrie Underwood crept slowly toward the kind of spangly, oversized country-pop made by Shania Twain at the dawn of the 21st century -- a transition that reaches its culmination on Denim & Rhinestones, her seventh proper studio LP. As the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, Underwood always had at least one foot firmly planted in pop, so this evolution doesn't come as a shock. Nevertheless, the gleam and sheen of Denim & Rhinestones is rather overwhelming; it's a record where the shining surfaces are buffed so brilliantly, they're blinding. Such extravagance suits Underwood, who continues to demonstrate a masterly sense of control as a vocalist, able to milk the melodrama out of power ballads while also sounding defiant on arena-fillers and seeming convincingly tender on the sweeter melodies. Despite this gift, the best moments on Denim & Rhinestones are the ones that contain no subtlety: the overdriven '80s-MTV inflections of "Crazy Angels," the insistent taunt of the chorus on "Hate My Heart," the bubbly exuberance of "Pink Champagne," the exaggerated retro-chill vibe on "Wanted Woman," and the high-'80s throwback spirit of "Denim & Rhinestones." These are the moments that give Denim & Rhinestones its character and charm, an unabashed pop spirit that separates it from the rest of Underwood's catalog along with most of the mainstream country of 2022.

[carrieidol1]

Not for nothing, “My Savior” was released and promoted in conjunction with a holiday, one which is technically a gift-buying holiday for many. The Facebook concert was viewed by a lot of people on its debut, and shortly after it aired on one of Gaither’s networks through the following summer and fall as a literal infomercial. MS started with a bang for sure, and benefitted from being promoted as the partner to “My Gift”, imo. With both MG and MS, there were collaborations which naturally diversify and increase the potential audience; I think that’s an important difference, too... It’s also a terrible time in the world to sell anything, and we’re entering the slowest period for retail in general (summer). On top of this, clearly there’s supply/shipping issues impacting the core of Carrie’s purchasing demographic. Point is, things are different. As long as she isn’t significantly below her counterparts of a similar caliber, then I’m not mad. It’s just a sign of the times more than anything…

[zdm1998]

Whoever keeps changing the title of the thread has me laughing.

[14887fan]

Please let this be an in-studio interview + performance.

[carrieidol1]

Jun 14, 2022 15:38:25 GMT -5 @underwood said:

Next single, Pink Champagne, confirmed!

http://instagr.am/p/CezJzYelaew

Wait, am I missing something? Where is this confirmed? I just see that she’s performing it… not seeing anything about it as a single?

[taylor is terrified]

^^ I mean, it’s likely to be her next single…it was the only other track upon album release to have a lyric video on YouTube, and was the only song from the album to be put on major playlists like Apple Music’s New Music Daily.

[Snowbeast]

I LOVE “Burn”.

Sounds like a late summer/ fall smash. Such an ear worm: “that’s the thing about your memory, it’s keeping me warm but it’s killing meeee”.

[musicfan134]

For better or worse, times are changing, and it's getting harder and harder to find physical CDs (from anyone) in stores. The reality is that if Carrie and/or her label want better numbers, she/they need to do something about her streaming. That's the way the industry works now. Even Adele underperformed in pure sales this last year, and her album was all over the place in stores. People just aren't buying CDs anymore. It may seem like there are "supply issues" but it's entirely possible this is just the new normal. If so, I hope Carrie can figure it out and come back with her next album.

Having said that. I've given the album a few more listens and it's...okay. It's interesting that people who fangirl over Storyteller seem to be in awe with this album. Storyteller has always been my least favorite Carrie album. I could never quite figure out why that was, but I kind of feel the same way about this album. The difference is that Storyteller has "Chaser" and "Relapse", two of Carrie's best songs, and it also had "Choctaw County Affair" which is easily Carrie's worst song (this goes without saying, but this is all JMO of course). Denim & Rhinestones doesn't really have any standout songs to me, for better or worse. I stand by the opinion that a lot of these songs sound the same or very similar, musically and even lyrically. I realize this is just my opinion, but I can't help but wonder if the performance issues for this album are due, in part, to fans feeling the same way I do about this album. Of course I hope I'm wrong.