HITS 4/26: #1 Taylor Swift 2.6M/1.92M pure, #5 Pearl Jam 60k

[dremolus - solarpunk]

One last thing I want to point out:

As someone who's had marketing and business classes for a bit, I may not be the most business savvy person but one thing I do know is that trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place. Hell just look at how many pop acts from the 80s didn't have longevity because they appealed to the broadest common audience as possible. As I said, Taylor Swift core audience is women primarily in the U.S., mostly Millennial with a 1/10 being Gen Z. A new album, good or bad, upbeat or slow, wasn't going to change this.

This idea that she has to magically convert a male audience or international audience into Swifties in just one era and by making more upbeat music is like based on projection if anything else. Name me one female pop star making upbeat pop music with a strong (non-gay) male fanbase. Taylor Swift did not become the biggest artist in the world right now by trying to appeal to a different demo than her core.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Apr 29, 2024 1:38:14 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place.

This 💯

[Hefty Hanna]

Apr 29, 2024 1:38:14 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

One last thing I want to point out:

As someone who's had marketing and business classes for a bit, I may not be the most business savvy person but one thing I do know is that trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place. Hell just look at how many pop acts from the 80s didn't have longevity because they appealed to the broadest common audience as possible. As I said, Taylor Swift core audience is women primarily in the U.S., mostly Millennial with a 1/10 being Gen Z. A new album, good or bad, upbeat or slow, wasn't going to change this.

This idea that she has to magically convert a male audience or international audience into Swifties in just one era and by making more upbeat music is like based on projection if anything else. Name me one female pop star making upbeat pop music with. Taylor Swift did not become the biggest artist in the world right now by trying to appeal to a different demo than her core.

As somebody in marketing, Taylor and her team have alllll of my respect.

[musiclife]

Apr 29, 2024 1:38:14 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

One last thing I want to point out:

As someone who's had marketing and business classes for a bit, I may not be the most business savvy person but one thing I do know is that trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place. Hell just look at how many pop acts from the 80s didn't have longevity because they appealed to the broadest common audience as possible. As I said, Taylor Swift core audience is women primarily in the U.S., mostly Millennial with a 1/10 being Gen Z. A new album, good or bad, upbeat or slow, wasn't going to change this.

This idea that she has to magically convert a male audience or international audience into Swifties in just one era and by making more upbeat music is like based on projection if anything else. Name me one female pop star making upbeat pop music with. Taylor Swift did not become the biggest artist in the world right now by trying to appeal to a different demo than her core.

Actually studies show that 48% of men like/are fans of Taylor. Google it. Lol

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Apr 29, 2024 9:32:14 GMT -5 musiclife said:

Apr 29, 2024 1:38:14 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

One last thing I want to point out:

As someone who's had marketing and business classes for a bit, I may not be the most business savvy person but one thing I do know is that trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place. Hell just look at how many pop acts from the 80s didn't have longevity because they appealed to the broadest common audience as possible. As I said, Taylor Swift core audience is women primarily in the U.S., mostly Millennial with a 1/10 being Gen Z. A new album, good or bad, upbeat or slow, wasn't going to change this.

This idea that she has to magically convert a male audience or international audience into Swifties in just one era and by making more upbeat music is like based on projection if anything else. Name me one female pop star making upbeat pop music with. Taylor Swift did not become the biggest artist in the world right now by trying to appeal to a different demo than her core.

Actually studies show that 48% of men like/are fans of Taylor. Google it. Lol

I did see that and that 48% is within America only. That article did not say 48% of her Global worldwide audience was male. A different article I found said the number was 44% Male, 55% female but this was just looking at the listeners for Red (Taylor's Version) and before both Midnights and the Eras tour were announced

[sayhey]

Amazing numbers for Taylor! 1.914M sales, including 859K vinyls is just fantastic! And also the 891.34M streams are obviously phenomenal.

I feel Taylor really turned things around for her ever since Covid. Reputation was successful but an obvious slump compared to the runaway success of 1989. Then Lover's commercial reception was also lackluster for her standards. It seemed like the new Gen-Z/Tik-Tok-Generation icons, first Billie Eilish and then Olivia Rodrigo, had "replaced" her. But she truly revitalized her image, initially with the positive reception towards Folklore and Evermore (which made her a critical darling) and then with her album reissues which led to a reappraisal of her older output. This was followed by Midnights, which established her as a streaming force and of course the ongoing Eras Tour which led her fans into hysteria-mode. Her relationship with Travis Kelce has also given her incessant media and tabloid exposure, which is great for her. All this led to this phenomenal opening week.

I think we're currently witnessing her absolute peak. Yes, the album's critical reception has been mixed (for her standards) but that really doesn't matter at all. Her fanbase is currently at its strongest and was obviously going to respond very positively to anything she released right now. I would like to see her experiment with different sounds and lyrical themes than her usual Jack Antonoff-esque material but it's still great seeing her experience a new peak in the 2020's.

Also, as a side note, loving the ongoing vinyl revival. If you'd told me vinyls would be outselling CDs 10 years ago, I'd have called you crazy, even considering the resurgence had already been long underway by 2014 lol. But what I find hilarious is that many of the younger vinyl collectors never actually listen to them and use them for purely decorative purposes. A friend of mine actually bought 4 copies of The Tortured Poets Department, all 4 different covers/versions, and she doesn't even own a record player and doesn't plan to buy one hahah! Anyway, it's the vinyl aesthetic that's popular I guess. Wonder how long it will last though, because it does seem a little fad-ish, we shall see I guess!

[avamaxstan]

Apr 29, 2024 10:45:43 GMT -5 sayhey said:

I think we're currently witnessing her absolute peak.

People have been saying that about her since 2014. Only time will tell!

[Choco]

I'd say there's no way this doesn't completely overexpose her and triggers a decline but she has proven people wrong time and time again. Amazing numbers, truly.

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

While this is impressive, I’m so thankful the monoculture does not exist anymore. Outside of what I sought out, I’ve not encountered the album in the wild. For that I am thankful.

[tobichartmaster]

What is the estimated $ revenue this 2.6 Million week has generated combining all formats?

[KeepDeanWeird]

Apr 29, 2024 9:32:14 GMT -5 musiclife said:

Apr 29, 2024 1:38:14 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

One last thing I want to point out:

As someone who's had marketing and business classes for a bit, I may not be the most business savvy person but one thing I do know is that trying to appeal to all demographics winds up making music that isn't the appealing to anyone in the first place. Hell just look at how many pop acts from the 80s didn't have longevity because they appealed to the broadest common audience as possible. As I said, Taylor Swift core audience is women primarily in the U.S., mostly Millennial with a 1/10 being Gen Z. A new album, good or bad, upbeat or slow, wasn't going to change this.

This idea that she has to magically convert a male audience or international audience into Swifties in just one era and by making more upbeat music is like based on projection if anything else. Name me one female pop star making upbeat pop music with. Taylor Swift did not become the biggest artist in the world right now by trying to appeal to a different demo than her core.

Actually studies show that 48% of men like/are fans of Taylor. Google it. Lol

I worked both Eras Shows here. 48% may be fans, but only 10-15% max attended those shows- a lot of those were dads with daughters. The majority of dudes just aren't going to connect with Taylor usual subject matter. I mean, I dig Taylor and numerous songs, but a lot of her catalog doesn't connect with me.

[Choco]

Are the gays not men? Because just 15% of the audience on an Eras Tour show being male seems plain impossible.

Also the notion that Taylor Swift only appeals to little girls that have to drag the father to the show... very outdated.

[avamaxstan]

Did you attend the tour? The MetLife shows were at least 85% female (and probably 90-95% white). I was actually shocked that there weren’t more gays.

[balletgirlmom]

Taylors numbers just amaze me!  Endless success.