Nickelback - Savin' Me

[pen]

Third single, goes for adds on February 27th. It's blah IMO but it'll do well for them.

[Love Plastic Love]

I love it

[Chato]

Just as bad as any of their other songs. This will surely be a hit on rock/active , not too sure about alt , though.

[singingsparrow]

gliben said:

Just as bad as any of their other songs. This will surely be a hit on rock/active , not too sure about alt , though.

Even Active Rock will go neutral on this.

On name recognition alone, it'll go Top 10 at Active Rock, and lyrically it may hit home to listeners as the song seems to be about overcoming thoughts of suicide. But musically, I feel it's a little too soft for the format and probably won't have a lot of staying power and will rise fast then fall fast like "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" did.

In any case, if this is heading to Active Rock, they must keep "Far Away" away from the format at all costs and release another heavy-hitter to the format afterwards, preferrably "Side Of A Bullet" or "Fight For All The Wrong Reasons", though "Follow You Home" and "Next Contestant" would also work.

This will peak fairly high at Active Rock, but slide just as fast.

My Predictions:

Active Rock: #4
Alternative: #27

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Krypton46]

They've all but abandoned alternative at this point so I don't see this doing much there, especially coming off of "Animals" which was much more suited for the format and only managed to squeak into the top 20. This will do the most damage at pop and HAC, no doubt about that.

[Matt4319]

I think it's got a shot at the top 20 at Alternative. I don't think "Animals" is that much more alternative-friendly than this one. Remember "Figured You Out" hit the top 5 but didn't even get play from a fourth of the panel. Likewise, some alt stations probably didn't add "Animals", and will treat this as the de facto 2nd single. Moderate play from the other stations might be enough to get this to the top 20. It'll probably hit the top 10 on Active Rock, Pop, and Hot AC though.

[singingsparrow]

admin said:

I think it's got a shot at the top 20 at Alternative.  I don't think "Animals" is that much more alternative-friendly than this one.  Remember "Figured You Out" hit the top 5 but didn't even get play from a fourth of the panel.  Likewise, some alt stations probably didn't add "Animals", and will treat this as the de facto 2nd single.  Moderate play from the other stations might be enough to get this to the top 20.  It'll probably hit the top 10 on Active Rock, Pop, and Hot AC though.

Actually, it got play from three-quarters of the panel, but I know what you mean in that a number of stations just won't play them anymore like they do 3 Doors Down, period.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Matt4319]

singingsparrow said:

Actually, it got play from three-quarters of the panel, but I know what you mean in that a number of stations just won't play them anymore like they do 3 Doors Down, period.

We're saying the same thing.  What I meant was not that only 1/4 of the stations played it, but that 1/4 of the stations didn't play it.

[allnightmarelong]

they're pulling a 3 doors down! they make a video for one song than theres so much confusion about what their next single will be (refering to a video being made, not radio play).
not the best song from the album, but its ok.

[jdmasta289]

Honestly, I like this song less than any other Nickelback single I have heard. I'm actually surprised by the longevity and moderate chart success of "Animals", and believe that they probably released "Savin' Me" about 4 weeks too early, given that "Photograph" is still at #14 or so on the pop chart, and "Animals" has barely lost its bullet here and is still climbing its way WITHIN the #1 spot on AR.

[singingsparrow]

hugwhore said:

they're pulling a 3 doors down! they make a video for one song than theres so much confusion about what their next single will be (refering to a video being made, not radio play).
not the best song from the album, but its ok.

That's an inaccurate comparison, because the reason Nickelback's latest is selling so well is because they KNOW all the diverse groups that make up their fanbase. You have the traditional pre-Silver Side Up headbangers that still bow before their continuing adrenaline rockers and the average Joe/Jane Top 40 listeners that have yearned for them to turn more to the mainstream sound and have been delighted in their latest effort. You have the male fans that largely have a preference for the grit, gore and pulse, the female fans that are seduced by Kroeger's honesty and wearing his heart out on the sleeve and not being afraid to show his more softer side, and the males and females that cross the lines as well.

Nickelback are HUGELY successful right now because they understand all their groups of their audience. Give their oldest fans what they want with "Side Of A Bullet" and "Fight For All The Wrong Reasons". Give their Top 40 fans what they want with "Photograph" and "Savin' Me". Give the particularly male fans the meat with "Animals" and "Next Contestant". Give the particularly female fans the feminine touch with "If Everyone Cared" and "Far Away". It's a hugely successful formula.

3 Doors Down, unlike Nickelback, have had an identity crisis as of late. They want to be identified as a rock band, but they're all washed up and don't seem to understand their base. Ever since "When I'm Gone", they've complained that they are not a "pop band" and they're a "rock band", yet you have consecutive poppy ballad releases ("Here Without You", "Away From The Sun"), a lead single Top 40 mid-tempo ("Let Me Go"), mild tracks that have enough drive but don't rawk ("Live For Today", "Behind These Eyes"), another ballad ("Here By Me") and a folk-tinged tune ("Landing In London")

Nickelback are looking to outsell their previous triple-platinum album because they know their fans. 3 Doors Down's last album bombed in comparison with "Away From The Sun" and only went platinum because they largely didn't know their fans.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[singingsparrow]

jdmasta289 said:

Honestly, I like this song less than any other Nickelback single I have heard.  I'm actually surprised by the longevity and moderate chart success of "Animals", and believe that they probably released "Savin' Me" about 4 weeks too early, given that "Photograph" is still at #14 or so on the pop chart, and "Animals" has barely lost its bullet here and is still climbing its way WITHIN the #1 spot on AR.

I'm not surprised at all "Animals" is still running strong. It's a straight-up rock song designed to satisfy their headbanger/hard-hitter base, and even to many not a big fan of the heavy sound, it's a guilty pleasure lyrically.

Plus, "Photograph", was, of course, plunging on Active Rock just as "Animals" was beginning to get released. "Photograph" really only soared to #1 there to begin with because it was a lead single from a staple artist to the format, and even if was even poppier, it still wouldn't tire the promotion.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[allnightmarelong]

you make some decent points there. I still stand by what I said but I see where you're comin from!

[Love Plastic Love]

I agree with Sunny
Nickelback has amazed me with their ability to stay relevant and I think that is largely because they do know their base...and they know how to release singles.

[singingsparrow]

underneathobsidian said:

I agree with Sunny
Nickelback has amazed me with their ability to stay relevant and I think that is largely because they do know their base...and they know how to release singles.

Less than two years ago, I strongly doubted they'd have any staying power on the radio. Almost everyone seemed to hate everything about Nickelback; Kroeger's voice, Kroeger's attitude, the band's same-soundedness, everything. I even thought 3 Doors Down would be around longer than them.

Nickelback have certainly showed me here. And the more I think about it, the more it begins to make sense, because I never doubted Kroeger knew how to write not only a mean hook, but a mean song, love or hate Nickelback. And because Kroeger is experimenting with this formula on all kinds of topics and styles, he's wowing a dimension of new listeners.

Though I still don't consider myself a fan of the band, I've grown to like Nickelback more than ever and can see why they deliver.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[friday]

I'm glad this is getting release here. It's at least somewhat better than the generic catch-all of "Photograph" and way better than the mess of "Animals." I mean, my problem with the other two songs was that as Chad was saying the lyrics, I'm finding myself asking "Who cares?" Honestly, who cares what's on Joey's head? Who cares if you're in the backseat defiling a 16-year-old while her father watches? Now, that could be due more to the relatively unconventional structure of the song for them, since the first two singles were practically the same as the first two singles off "The Long Road," albeit not as good, in my opinion.

But, for the sake of brevity, the reason I like this song is it shows it's possible to be catchy without sounding generic or obnoxious.

[singingsparrow]

friday said:

I'm glad this is getting release here. It's at least somewhat better than the generic catch-all of "Photograph" and way better than the mess of "Animals." I mean, my problem with the other two songs was that as Chad was saying the lyrics, I'm finding myself asking "Who cares?" Honestly, who cares what's on Joey's head? Who cares if you're in the backseat defiling a 16-year-old while her father watches? Now, that could be due more to the relatively unconventional structure of the song for them, since the first two singles were practically the same as the first two singles off "The Long Road," albeit not as good, in my opinion.

But, for the sake of brevity, the reason I like this song is it shows it's possible to be catchy without sounding generic or obnoxious.

I believe we all understandably approach songs and all forms of art differently.

But I believe "Photograph" triumphed because it's a song many can immediately not only feel and relate to, but even reminisce. Many songs are just not THAT powerful in that they can evoke feelings of nostalgia, regret and sentimental value. "Photograph" I believe has that magic and that's why it hit the jackpot.

"Animals" hit too because 1) they needed something heavy for Active Rock and this is heavy, finsh the math and 2) sex sells. It's not an important or meaningful song by any means, but I believe that's the whole point to begin with. Of course "Animals" wouldn't work as a slow or mid-tempo song. When you're an animal, you're mindless, you're out of control, you don't care what others are thinking of you and what you're feasting on, thus the song is a mindless heavy song celebrating just going with the flow.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[friday]

singingsparrow said:

I believe we all understandably approach songs and all forms of art differently.

But I believe "Photograph" triumphed because it's a song many can immediately not only feel and relate to, but even reminisce. Many songs are just not THAT powerful in that they can evoke feelings of nostalgia, regret and sentimental value. "Photograph" I believe has that magic and that's why it hit the jackpot.

"Animals" hit too because 1) they needed something heavy for Active Rock and this is heavy, finsh the math and 2) sex sells. It's not an important or meaningful song by any means, but I believe that's the whole point to begin with. Of course "Animals" wouldn't work as a slow or mid-tempo song. When you're an animal, you're mindless, you're out of control, you don't care what others are thinking of you and what you're feasting on, thus the song is a mindless heavy song celebrating just going with the flow.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

Well, Chad Kroeger can tell me that himself because I still don't care.

[jdmasta289]

All hail Noah Eaton, A.K.A. SunnyScorpio: The Nickelback Guru.

[No Brake$]

This song could outpeak Photograph. This song reminds me a lot of Puddle Of Mudd- Drift & Die, a song that I thought was one of Active Rock's best this decade.

[Gui393]

This is SO MUCH better than Photograph.

[tortuga]

rkwo said:

This song could outpeak Photograph. This song reminds me a lot of Puddle Of Mudd- Drift & Die, a song that I thought was one of Active Rock's best this decade.

Ah yes, "Drift and Die" was great. I wonder what happened to that group.

[pen]

tortuga said:

rkwo said:

This song could outpeak Photograph. This song reminds me a lot of Puddle Of Mudd- Drift & Die, a song that I thought was one of Active Rock's best this decade.

Ah yes, "Drift and Die" was great. I wonder what happened to that group.

They recently went through a lineup change and they're currently working on their new album. I guess Wes played a new song on Loveline of all places and said they're getting ready to record.

[jdmasta289]

They recently went through a lineup change and they're currently working on their new album. I guess Wes played a new song on Loveline of all places and said they're getting ready to record.

Let's hope their next album earns them a little more respect than Life On Display did for them. I actually liked "Heel Over Head" and "Spin You Around", even though it was really nothing new for them musically.

I do wish they'd sort of step outside the box and work on something different; maybe now that Fred Durst has returned to his shell, Wes can start expanding his material.

[Nicholas2.0]

penance said:

They recently went through a lineup change and they're currently working on their new album. I guess Wes played a new song on Loveline of all places and said they're getting ready to record.

Sadly, I incidentally happened to tune in and catch it. It was called, like, "Schizophrenic Psycho" or something lame like that.

[pen]

jdmasta289 said:

I do wish they'd sort of step outside the box and work on something different; maybe now that Fred Durst has returned to his shell, Wes can start expanding his material.

I kind of thought they started doing that a bit on Display. "Think", "Bottom", "Cloud 9", and "Time Flies" in particular seemed to have less of a formula attached, like they were trying to make something a little more showy and developed and not just a radio single like some of the other songs ("Away From You", "Spin You Around") obviously were.

I don't know what you mean by stepping outside the box though. I'd like for them to stick with their genre but maybe push themselves a little more technically and write a less single-oriented album. Obviously they'd have to have some singles cause they're that kind of band, but if they could reinvent themselves with some more authenticity, which I believe they have been trying to do, then that would be great.

I'm not expecting anything on the level of Audioslave or Foo Fighters from them, of course. But it'd be nice to see them follow a similar direction as Seether or Shinedown and try to expand their sound a little more outward. Or maybe take some notes from Alter Bridge, who seem to have the whole radio-friendly-yet-still-technically impressive bit down.

[tortuga]

The guys don't play their instruments in the video. Kind of boybandish but pretty refreshing for a rock band. Great video.

[friday]

tortuga said:

The guys don't play their instruments in the video. Kind of boybandish but pretty refreshing for a rock band. Great video.

Eh, I thought it was too "Someday"-ish. In fact, yeah, didn't they do that same concept with "Someday?" Where you have a dead guy trying to save a girl who's about to die? Only there they didn't have those silly "countdowns" above the main character's or anyone else's heads. Those things made it look too much like a commerical.

And technically, they both rip off "How You Remind Me" with the seeing people who aren't there concept. Except, that's not as depressing because nobody dies.

[tortuga]

There was no dead guy in the video. The hobo at the beginning saves the blond guy, then it gives him the power to see those numbers at the top of people's heads. Thats how he saves the girl at the end. Everyone in the video is real.

It does remind me of their previous videos, but I still like it. :)

[singingsparrow]

Nickelback have never been a great video band, and I gathered the video concept would be very similar to "How You Remind Me" and "Someday" to begin with.

I can't be disappointed by the video in that I expected it would have a theme like that, just as I imagine the video for "Far Away" will most likely be footage of Chad Kroeger singing in a serene setting mixed with footage of a young woman looking out her window with conflicting emotions, the band playing, etc.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton