HDD 1/12 - 1/13: Ke$ha

[Deleted]

KE$HA GRABS THE POLE POSITION

RCA/RMG Pop Phenom on the Clock After “TiK ToK”

January 6, 2010

A new decade, another new female pop diva.

This one calls herself a pimp, brags about throwing up in the closet during a “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” (supposedly Paris Hilton) and scolds one potential boy toy, “Don’t be a little b***h with your chit-chat/Just show me where your dick’s at.”

She’s Ke$ha--think a female Beastie Boys crossed with Lady Gaga--an electro-pop 22-year-old Valley Girl whose singer/songwriter single mom, Pebe Sebert, is helping guide her fast-rising career, with studio whizzes Dr. Luke and Max Martin providing the beats.

Her debut RCA/RMG album, Animal—in large part thanks to the smash single, “TiK ToK,” now up to 2 million downloads and climbing—hit retail this week and looks set to battle her polar opposite, Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream, for #1 on next week’s HITS Top 50, with a total between 105-115k. That’s based on one-day sales from those retailers who haven’t re-opened as medical marijuana dispensaries. Ke$ha was previously known for being the featured vocalist on Flo Rida’s massive smash, “Right Round.” Give credit to the signing to RCA/Jive Label Group boss Barry Weiss.

The only other debut of note is Idol alum Katherine McPhee’s Verve Forecast debut, Unbroken, which sees her as a blonde, targeted for between 13-15k

The market was down 55% vs. last week, down 9% vs. same week last year and finishes the 53-week year down 11%. And you thought you had it rough.

[galvanize]

That Ke$ha girl did WAY better than I expected. :o :o :o

[HolidayGuy]

SuBo projected to do 100K or more again, and in the race for #1 still? Yeah, she's sure goin' away, post-holidays.

[Deleted]

slow n steady decline

[Love Plastic Love]

Wow she did do a lot better than I expected! Congrats to her!!

[LC3]

the decline really isnt that bad considering the time of year. This is always the part of the year where the sales are a disgusting mess so for her to STILL be pushing 100k a week is a very impressive feat.

"The only other debut of note is Idol alum Katherine McPhee’s Verve Forecast debut, Unbroken, which sees her as a blonde, targeted for between 13-15k"

OUCH! We've reached such lows in the market that 13-15k is note-worthy...DAMN

[👑 Eloquent ™]

Jan 6, 2010 15:38:35 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

SuBo projected to do 100K or more again, and in the race for #1 still? Yeah, she's sure goin' away, post-holidays.

I think the consensus with most who argued this point is that I Dreamed A Dream will experience quick declines and eventually (sooner than later) slip out of the top 10 and continue to fall. I don't think anyone expected the album to fall off the Billboard 200 the second week in January, so let's not get too giddy just yet. Buzz doesn't last forever and at this point, it's the only thing selling the album. The album is not even two months old; one is hardly able to determine whether or not it will have good longevity just yet in my opinion.

[RockaByeBaby]

I hope Ke$ha gets the #1! :o

[HolidayGuy]

That's true, WILL- everyone should have known that Boyl's album would not be selling at the levels it was selling post-holidays, but there were some who probably did think it was just going to plummet down the charts- which it hasn't done, two weeks post-Christmas. Like 2m said, slow and steady decline, most likely. The target audience is not one that rushes out and buys albums, anyhow, so it may enjoy just that.

[Push The Button]

She's debuting with over 100k in the first week of January.

I think we can conclude that she is no Flo Rida.

[blurple]

Impressive numbers for Ke$ha! Very happy for her.

[Push The Button]

So Ke$ha will potentially have the #1 single and #1 album in the same week. What was the last female to do that? Beyonce?

[pnobelysk]

not happy about kat's numbers i wish they were much higher. at least she beat blake

[WouldYouJumpTheGDTrainAlready?]

Jan 6, 2010 16:03:01 GMT -5 blurple said:

Impressive numbers for Ke$ha! Very happy for her.

Shocking almost :o
GaGa opened with around 25k, with less exposure of her debut single. I still didn't think she'd top 100k, I was thinking closer to 85-90k.

[kt1990]

Ouch at Katharine Mcflop McPhee. I can't believe the article is even mentioning such a low opening number.

[Black Jesus]

I can't believe she's gonna pull off 100k lololol

Good numbers for Kat. Not going to be an album that sells millions but its still a good record

[Black Jesus]

Jan 6, 2010 16:17:54 GMT -5 @kt1990 said:

Ouch at Katharine Mcflop McPhee. I can't believe the article is even mentioning such a low opening number.

Ya, it is a bit low, but she's on an independent label now and she isn't producing music for Pop radio anymore. I think she'll do well in her career in adult radio though

[street]

Oprah will have SuBo on the end of the month. That should help sell some more albums.

I'm going to laugh if SuBo beats Ke$ha though.I guess people are buying her album for themselves not just as Xmas presents. :)

[K.]

15k would be great for Kat when you consider the numbers Jordin, for example, pulled out with four hits behind in belt within a two-year period. I was expecting more like 8k.

[Rodze]

www.billboard.com/news/ke-ha-susan-boyle-vying-for-no-1-on-next-1004057245.story
Ke$ha, Susan Boyle Vying For No. 1 On Next Week's Billboard 200
by Keith Caulfield, L.A. and Monica Herrera, N.Y. | enero 06, 2010 4:52 EST

The first sales week of 2010 could be another battle for No. 1, as "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle and "TiK ToK" singer Ke$ha compete for the top spot on the Billboard 200.

Early prognostications from label sources suggest that both Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream" or Ke$ha's just-released debut album, "Animal," may sell around 100,000 copies by week's end on Jan. 10. With Ke$ha's very youthful audience going up against Boyle's more mature demographic, however, it's a tough call on who may come out on top.

Ke$ha's album has an attractive developing artist list price of $9.98, but it's on sale for less than that at the big physical retailers. Additionally, both the Amazon MP3 and iTunes Stores are offering it for only $6.99. Sources suggest that the album will have an overwhelming amount of its first-week sales powered by digital downloads of the set.

The 22-year-old pop newcomer has already made a lot of chart noise, as "Animal's" lead single, "TiK ToK," has sold 2.44 million total downloads -- including 394,000 this past week. It retains the No. 1 slot on the Hot Digital Songs chart for a third straight week as well.

A No. 1 position would be nothing new for Boyle, however. The singer has already clocked six weeks at the top with "Dream" and forced both Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige to debut at No. 2 with their latest albums

[LC3]

Jan 6, 2010 16:47:18 GMT -5 K. said:

15k would be great for Kat when you consider the numbers Jordin, for example, pulled out with four hits behind in belt within a two-year period. I was expecting more like 8k.

lmao...is there really a big difference between 8k and 15k? either way its a disaster...

[Tanisha Thomas.]

@ people trying to turn 15k into a mega success. What??? I get that Katherine is on an indie label, but 15k is not 300k in indie sales. LMAO!

[Air Jordin]

Jan 6, 2010 17:45:50 GMT -5 LC3 said:

Jan 6, 2010 16:47:18 GMT -5 K. said:

15k would be great for Kat when you consider the numbers Jordin, for example, pulled out with four hits behind in belt within a two-year period. I was expecting more like 8k.

lmao...is there really a big difference between 8k and 15k? either way its a disaster...

For an independent album with no hit single and minimal promotion after a three year hiatus coming off of an underperforming debut?

I'm not saying 15k is amazing, but it's certainly respectable.

[Hotlantan]

Jan 6, 2010 15:36:53 GMT -5 @2m said:

A new decade, another new female pop diva.

This one calls herself a pimp, brags about throwing up in the closet during a “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” (supposedly Paris Hilton) and scolds one potential boy toy, “Don’t be a little b***h with your chit-chat/Just show me where your dick’s at.”

She’s Ke$ha

Oooops! I thought that was Susan Boyle.

[vance169]

Jan 6, 2010 16:08:04 GMT -5 pnobelysk said:

not happy about kat's numbers i wish they were much higher. at least she beat blake

What is up with her that radio will not give her or Blake a chance like other Idols have gotten.

[Honeymoon]

Jan 6, 2010 16:47:18 GMT -5 K. said:

15k would be great for Kat when you consider the numbers Jordin, for example, pulled out with four hits behind in belt within a two-year period. I was expecting more like 8k.

I think 'great' is an overstatement, but 15k is perfectly OK for an artist like Kat when no hit single has come out of the new album and there was really only one moderate hit she's ever produced outside her AI single ("Over It" going top 40), and that was more than three years ago.

[badrobot]

Tra$ha vs. SuBo. Oy.

Let them have a million weeks at #1, I just hope Gaga gets a shot at some point.

[soundUPsceneDOWN]

Jan 6, 2010 17:49:37 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

@ people trying to turn 15k into a mega success. What??? I get that Katherine is on an indie label, but 15k is not 300k in indie sales. LMAO!

Who is equating 15K in indie sales to 300K in major label sales? Most artists, even with CHR hits, don't debut with 300K. Pulse tends to focus on the smash players (Britney, Beyonce, etc.), but those artists represent about 5% of major label artists.

Kat is an indie artist with barely any radio airplay--and what airplay she does have is a small amount on AC. Most other artists in that situation would be lucky to get a 15K opening. It's not super fantastic, but it's not "ouch" either, especially since Kat is probably making more money per album sold on an indie label than Rihanna or Lady Gaga, etc.

[I Wish]

WOW at Ke$ha. I was HOPING for just over 50k, but she pleasantly surprised. :)

[Brazilian Guy]

Really surprised at Ke$ha. Album and songs are selling like crazy.