The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella") - Idolator Comments

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

UKidol — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:21:09 EST

Leona Lewis's single "Bleeding Love" was released in mid-October and spent the first 7 weeks in the charts at number 1 posting huge sales figures, and then the last three weeks she's been in the top 3. As such selling more than Umbrella which was released in the summer during a notoriously fallow sales period isn't that surprising.

What did shock everyone was she came back with such a truly great cutting-edge single - Idol/X-Factor winners are meant to sell masses of the first ballady single in the immediate aftermath of winning the competition than flop around the charts hoping for salvation (see Leon 12 months hence). It looks like sales of Bleeding Love will overtake that of her winner's song in the next two weeks, a feat no other contestant has come anywhere near achieving.

The real story though is her album sales: 1.55 million in 7 weeks - the equivalent of 4.5-5.5m over the other side of the Atlantic. It's the quickest selling million seller by a solo artist in UK chart history.

UKidol

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

sfbeary — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:38:25 EST

The bigger of the two Take That single starts out like George Michael and ends up a bit like Coldplay. And the other one sounds like Mika crossed with the Feeling boosted by an almost ELO production. I think the former is OK, but the latter is quite good, and both trump anything on the last two stinky Backstreet albums. If Backstreet put out an album as appropriate for America as Take That's reunion album was for England with songs on the level of the two TT singles, they'd still be huge.

(And I gave the Mark Ronson a positive review.)

sfbeary

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

BestEuphemismEver — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:52:09 EST

C'mon, the Leona Lewis song is great.

BestEuphemismEver

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

futurehorse — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:40:53 EST

We will never be even for the Bluntacolypse. Never!

Also, how in the hell did Take That-light end up with two top 20 songs? Somewhere in America the Backstreet Boys are crying over their piss-poor four person reunion.

futurehorse

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

extracrispy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:29:53 EST

Oh, just wait until later this year when the Brit charts are filled with this guy: [www.youtube.com]

extracrispy

The U.K. Really Likes Reality TV Pop (Like, Even More Than "Umbrella")

Rob Murphy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:40:09 EST

@jess: ...from that much-maligned Mark Ronson album...

Really? I recall that most of the reviews I saw liked that record. I happen to think it's great, myself.

And, as the resident Amy Winehouse fanboy around here, I have to add my opinion that "Valerie" is the stand-out track on the record. YMMV.

Rob Murphy