Friday, March 29, 2024

Oh, Lorde! “Royals” Singer Fails to Chart with Weak “Solar Power,” First New Single in Four Years

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Oh Lorde!

Just a few years ago the pop tart from New Zealand was the talk of the town with her hit single, “Royals.”

That song was everywhere and earned the then 17 year old a Grammy Award even though “Royals” sounded like a one off event. But the single sold and sold.

But Lorde’s follow up was a sales flop despite a mysterious Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year for “Melodrama” in 2017.

Now, four years later, at the ripe old age of 24, Lorde returned with a new single, “Solar Power,” that has proved to be another disappointment. “Solar” Power was released last Thursday and so far has sold just 6,200 downloads and a total of 37,800 copies including streaming.

“Solar Power” has failed to chart, hitting number 130 on Apple Music’s streaming list, and is nowhere to be seen on Spotify’s top 50.

You may think this is odd for a 24 year old who was so big just 7 years ago. But once you start a pop career, you’re forever connected to the time table of teens and young adults who’ve formed your fan base. You can’t take four years off. Your fans are in high school, where they are forming their allegiances. It’s possible Lorde’s ship has sailed as a record seller.

Lorde isn’t the only teen act having issues. Billie Eilish, so hot in 2019, has released four unremarkable singles in a row this year while awaiting her second album on July 30th. Nothing has worked. Eilish, unlike Lorde, has not stopped releasing music. But she abruptly changed her image from slacker to femme fatale and confused her base. It remains to be seen if they’ll return for the album release, and if Eilish will try yet another single before July 30th.

Tricky stuff this is pop biz.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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