Demi Lovato and Scooter Braun have a big problem.
So far, the lead up to Lovato’s August album release has been a bust.
Lovato — managed by Scooter Braun — is planning to drop her 8th album on August 19th. She’s actually calling it “Holy F*ck” but spelled out.
As a prelude she’s released two singles. They’ve fallen flat. The first single was called “Skin of My Teeth.” A kind of Joan Jett-Runaways punk number, “Skin” sold 45.380 copies according to Luminate/MusicConnect. It never charted.
I was surprised to learn a second single appeared on July 14th called “Substance.” In 10 days sales have come to just 11,313.
That the singles have failed should make the powers that be at Island Records/Universal Music nervous as heck. The songs so far don’t seem to be working and there’s no buzz around “Holy F*ck.” The title is a big problem, obviously, because it can’t be used on radio or in print.
The music is an issue, too. Lovato has a tremendous voice. Her fans want anthems and love songs, not Joan Jett. It didn’t work out well for Miley Cyrus with “Plastic Hearts” and it was almost a career killer for Kelly Clarkson years ago.
The only thing that could save Lovato is having a big passionate anthem on that album that can be used as a third single.
Here’s “Substance,” which drops F bombs, has no chorus or actual melody, and sounds like a record radio wouldn’t play in 1979. Otherwise, it’s great.
