Harry Styles is having an ironic ride on the singles chart right now.
His new hit, “American Girls,” has pooped out at number 77 after just two weeks. “American Girls,” for some reason, has never really taken off. The single appears on Harry’s “Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally,” which is having its own problems.
But Styles is still having a top 20 single right now. The only problem is, it’s not from his new album.
“Sign of the Times,” first released — believe it or not — NINE years ago, is number 15 on iTunes. It’s doing better than any track on “Kiss-Disco.”
The reason is that “Sign of the Times” is featured in the blockbuster movie, “Project Hail Mary.” Actress Sandra Huller sings the song, which has sent music lovers back to the old Styles hit. (On YouTube now there are all kinds of remixes. The original version was so slow it was like a doorstop.)
This is a blessing and a curse. For the “Sign” writers, no one will complain. Let’s hope they got a big licensing fee.
But Styles needs a hit from the new album. So far, “Aperture” and “American Girls” have not turned into any kind of hit. “American Girls” has barely sold 5,000 units (streaming and downloads). This week, it’s predicted that “Kiss-Disco” will only sell 65,000 copies — down 30,000 from week 2.
The good news is that “Kiss-Disco” will finally pass 600,000 (including streaming). But the album is skidding to a halt.
Is there an unreleased track or something Harry can add to the album to give it a boost? He needs a banger, and I know he’s got one in the vault. These sales numbers are disappointing. But that’s, um, a sign of the times.
