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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: David Archuleta

  • Chart Chat Express: Taylor’s “Swift” Rise To #1

    18-year old country superstar Taylor Swift enjoys an impressive debut on this week’s album chart with her sophomore release, Fearless. Nearly 600,000 folks bought or downloaded Swift’s album, making it the biggest selling first week for a country album since The Eagles’ Wal-Mart exclusive last year, which scanned over 700,000 units in its’ first week. Swift was not only on last week’s CMA ceremony (after which just about every artist to perform sees an increase in scans this week), but she is the rare country artist to get love from MTV, a platform which certainly influenced a lot of folks who may not necessarily count country as their favorite genre.

    The remainder of the Top 20 is filled with debuts, as the top six albums this week all scan over 100,000 units (indicating that the holiday season is right around the corner). American Idol runner up David Archuleta lands at #2 with his self titled debut, the latest edition of Now That’s What I Call Music! follows behind at #3, T-Pain enters at #4, a holiday album from Enya pops in at #8, Christina Aguilera’s greatest hits album is new at #9, and Seal’s new covers album pops in at #13.

    Here’s what this week’s Top 20 looks like:

    01-“Fearless” Taylor Swift
    02-“David Archuleta” David Archuleta
    (combined age of the Top 2 artists…35)
    03-“Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 29” Various Artists
    04-“Thr33 Ringz” T-Pain
    05-“Twlight” Soundtrack
    Expect this soundtrack to get a boost when the movie premieres this weekend.
    06-“Black Ice” AC/DC
    07-“High School Musical: Senior Year” Various Artists
    08-“Winter Came” Enya
    Already this year’s highest charting holiday album.
    09-“Keeps Gettin’ Better: A Decade of Hits” Christina Aguilera
    10-“Paper Trail” T.I.
    11-“Funhouse” P!nk
    12-“Evolver” John Legend
    13-“Soul” Seal
    14-“Incanto” Andrea Bocelli
    15-“Greatest Hits Vol. 1” Rascal Flatts
    16-“Take it to the Limit” Hinder
    17-“Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
    18-“Lucky Old Sun” Kenny Chesney
    19-“Death Magnetic” Metallica
    20-“Love on the Inside” SugarLand
    Kid Rock, Chesney and SugarLand all get significant boosts from the CMA Awards

  • The New Music Files 11/11/08: David Archuleta, T-Pain and More!!!

    Sorry I missed y’all last week. Voting (and the subsequent 7 hours of watching CNN while fluctuating between cnn.com and yahoo.com) took up the entire of my Tuesday. However, Obama’s been elected (YAY!) and I can now devote my attention towards letting you know what’s in stores-’cause today’s kind of a doozy.

    David Archuleta David Archuleta: The only other instance of a 2nd place Idol finisher coming out before the champion that I can remember was Clay coming out (ooh, play on words) before Ruben…and you all know how that one went. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago how I’d finally been sucked into the gooey goodness of first single Crush, but that’s where I draw the line. However, your teenage niece or cousin is probably on line at the record store already to grab this one.

    T-Pain Thr33 Rings: I think I’ve made my disdain for T-Pain pretty clear. The man can’t sing, can barely rap, and brings coonery to an all-time new level. If, with that knowledge, you still want to buy his record, be my guest.

    Taylor Swift Fearless: Carrie who? Taylor Swift is country music’s current it girl, with tons of pop appeal (hey, she dated a Jonas!). This widely anticipated second album has already spawned the huge hit Love Story and will be one of the biggest successes of the fourth quarter.

    Seal Soul: Seal is starting to put out albums with the same frequency that he makes babies!! Coming just a year after his last release, Seal’s new album features covers of classic soul tunes. The first single is a version of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come, which has me kind of worried, but Prayer for the Dying and Love’s Divine can make up for a million ill-advised covers.

    Musiq Soulchild On My Radio: Last year’s #1 Luvandmusiq did nothing for me. Why? Because it sounded like Musiq’s last three albums. For album #5, the R&B singer tried to switch it up with the T-Pain-esque single Radio, but after that met with a resounding thud at radio, he regrouped and came back with the safest bet possible-a Mary J. Blige duet. I own each of Musiq’s first four albums, but this might be the record where the Musiq officially stops for me.

    Elsewhere: Did you know that Tracy Chapman was still around? Me neither. The folky wonder celebrates the 20th anniversary of her still-classic debut with a new album tomorrow. The 29th installment of the Now That’s What I Call Music series also hits stores, as does the first album of R&B material from Deborah Cox (did you know that she was still around?) in six years. Offensive-rap outfit Jedi Mind Tricks have a new one hitting stores today, and there are also a couple of interesting curiosities: an Enya Christmas album, an album from Kevin Costner (I’m assuming this is The Bodyguard star and there aren’t two Kevin Costners floating around, and a new Vanilla Ice album-this one featuring him tackling some of the greatest hip-hop hits of all time. I might get this just to see what a complete and total trainwreck it is.

    On the greatest hits tip, alterna-rap faves Jurassic 5 re-release their first, independently distributed record with a bonus DVD, while several of New Order‘s classic albums get the deluxe double-disc treatment. On the anniversary tip, there is a 30th anniversary edition of Cheap Trick’s Live at the Budokan, while we’re also getting a 2-disc Smiths anthology. Christina Aguilera’s Target & iTunes-exclusive greatest hits disc gets released today, as do hits packages from Enrique Iglesias (!) and Hilary Duff (!!…and didn’t she just come out with a greatest hits album like two years ago?)

    Get your full list of new releases here.

    Happy shopping!!

  • Chart Chat: Singles Version: 10/30/08

    01-Whatever You Like (T.I.)
    02-Live Your Life (T.I. feat. Rihanna)
    T.I. continues to commandeer the top spots of the singles chart, fending off a serious challenge from Beyonce (see below). “Whatever You Like” is the first song to return to #1 on three separate occasions since Chic’s “Le Freak” 30 years ago. Induct Chic into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, y’all!!

    03-If I Were a Boy (Beyonce)
    Beyonce jumps 66-3 with “If I Were a Boy”, the first single from her upcoming “I Am…Sasha Fierce” (God, it kills me to type that out). By reaching this position, Beyonce has already outperformed the first single from her last album, “B-Day”. “Deja Vu” (remember that?) peaked at #10.

    04-So What (Pink)
    05-Womanizer (Britney Spears)
    06-Hot N Cold (Katy Perry)
    07-Let it Rock (Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil’ Wayne)
    08-Miss Independent (Ne-Yo)
    “Miss Independent” is Ne-Yo’s first EVER #1 single on the R&B charts, coming after he scored three #2 singles. Hard to believe, given Ne-Yo’s dominance over the R&B scene these past three years, but true!

    09-Disturbia (Rihanna)
    I’m still trying to get over the fact that Ne-Yo said Rihanna has a big head. Isn’t that a little like Michael Jackson saying “Damn, you’re pale!!”

    10-I’m Yours (Jason Mraz)
    Mr. A-Z returns to the Top Ten with what is now by far the biggest hit of his career. Guess now that cold weather’s approaching, people need to feel a little more of that summer magic.

    11-Can’t Believe It (T-Pain feat. Lil’ Wayne)
    12-Love Lockdown (Kanye West)
    13-Better in Time (Leona Lewis)
    14-Right Now (Na Na Na) (Akon)
    15-Love Story (Taylor Swift)
    16-Mrs. Officer (Lil’ Wayne)
    17-Paper Planes (M.I.A.)
    Is it me, or is “Paper Planes” one of the ODDEST songs to ever hit the Top 20? Also, doesn’t M.I.A. remind you a little bit of Neneh Cherry? Do you even REMEMBER Neneh Cherry?

    18-Closer (Ne-Yo)
    19-Gotta Be Somebody (Nickelback)
    20-Crush (David Archuleta)
    OK-I give, I give. I liked David Cook more this past season, but Archuleta’s new song has grown on me to the point where it now blows everything Cook’s put out so far out of the water. Damn generic pop songs, why do you torture me so??