Country music superstar Kenny Chesney recently reminded 50 Cent and Kanye West that his 11th album Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates is also a contender for the
#1 spot on Sept. 11, the same day the two world famous rappers' albums hits stores. ''It's funny how with every record that comes out, we're aware of the urban [competition], and none of those acts acknowledge that I exist, until I have that No. 1 debut on the Top 200," Chesney told EW. The country music star's album should give 50 Cent and Kanye West good cause to worry, as it could relegate either Curtis or Graduation to third place on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Chesney's last four albums have debuted at
#1.
Guess we can answer the "what's more popular? Country or hip-hop?" argument come Sep 11
Seriously though, how embarrassing would it look for Chesney to son both 50 and Kanye?
mannybolone
Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
Comments
Oh, I don't give a shit about it. I think the whole thing is hilarious. I remember when "battling" was about being the better rapper or at least, appearing to be so. Trying to stand off against one another over album sales is beyond lame. That's why I think it'd be hilarious to see Chesney - not exactly the most roughneck of country singers - come through and deflate the whole situation.
I'm sorry, I just had a situation the other day where I had to listen to the teenaged, knucklehead son of my daughter's former nanny pigeonhole me into a 30 minute conversation about 50 vs. Kanye and everything else he could come up with relating to the glossy shine of mainstream rap. It was excrutiating and I'm still salty about it.
embarressing i guess, its actually reality. They most likely will get sonned by Chesney.
Everyone should be happy that they're not up against the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack. Astoundingly, I think it was the highest rated show on cable EVER (take that David Chase!)
My wife and I were channel flipping and landed on the show and were jaw-dropped by a baseball diamond dance number featuring a song that can only be described as warmed over new jack swing circa Teddy Riley/BBD's heyday. All I could think was, "today's suburban teenagers are actually into this kind of music? Seriously?"
It made "Baby Hit Me One More Time" sound like "Prophets of Rage."
White tweens like "High School Musical" because it makes "Baby Hit Me One More Time" sound like "Prophets of Rage."
it recycles (lame) shady blues, once again.
fuckin redundant.
Remix with Pacewon and Lootpack, coming soon!
http://www.missinfo.tv/audio/04%20southside.mp3
I don't think that the people buying that are teenagers--I suspect the market consists of very old and very young people.
Also: is country music still popular like that? I had been under the impression that it peaked in the early nineties, but that may well be because I haven't been in an environment where I am forced into proximity with its fans (i.e., Georgia public high school) since then.
Faux,
It definitely is. The top selling album last year was Carrie Underwood's and both Kenny Chesney and Johnny Cash were in the top 10 as well. Except for Eminem's "best of" collection, there were no rap albums in the Top 12 and besides Mary's album, no other R&B albums in the top 10 (Mariah was at 11).
Also, "High School Music" was either #1 or 2 (depending on which charts you choose). I doubt that it's selling to only the "very old" and "very young." There has to be a pretty significant "middle" portion of consumers going for this as well.
I actually miss the proximity to country fans that I had in Houston (my huntin' and fishin' folk), for I'm now surrounded with "more progressive" Texans (i.e. hopefully they will soon be joining you in NYC) and former California yuppies here in Austin.
Kenny Chesney may not move me or you; but, he moves units.
Your lack of self awareness is fucking awesome.
Look, man. A few months ago while my wife was taking the bar we rented a hotel room near where the exams were being held. I made a run out to the store and I came back a little while later and when I walked in the room I saw that MTV was on. I looked at what it was and it was these kids, couldn't be any older than 20, doing some rock number and IMMEDIATELY I said to myself "What the fuck is this?" and then I said out loud "What the hell are these kids listening to?" and then I said "These kids are STUPID." and then it dawned on me that I was officially an "old-guy."
i hate when people say this, but, i did just puke in my mouth a little bit.
but when we were young there was nothing like this that catered garbage to us. now its all about kids. everything is for the kids.
Dude, I was saying it tongue in check, yo.
nah, i know, i've heard him called that before. i meant i hate when people say they puked in their mouth.
I can't tell if you're joking or not but this is pure nostalgic-laden historical revisionism. When has popular music ever NOT been about the kids, especially since the 1950s?
What's interesting though is that I caught part of an NPR discussion about "High School Musical" and the pundit was opining that one reason it's caught on is because TV producers haven't bothered to create much content for teens and younger so HSM is tapping into a segment that's been underserved.
i was a little revisionist, but i cant help but think that the marketing of music and the over all quality of music have been steadily declining over the past 10 years. maybe i too am a grumpy old man.
did we have 5 different kid/teen choice awards growing up?
well that pundit sounds like a dumbass. there are entire TV networks catering to that demographic: disney, the N, etc.
(yes I watch these.)
There's been a huge upsurge in all marketing towards kids since the early '80s (thanks Reagan!) but I think it's hard to argue that music has been MORE heavily marketed to kids when, really, popular music is and has long been youth-driven. Maybe not tween driven but definitely teens and older.
As for the declining quality argument - ha, that's one of those fights no one can really win no matter how many folks are willing to line up on your side (or the other).
Dude, only the very old and very young buy CDs anymore--teenagers sure don't. Hence the inflated sales of someone like Bow Wow, who caters to an audience that is too young to download, or the continued success of certain R&B artists, who are able to draw sales from an older female audience. "High School Musical" seems like the type of thing somebody's 75 year old aunt would buy copies of for all her nieces and nephews. I just can't see teenagers--even those in the drama club--going for something like this. You sound wildly disconnected from the high school experience.
Cosign. I will also add, remember when they used to have that incidental music in commercials that were watered down, cheesy, almost musak versions of the popular songs of the day? I've noticed that these days when I hear MTV or the radio, I can't tell if it's a song or a commercial. It's weird, and probably just a side effect of getting old.
Well, that last point is probably true but I also think you're underestimating the popularity of this stuff for 13 year olds. Provided, I can't explain to you why this would be that appealing to said 13 year old but then again, as just noted, I'm disconnected from the (junior) high school experience. But I just doubt this translates into "7 year olds and 70 year old" buying demographics. I mean, the first soundtrack went 4x platinum. That's all grannies and pre-tweens? Really?
I also think you're overstating how many teens illegal download music. I don't doubt it's high but I don't think I've seen any reports that supports the idea that this consumer demographic has disappeared within the music industry.
Here's what Soundscan reported in 06:
1. High School Musical, Soundtrack 3,719,071
2. Me and My Gang, Rascal Flatts 3,479,994
3. Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood 3,015,950
4. All the Right Reasons, Nickelback 2,688,166
5. Futuresex/Love, Justin Timberlake 2,377,127
6. Back to Bedlam, James Blunt 2,137,142
7. B'day, Beyonc?? 2,010,311
8. Hannah Montana, Soundtrack 1,987,681
9. Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks 1,856,284
10. Extreme Behavior, Hinder 1,817,350
No teens in there? Someone's gotta be buying all those Timberlake and Montana CDs.
Women and Gays
hahahaha!!
but about teens d/ling, most use limewire and download their favorite singles.