I originally did a post where it was a battle of Mariah Carey and Madonna (it has been my most viewed post so far, with people from 17 countries reading it), but that was before Leona Lewis rocketed into the Top 10 last week with "Bleeding Love". And that is before her sales doubled again when she appeared on Oprah! So, its going to truly be a chart battle for the record books! Who will take the crown? Leona Lewis, Madonna, or Mariah Carey?
Its a chart battle that hasn't been seen in America for a while! Three strong contenders with three strong songs that are guaranteed top sellers. In my opinion, here are the three divas' chances at the penthouse.
LEONA LEWIS WITH "BLEEDING LOVE"
Ironically, not since Mariah Carey has a young woman's career looked so bright! Her single "Bleeding Love" is one of the biggest songs of the year; an almost guaranteed nominee for "Record of the Year" at next year's Grammys. Her voice has sent shockwaves throughout the masses here in America, who haven't heard a vocal powerhouse like hers since Celine Dion. In a matter of weeks, her single went from obscurity to the top of iTunes, outselling the 2 and 3 positions combined. Many will say it's Oprah, but she hit #1 even before the career-making performance. Even before the Oprah sales were added, she charted at #8, with sales of 120,000. Its safe to say with Oprah-influenced sales and the physical release, Leona has a VERY good chance of pushing into the Top 5, if not the #1 spot this week. And if she does, will she keep it? Can she hold off the two biggest releases of the spring? With her sales momentum and her ever-growing radio airplay, I think it's possible she will be "bleeding" success for a few weeks. CHANCES: 80%
MADONNA WITH "4 MINUTES"
It's one of the most anticipated singles of the year. After weeks and months of speculation, "4 Minutes" with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake will be released digitally this week. In the UK, who had an early release, the song shot up into the Top 5 in the same day, and chances are, there will be a similar response. However, there are a lot of things to question. In 2005, when "Hung Up" was released, it didn't crack the Top 5, despite high downloads and #1 debuts across the globe. Can she have her first #1 since "Music" in 2000? Well, her chances are very good, since she has megaproducer Timbaland and pop prince Timberlake in her corner. The kink is the airplay, which, surprisingly, hasn't been as high as either Leona's or Mariah's. It may take a few weeks for it to catch up, but by then, the single sales could begin tap out. Its a very tricky predicament for the Material Mom, but I would never count Madonna out for the count. I mean, she was inducted into "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in her first year of eligibility! That definitely says something! CHANCES: 70%
MARIAH CAREY WITH "TOUCH MY BODY"
When it first came out, it was instantly a radio smash. With one day of radio airplay, it charted high on the R&B charts. With every week, she vaulted up the charts! But, there was one thing keeping her from the #1 spot: no single release. Finally, after a month of radio, "Touch My Body" will be released. Normally, I would say without a doubt she would chart at #1 the week she released. This is the same woman with a whopping 17 #1 singles, tying her with Elvis. If anyone could do it, she could it. However, today's public tend to get bored with music easily. With massive amounts of airplay and nothing to download, some buyers could be dissuaded from purchasing the guaranteed top 10 hit. Then, there is competition from a still fresh Madonna and Leona. As a Mariah lover, this pains me to say, but I'm not holding breath for a Mariah #1. CHANCES: 60%
WHAT READERS THINK: With 46 voters, 58% believe it will be Madonna sitting at the top. 26% think it will be Leona. Only 12% think Mariah could do it. There is still time to vote!
No comments:
Post a Comment