| by
Jaye Albright
Partner, Albright &
O'Malley Consulting
It,
frankly, will be truly amazing if Pop CHR actually
adds the likes of the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill,
Shania and LeAnn Rimes to a chart which looks
pretty rhythmic these days:
http://www.radioandrecords.com/Charts/pop_Home.htm
But,
I must say that I respect the approach of the
Dixie Chicks and Monument for pursuing crossover
once a song has neared saturation in the format
of its original release.
Too
bad that Faith and LeAnn Rimes haven't chosen
the same approach. They appear to be simultaneously
unsuccessful (or am I missing something??) at
two or three different formats at a highly fragmented
and personalized time in media when narrow niches
and building strong cores appears to be a better
strategy.
Just
as George Bush did on November 5, like the Food
Network and Home and Garden TV do very well by
appealing to small but fervently-loyal constituencies:
it's better to STAND for something than to try
to be everything to everyone.
It
will be fascinating to see if Shania's "double
CD" album breaks new ground in a way that
has been largely unsuccessful (simultaneous releases
to two incompatible formats) since the days of
Elvis in the late 60s and early 70s.
You
have to give good marks to Shania and her Mercury
team for at least understanding that her country
tracks weren't going to get CHR airplay at a time
when even the boy bands and Brittany are being
taught a lesson or two by the venerable Madonna
and Ja-Lo, who seem to have something very much
in common with the chameleon.
Is
it time for Warner Brothers to do a country remix
of Faith's "Cry" LP, as Curb did last
month with LeAnn Rimes' latest single?
Your
comments and thoughts are welcome, but in my humble
opinion that retroactive approach simply doesn't
work, coming off as admitting failure in the crossover
direction and more as an act of desperation.
Again,
I personally wish the Dixie Chicks' "Landslide"
well as it goes for CHR/Pop airplay this week.
Who knows if this dose of roots music will fit
on CHR playlists, but at least the Chicks management
is doing it the right way -- and if this crossover
works, it will be very positive and exciting for
the country format. Rather than losing a star,
we'll be rooting for them as they take their country
base with them in their pursuit of the mass audience.
Jaye
Albright
Albright & O'Malley Country
Consulting/RadioIQ
7699 Fletcher Bay Rd NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Voice: (206) 498-6261
EFax: (419) 858-6148
Office Fax: (206) 780-9200 |
