Single That Killed Someone's Career

[GetBack]

Songs like "Touch My Body" and "Obsessed" are just flash in the pan. They only keep her relevant for a short, brief period, but after a year or so, those songs are forgotten. Don't get me wrong, I still love those songs but they didn't even manage to sell her albums. Regardless of how her state was, or how the singles have been, E=MC² fell short of expectations, and Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel was a monumental flop. Even her Merry Christmas II You sales are quite disappointing, considering that holiday songs are her strongest selling point.

I don't think a song has killed her career in the past 20 years, but her decline (compared to her contemporaries) has been very evident, so far. What I think she needs is a single (or singles) that will re-ignite interest towards her sales, her tours, etc. Hopefully, there will be enough public interest in her albums again with her new era.

[neoepzilon]

Touched My Body was awesome! And was actually a hit. It was just a rubbish song with no real value. It certainly did not kill her career.

It put it on an indefinite hiatus.

[Timmy94]

Touch My Body only was a hit in the US because it was the lead single of the follow-up to The Emancipation Of Mimi. Every single which isn't completely crap would've done similiar.
I would compare it to Born This Way successwise (in the US, worldwide Born This Way was far more successful) which was also sold because of the anticipation of the new album...

[BlueScorpion]

Touch My Body only was a hit in the US

She did fine worldwide. It almost went to #1 in Japan and it was #4 in the European Hot 100.

[Timmy94]

With only, I didn't mean that it was a hit just there but it did so with a condition...

[Eamon]

Well a lot of people liked the song as well and still do. I think it was a pretty great lead single. It's not as forgettable as the other songs she released since then. It stands alone in her discography and it was only meant to be a fun moment. Nothing too serious and that's exactly what it was.

[stevyy]

I don't think a song has killed her career in the past 20 years, but her decline (compared to her contemporaries) has been very evident, so far. What I think she needs is a single (or singles) that will re-ignite interest towards her sales, her tours, etc. Hopefully, there will be enough public interest in her albums again with her new era.

Memoirs actually scanned 550,000 copies on soundscan. The album was released in the first week of september in the US and globally but was postponed to the end of november in the UK. Yet, it sold 80,000 (hard sales) there and basically the same in Japan. Memoirs should be certified Gold in both countries.

The monumental mistakes behind the Memoirs era are what killed the album, not the content. Obsessed reached the Itunes top 20 (#16) in the UK (the remix version) within hours of being "released". Then that version was cancelled. Obsessed wasn't released in Germany as well. The song, however, was released in Australia where it sold 40,000 copies and reached a Gold disc award.

The second single IWTKWLI premiered on European radio in august 2009. The single however was released at the end of november in the UK (together with the album). The song also reached the top 30 in both musicload and itunes in Germany (the two biggest digital stores there) but it was prevented from charting on the German singles charts because the label said so. The song, however, was allowed to chart when the cd single was released in DECEMBER 2009.

HOW can an album that was so mishandled become a success? Memoirs of an imperfect angel basically had NO international single in many countries. Obsessed would have gone top 10 in the UK and the album would have sold much more, had it been released in september and not 10 weeks later.

[ForeverYoung]

Obviously it didn't kill her career, Beyoncé is too formidable a player, but it was such a BAD BAD start to the era.

I think it killed her buzz and radio potential. Not even "Best Thing I Never Had", which was more mainstream sounding, was able to resuscitate her presence on radio.

[stevyy]

i have to say that I find Run the World (Girls) one of the worst songs on the album which is full of groundbreaking songs.

I cannot believe that the wrong singles can really destriy albums which are outstanding

[PosziMC2]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t

[aaliyahman]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t

[joel77m77]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t

[naughty]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t

Thanx to Glee TBH, that Brittany girl is AMAZING.

[mattsky]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t

[TheRealest]

Ciara - Go Girl

There was SO much hype for this song, but it wasn't strong enough to compete with the other songs being released at the time. *looks at Beyonce* She never could re-gain her momentum after this, even though "Ride" was a minor hit.

[leoapp]

Ashanti's 2nd album killed her career and she failed to recover. Wasn't she like the biggest female R&B artist in 2002?

Never Again also killed Kelly Clarkson's career. After a super massive album with so many hit singles, Breakaway, the follow up album My December, flopped. Luckily she cameback with My Life Would Suck.

[Wayne]

I think Never Again killed the momentum of its parent album, but since then Kelly has amassed 5 top 20 hits including two absolutely massive #1 singles, and both new albums performed above what we expected thanks to lasting long on the charts.

It definitely didn't kill her career.

[biscuits]

Ashanti's 2nd album killed her career and she failed to recover.

Not true. 'Only U' became her biggest hit and that was the lead single from her 3rd album. It was the single after that, 'Don't Let Them' that killed her career (in the UK anyway). Nice song, but really bad single choice.

[leoapp]

Ashanti's 2nd album killed her career and she failed to recover.

Not true. 'Only U' became her biggest hit and that was the lead single from her 3rd album. It was the single after that, 'Don't Let Them' that killed her career (in the UK anyway). Nice song, but really bad single choice.

Oops, sorry, i meant to say her 3rd album, Concrete Rose.

[MIX]

Can't Be Tamed really shaken up Miley's career and relevancy.

My Heart Takes Over by The Saturdays destroyed any hype and failed to launch On Your Radar properly.

Take Control by Amerie sadly failed to repeat the success 1 Thing had (shame because I love the song) and ever since then she's been underperforming.

Us Against The World wasn't really the song Christina Milian should've tried to come back with. I think it's great one, but the fact that the album still isn't released 2 years ago says enough.

Born This Way (arguably) did more damage than good.

Happy maybe killed the momentum of Leona Lewis, but Colide was the final nail in the coffin.

Run The World (Girls) was I guess huge disappointment, since Bee wasn't able to score a hit since then. Hopefully End Of Time will fix this.

[joel77m77]

Run The World (Girls) was I guess huge disappointment, since Bee wasn't able to score a hit since then. Hopefully End Of Time will fix this.

Actually, Best Thing I Never Had got to #3 on the Uk Chart and has sold 420,000+ and was in the Top 20 most played songs on UK Radio of 2011, also even though BTINH only managed #16 in the US, don't let that fool you as it's almost Platinum there now.
Also, Love On Top was another Top 20 hit for Beyonce in the UK selling 220,000+ and went Gold in the US with 600,000+ and still selling.
So Beyonce WAS able to score a hit since RTWG, in fact she scored 2.
Just because in the US there peak positions don't LOOK good doesn't mean they haven't done well as there sales say differently.
But I also want End Of Time to give her the SMASH Hit that she deserves as well.

[BlueScorpion]

Not that many care but "Lullabye" was the final goodbye to Mel B's career. Even though the album was already a flop due to dismal sales and performance, her singles could still go Top 5. She should've released "Hotter".

[NothingFails]

Can't Be Tamed really shaken up Miley's career and relevancy.

Her fault for that, she's taken this huge hiatus since. Had she come back a year or so later with a hot track she could've recovered.

[GetBack]

The problem is that both Touch My Body and Obsessed, lead singles to her last two studio albums, were "I'm so sexy"-type of songs where she mostly whispers instead of presenting her complete voice ability.
People remember her songs of the 90s, especially her strong ballads, and than it's clear why those songs fall off.

She also follows the same predictable formula (uptempo followed by ballad).

She has a new predictable formula now, the collaborate with an artist on a previously recorded album track (when you need a hit album). She did it with "Up Out My Face" and "Angels Cry", and now, with "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and "When Christmas Comes".

[Star]

Run The World (Girls) Is my Sh!t