MSN Music Blog - Reverb

Justin Bieber: Smash or Sinking Ship?

Two spins on first week sales

By percy thrillington Jun 27, 2012 2:20PM
It's no secret that record sales have seen a dramatic decline in the last several years. And we've seen endless stories about what that means for artists, labels, fans, et al. But what about when industry folks can't even agree on whether the top selling album in the land is a success or a failure? Case in point: two spins on the first week's numbers for Justin Bieber's sophomore LP, Believe, the first, from Rolling Stone, which calls it a smash, and the second, from a biz-watching site called Kings of A&R, via Showbiz411, which says Bieber's star is about to enter white dwarf stage. The facts, of course, are the same: Believe (which really should have been called Belieb) sold 370,000 copies.

Item the first: It's a hit!
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Justin Bieber. To all you Biebs-haters who hoped he'd be a temporary tween phenomenon, blowing away when the winds of pop music changed: ha, ha! Not only did his new album, Believe, arrive at Number One – selling the most copies in a debut week this year, with 374,000 – but the 18-year-old has become a talent scout of sorts, helping to break what might become the year's biggest single, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe." As for his own singles, Bieber is in pretty good shape. "Boyfriend" is at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number Seven on BigChampagne's Ultimate Chart (which measures Internet criteria), and its video has more than 88.5 million YouTube views.

Item the second: It's over!
As of now, Justin Bieber’s new album is looking to be a bust as the first week numbers are lower than expected. This is what showbiz says:
Justin Bieber’s “Believe” will be the highest first week sales of the year so far when it’s all counted. But it will also be at least 50,000 copies fewer than originally predicted. Right now, “Believe” is looking like it sold 370,000 copies–or less. This is way off the 420,00 copies hoped for. But Bieber’s TV special was a bust. And then his numbers on amazon.com significantly trailed off over the weekend. Amazon is now selling a downloadable version of the album for $4.99– a bad sign, as Madonna herself could tell us. The fact is, Bieber is not moving CDs digitally or physically in big numbers a week after “Believe” was made available. The amount of publicity he’s engendered simply is not resulting in sales, or even airplay. Given that this is particularly fruitful moment for Top 40 and pop–with “Someone I Used to Know,” “Call Me Maybe.” “What Makes You Beautiful,” and “Payphone” all full of good melodies and hooks–Bieber is not a factor. So hold on–because for once, substance may triumph over hype. And that will be a rude awakening. (Showbiz411)
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14Comments
Lori Pastr
Jun 28, 2012 12:50AM
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I used to get so mad at these teeny-bopper artists until I realized soon their fans grow up and outgrow them as their tastes in music mature.   We are yet to see if he takes the path of the more successful teen acts post-teen careers (Britney, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson even) or those who faded quickly (NKOTB, Tiffany).   His music is harmless but disposable.  He has not released any teen pop classics (Only in My Dreams, Bye Bye Bye, Baby One More Time, I Think We're Alone Now, etc).  I think personally his time is running out and soon we will be like "remember him?" (like with the Jonas Brothers now).  We shall see.
Sixers
Jun 28, 2012 12:17AM
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"Boyfriend" has shown a totally dfiferent side of JB, hip hop suits him well! He can dance, he has swag for a young kid and he is a great performer.

He is certainly on a level above the Mileys, Taylors and Diggys.

SPARTAN-501
Jun 28, 2012 12:08AM
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The fact that the ship didn't sink on the first day is utterly incomprehensible.
tessie20
Jun 27, 2012 10:44PM
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My five year old daughter is a huge justin bieber fan and i actually think he seems like a good kid but what really upsets me is that his tickets for his concerts are outragiously expensive! how are all these young fans supposed to afford tickets at such a high price? I would love to take my daughter to his concert but he makes it financially impossible! that was a little disappointing to me!

montimo
Jun 27, 2012 10:10PM
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I put him in the same class as Taylor Swift and Mylie Cyruss. If you hear them live, they are horrendous. So sad that the music industry is so influenced by electronics in this generation.
samaradenver
Jun 27, 2012 8:56PM
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The guy is nothing but a spoiled brat. He can't even sing live because he is so 0ff key. The only way he can sing is in the studio. If we would all stop buying his products then his fifteen minutes will be up. Then he can move back home and wait for puberty to settle in.
No Hillary in 08
Jun 27, 2012 8:50PM
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The kid is a d bag, I'm sure in the future, He wil announce that he is gay,
Grace291
Jun 27, 2012 8:17PM
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justin WHOber??  Maybe the "fans"  have come to the realization that he really can't sing ( anyone can sound great with digital help...)
Darthsith
Jun 27, 2012 8:05PM
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I know there is one chick on Redtube that really likes Justin Bieber.
BEAR-BEAR
Jun 27, 2012 7:38PM
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Maybe just maybe his "fans" are waking up to the fact this kid CAN'T SING! Twice I've heard him live, off key, lousy dance moves, if it wasn't for his backup singers everyone would hear how he can't carry a tune. He was promoted because of his look not his talent which he sadly lacks. He should take his earnings and quietly fade into the background. Go to some college or trade school so he can support himself as he grows older.
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