Tuesday, July 24, 2012

What Should Haley Reinhart's Next Single Be?


My twitter girlfriend Haley Reinhart is about to release the 2nd single off of her sexy debut album, Listen Up!  Her 1st single, "Free", was released back in March and has now run its course. While I happen to be a big fan of the song's crashing symbols and sexy vocals, it was obvious from the beginning that "Free" wasn't going to be a great fit for radio. Over 4 min long, no dance beat and no distinctive pop-hook made it a real challenge getting it spun on the radio. It wasn't a bust, but it wasn't a hit, either.

Thus, this next release needs to really kick some fucking ass, and Team Haley's given every indication that it will be Oh My! (Featuring BoB). I think it's a pretty good song for radio. A more uptempo beat, sexually charged lyrics, orgasmic moaning, a strong hook with a rap interlude, and lots of production effects while keeping the Motown roots that are so prevalent throughout her album.

Conversely, the horns almost drown out Haley's voice, and BoB gives a very family-friendly, milquetoast rap that true hip-hop fans will likely scoff at as lame. Also, the song is very difficult to perform live without the horns and BoB, so Haley would probably not be able to promote it on TV or to live audiences. Without her pretty face, hot bod and sultry voice doing live promo she's going to have to rely on BoB's big name and a big push from the label to help her secure radio play.

Hmmm...

Which brings us now to Interscope. I still think they believe in her, as does 19 management, but they'll need to see some return on investment soon to continue promoting that belief. Since sales to date have been tepid, and her music style unorthodox, they probably view her as somewhat of a risk; albeit a talented one with great looks, sex appeal, intelligence, and work ethic all factoring into her big potential upside.

It also seems Interscope is still a bit confused on how and to whom they should be marketing and promoting her (i.e. the foolish gimmick of following 50k Bieber & One D twitter fans who simply aren't her demographic). BoB obviously softens their risk and simplifies the marketing confusion by bringing a real hit-making body of work to the table. He also has a big, established fan base to draw from, and would make radio PD's feel more comfortable adding Haley to their rotation.

However, BoB is really not Haley's music style beyond this cameo, and his fans are probably not the type who will buy her albums or become part of her long term fan base. It also opens the door for her to catch some flack for just adding him as a hired gun to pad her sales stats.

Thus, it's still sort of a mixed bag...every pro has a con and every con has a pro for Oh My!

In the end, whatever helps Haley make it big I'm in favor of. If the experts think the pros of BoB outway the cons than I'm all for it. Personally, though, I'd rather see this happen later in her career when she has become an established superstar with Taylor Swift cachet, than now when she's still a relative unknown outside of the Idol bubble.

Which brings us to my top choice for Haley's next single. From the opening day of snippet release I've been mesmerized by "Spiderweb", and am 100% convinced that it has all the elements to be an absolute monster hit. Produced by David Hodges, it's wildly seductive, rocking, mysterious and intense; everything Haley herself wants to be as an artist. The track also happens to feature her father Harry playing guitar, not a mercenary rapper getting edited in to help sell records.

The challenge here is it's on the Deluxe version of the album only, and it's unlikely Interscope would invest in a bonus track as a single. I think that's a mistake if they're thinking this way, because in addition to all the downloads it would sell, all those people who bought the Standard CD would go out and buy the Deluxe CD to get their hands on the song.

What say you??



 

9 comments:

  1. Nice to see your own blog kenny Poo... it was calling for. Though I would love to see Spiderweb as a single, We kind of sure now that next single will be Oh my!Maybe a double release since Undone it is on a new movie soundtrack... Haley actually talked about it and I´m kind of curious about what she meant by giving an extra oomph to the song...Have any ideas? I´m sure you do

    Shelack

    ReplyDelete
  2. There's almost no question Oh My! will be her next single, but I was discussing what SHOULD be her next single. Thanks for posting, Shelack! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would welcome Spiderweb as a single, also feel strongly for Now That Your Hear and What You Don't Know. They both drive me craazy. Their upbeat tempos puts me in another place, that's Heavenly. Also love all her lyrics, to die for.
    So those are my 2 superfavs among my many favorites. I think they would make great singles. Due to the fact that WYDK is on regular cd it might have a better chance. But the disco beat of WYDK would thrill all Donna Summers fans and all new fans worldwide. Roz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Roz. Love all those songs, but Spiderweb is the one song on this album that I believe is not only timeless, but would be loved by fans of nearly every music genre. It also would be a natural for a movie soundtrack, and not just limited to the Spiderman series.

      Additionally, it's such an erotic, psycho-sexual thriller it would create a cult following that would elevate Haley to true sex symbol status. I honestly see it as a rock-and-roll Hall Of Fame caliber track capable of launching her stardom to the very highest A-list levels in both the music and entertainment industries.

      Delete
  4. Here's what I don't understand- Interscope is missing a golden, cross-promotional opportunity with "Undone" (the song I think SHOULD be her next single). BUT- it's not going to be on the Stepping Up soundtrack, and it's going to play over the closing credits. Let's face it, people RUN to the doors the second a movie is over- who will even know it's Haley's song?

    As for "Oh My"- while I like the song, I just don't see where it fits in on radio. It's almost TOO retro. And you're right Ken- how is she going to promote the song live?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Mshalo! Sorry to say, I'm personally not a fan of Undone, and Haley doesn't seem to be either if you see her reactions when asked about the song. I really don't want her getting labeled as a pop-ballad singer, and I know she doesn't want that either. It's just not who she is as an artist.

      I would be very surprised if Undone ever gets released as a single regardless of how big the potential audience for it may be.

      Delete
  5. Right On, Kenny! Your analysis is perfect! I love "Oh My", but every time I hear the B.O.B rap portion, it actually kind of ticks me off that he laid down those whack lyrics. They don't even fit the song. Maybe it's just me, but I think the song would end up like Stefano's I'm on a roll", break into the top 50 on Top 40 and fall off quick.

    "Spiderweb", on the other hand, is a song that could go on Hot AC, AAA, or even Alternative/Rock, in my opinion. Not to mention the fact that it's the direction (Rock) that Haley said her next album will be!

    The other song that I think has potential is "Now That You're Here". It's got got a great groove and is upbeat . but may lack the strong hook that is needed for Hot AC.

    Just my 2 cents!

    @HalienNation
    aka George

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, George! Glad you liked my take. :)

      Delete
  6. This is so hard because we already KNOW "Oh My!" will be her next single. I think with the right promotion (look at what the Olympics skits did for Phillip Phillip's "Home") it could take off, I'm just scared it might fall flat and radios may not play it. But I also think it could be a breakout hit cheesy rap or not. Let's be real, if "Call me maybe" and many other songs have are hit status with cheesy but catchy lyrics, then the rap will not affect much. "Oh my!" is extremely catchy, and that's what hits are made of.

    As for what SHOULD be a single other than "Oh my!", "Spiderweb" immediately caught my ear. I literally could not stop listening for days. But, unfortunately, I don't think it will ever be a single because it's on the Deluxe version. I thought "let's run away" has hit potential as well, as it caters to the Colbie Callet and Jason Mraz crowd.

    Other than "Oh my!", "Undone" is the only other song that has a chance to be a smash hit. On the standard version that is. Whether or not it's completely "Haley" is arguable, because she can really deliver on ballads even if she prefers rock, soul, Motown and jazz. Still, I remember when her album came out, that song immediately was crawling to the top of the iTunes pop charts, even without exposure. "Undone" HAS to be her third single given the opportunity because it will garner fans, some of which will get what Haley is all about (rock, soul, and jazz).

    ReplyDelete