This question comes to me a day out from the "release" of Jay-Z's 11th studio album. Jay-Z is one of the all time great American musicians...and yet there really isn't a ton of buzz behind this project outside of the initial social media reaction from the Finals spots. He should have mainstream attention, Ellen should be talking about it, the Today show should feature it. But none of this is happening.

Jay's camp has aggressively pushed the hashtag "newrules", stemming mostly from this idea that the traditional album release model is broken.

But then you've got things like J.Cole selling like crazy on the strength of him simply having a connection with a fan base and giving them something they like. He told everyone about the album release months out, held to it, and released something people seem to be enjoying.

And Cole is just a smaller case. Taylor Swift still releases albums with the tried and true method of "release the single months out-announce the tour-drop the album" to smash results. Same goes for Lady Gaga, Katy Perry etc.

It worked splendidly for Kanye's last release and was only strengthened by his "Good Friday" series, but with Yeezus one can't help but think that buzz could've been bigger and sales could've been better with, at minimum, a hybrid of the aforementioned traditional model and the "just release the fucking thing" model he employed for Yeezus. I thought for a spell that maybe labels were just being far more conservative with their marketing budgets, but then I see shit like Gotye, Macklemore, and Imagine Dragons just taking off and being backed by their labels.

The three most obvious examples of going against the grain are Radiohead's King of Limbs - "hey it's Monday. It comes out Saturday" - Yeezus, and Jay's Magna Carta...

So with these three acts in mind, is there just an assumption that their brands are big enough that they don't need an aggressive marketing push and they can take risks with their releases? (Even Yorke admitted months after KOL's release he regretted it and hindered the album's reception with the laissez faire release strategy)

And furthermore when and where was it determined that the traditional album release strategy was antiquated?

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Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." © Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

because selling albums isn't a top priority?

maybe artists like jay and kanye don't care about having singles. clearly it's not effecting them financially to the extent that it would matter.

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anyway the big tuesday release is like the preseidential election always on a tuesday.

now over in europe they do it a day or so ahead of here.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

LOL at Jay being an all-time great musician.

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Falcons, Braves, Bulldogs and Hawks

Geto Boys, Poison Clan, UGK, Eightball & MJG, OutKast, Goodie Mob

he headlines the big rock festivals, mingles with the most famous of peoples, nah they get him dogg

Lil Caitlyn in suburbia DEMANDS that her parents buy her the physical copy
she'll download it first to check it out, but she wants the CD, or just the itunes for the ipod, but trust they PAY for the shit

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https://rateyourmusic.com/~Kosa12

You underestimate the money that goes in to a release...

Jay-z MADE 5 mil already and samsung paid for the ad spots...

Kanye spends Def Jam's money to project on walls, get it in stores and make videos.. he is at a loss before the album drops...

J cole spends money to get a song on radio 250k+, tour support, radio promo support, video, album production costs etc... He is WAY in the red.. not to mention "if" they bought a lot of those albums on release...

The traditional album release idea is broken because it is a huge loss money wise for artists to do it. In the end people only want the single anyway and why owe a company millions when you are the brand that makes them money anyway.

These numbers don't translate either. selling 300k first week and they still can't fill up a stadium. The idea of the album is some falsified numbers game. The hope that a successful first week makes people buy it the next week and so on.

jay-z doesn't have to play that game

Double 0
DJ/Producer/Artist
Producer in Kidz In The Hall
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twitter: @godouble0
IG: @godouble0
www.thinklikearapper.com

And seemingly Kanye scaled way back on the budget on Yeesus and
it still cost a lot.

http://i54.tinypic.com/2j51hj4.jpg

peace

J305
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Not really important to the overall point you're making but I felt the need to point it out.

As far as these untraditional releases, they might make less money on the sales but they spent less money releasing it so imagine it balances out to an extent.

http://i54.tinypic.com/2j51hj4.jpg

w/little or no promotion.

it's been known to happen.

these acts typically go back to promoting their releases via traditional means.

fuck you.

Double O made some good points about that above.

>The three most obvious examples of going against the grain are
>Radiohead's King of Limbs - "hey it's Monday. It comes out
>Saturday" - Yeezus, and Jay's Magna Carta...
>

Among big name mainstream acts those are 2 that come to mind (I'm not counting Kanye). But indie labels and even less commercial artists on big labels have been sidestepping the mainstream marketing angle for a long time and managing to make it successful.

peace

J305
___________________

People of color are NOT a minority. Think Global.

Don't Let Hollywood fool you.

http://www.twitter.com/Jtronic
http://www.last.fm/user/Jtronic