While wrapping up the Super Bowl hype and still seeing lots of songs and artists surging in popularity from the Grammy’s, I thought this would be a great time to share some of the valuable insights we’ve gotten from listeners. This is a unique asset we can share, since few if any radio stations today receive and tabulate requests on the same scale.
Because Liveline receives actual direct listener input with 500+ requests weekly from a broad base of listeners across the country, we get a good sense of the songs that are blowing up (and those that aren’t) frequently before most stations even start playing them. Plus we can spot the re-emerging throwbacks each week which we share in the “Buried Treasures” section below. We always try to get a story or opinion out of every caller on why they love a particular song. When people request new or forgotten songs, it’s a great way to sell a song to the wide audience it so they will enjoy and sit through it.
Some of the most interesting responses we’ve gotten in the past two weeks:
Chappell Roan – “Pink Pony Club”
Mason: “Why is Chappell Roan so popular and why THIS song?”
Hailey, Tallahassee, Fla.: “It’s definitely because she represents a whole group of people who feel like weirdos or maybe took a long time to accept who they are after being rejected for so long. It’s like she gives people a safe space and permission to just let go and kinda be whatever they want. She’s not like any other artists and her songs are so different and catchy”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Mason: “Why do you like this song and why do you think so many other people can’t stand it?”
Brandon, Peoria Ill.: “It’s got really good energy and it’s super catchy but I think a lot of people don’t vibe with it because it’s like the same thing over and over again and kinda sounds like a kid song but that’s basically every song nowadays except for rap. Bruno Mars definitely made the song a hit because it’s kinda lame with just her”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther”
Most of our halftime show feedback parallels what you’re seeing online. We asked the audience what they thought of their Super Bowl halftime performance and surprisingly, over half of the 50 people we asked didn’t even see it, despite this year’s show having more viewers than ever. The main response we got was “it seemed pretty weak”, “I didn’t know any of the songs” and “they definitely could’ve gotten someone bigger”. Positive feedback praised the production value, Kendrick’s breath control, SZA looking great and all the hidden messages and intent behind every little part of it (which many felt wasn’t appropriate for a Super Bowl halftime show). But we’re feeling a positive Kendrick-related buzz on the phones, too (see below).
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Mason: “What makes this your favorite song right now?”
Raquel, Missoula Mont.: “I honestly have no idea what the song is about, I just like the beat. I think it’s really trippy and their voices sound cool. But I think it would be just as good without anyone singing. It’s way better than “Dancing In the Flames” which is such a dumb song and really cheesy. His new album is so good I’ve probably listened to it like 20 times all the way through now”
Lola Young – “Messy”
Mason: “Why do you think so many people like this song?”
Mila, St Cloud, Minn.: “It’s just so raw and relatable and I feel like everyone has been through the stuff she sings about, like I literally was in a toxic relationship with this guy who went from nice and sweet one second to controlling and hella manipulative… when I heard this for the first time I broke down crying”
Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
Mason: “Do you think it’s the best song she’s ever done?”
Sydney, Gothenburg Neb.,: “I’m a huge Billie fan so obviously I love all of her music but it’s so clear that like everyone loves this song and it’s the only one I ever hear on the radio now so yeah it’s probably her biggest and best. But just musically speaking I’d still pick this one because of that high note at the end and the beat, it’s like a pop song but you can still tell it’s got her own spin on it which makes it different than everything else”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
The song debuted in full at last weekend’s Grammy awards, followed by a great week of streaming and sales, eventually hitting No. 1 on Spotify for a couple days. The first week it was out though, we received no requests for it which is unusual for a major release like that. So we brought back the old-school “Make It or Break It” feature. While that feedback doesn’t always translate to long-term success, but it did finish with a 74% positive response wanting to “make it”. Nice comments included “it’s something I’d want to hear at a party”, “the beat is infectious and just like her best songs from the early years” and “definitely a banger and probably gonna go down as one of her biggest hits”. Negative comments said “she kinda mailed it in on this one”, “it sounds so out of place and old. it’s nice that it’s different from everything else right now but that’s because dance music is basically dead”, and “it’s only popular right now cuz it’s Gaga but in a month everyone will forget about it”.
Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Mason: “How are you not tired of this song after almost a year?”
Riley, Concord N.H.: “It’s just a song that makes you feel good and it’s really catchy. It’s one of the only new songs that people play at parties because everything else is old and I think this will just be around forever”
Buried Treasures of the Week
Nelly & Kelly Rowland – “Dilemma”: Yesterday was Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowland’s 44th birthday, which ties in perfectly for this week’s not-so buried treasure, as the song still gets played quite a bit on Rhythmic and Top 40 radio. Liveline had a request for it every night last week which is such an odd pattern, because we frequently see old songs get lots of requests for a month or two and then suddenly just stop. “Ice Ice Baby” is another that comes and goes every three months or so. Both see passionate phone response from men and women of all ages.
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “All The Stars”: It’s been bubbling in the Spotify Top 30 for a month and surging in requests on Liveline for obvious reasons. It’s easy to forget about this song because it only got to #15 on Top 40, though #3 on Rhythmic and #7 on Billboard. It was a Top 5 Spotify streamer and stayed in the Top 50 for months. From the movie “Black Panther”, released in 2018 which was a horrible year for pop music and radio, which produced very few long term hits and too many chart toppers that would’ve never made it so high if it weren’t for everything else being weak and forgettable. If “All The Stars” came out today, it’s safe to assume that radio would’ve treated it better because of the Kendrick/SZA name familiarity and track record. A really good song that they performed beautifully at the Super Bowl.
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(@livelineradio)This story first appeared on radioinsight.com