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Beyoncé was about to release her third album, I Am…Sasha Fierce, a sort-of concept double album where one disc featured sonically adventurous tracks performed by her dangerous new alter ego, “Sasha Fierce,” and the other (the “I Am” disc) featuring tunes highlighting her standard pop queen persona. To understand the relationship of Queen Bey to the all of this, we need to rewind to 2008. “ooh more fans bought this track this week, THAT should be the hit!”) And arguably, who do we have to blame for this depressing state of affairs? None other than the reigning queen of pop music: Beyoncé. Sure, there are still songs from these albums that are individually promoted by record companies, but these appear to be more of an after-thought rather than the result of a well-orchestrated promotional campaign (i.e. These factors have conspired to render the notion of a true “hit” – one that stands alone based on quality, airplay, promotion and video – arguably obsolete. Artists like Drake will drop an album on a Saturday and by the following chart date of Friday every single track on that album will have made the charts. Today, however, with the onset of instantaneous digital releases and streaming, ANY song from a given album can hit the charts and become a “hit,” regardless of whether there is an accompanying video, record company promotion or radio airplay.
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And then it would all begin again a few years later with the latest album, a predictable and comfortable circle of pop life. These singles would be promoted individually and carefully by record companies, lovingly delivered and pushed to radio stations and accompanied by eye-popping videos especially tailored to the artist and song. It all used to be so simple: Average Joe Popstar would release brilliant lead single about a month or two before his or her new album dropped, followed by a new single to coincide with the release of the album, followed by additional singles spaced a few months apart depending on chart placing and fan interest. Do pop singles even exist anymore? That question is one that strikes fear in the heart of most pop music nerds, who live and die for the hits, but it is also one that has become ever more relevant in the age of streaming and the instant download.