Rihanna, why do you own the radio?
First, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’ve been having a great weekend with your families. I’ve been spending the past few days up in New Hampshire at my parents’ house.
Aside from enjoying the company (and food), I’ve also gotten the chance to borrow my father’s car and drive around a bit. It’s my favorite thing to do when I’m up here, especially for the opportunity to listen to the radio and catch up on my pop music. It’s true–this is actually something I look forward to.
Well, the past few days I’ve noticed two things:
1) “Live Your Life” by T.I. and Rihanna has played every time I’ve been in the car. I can only assume DJs are playing it at least once every hour.
2) 50% of the time I hear “Live Your Life” (and inevitable switch stations because I’m already sick of the song), Rihanna’s “Umbrella” is playing on the other major Boston pop station (KISS 108 or JAM’N 94.5, respectively).
So, I’ve never worked and/or studied the radio industry, but was this set up?
The coordinated playing of the two songs has happened far too often for it to be pure coincidence, and I swear I’ve heard it done before with other artists. It’s smart really; if I’m listening to the radio (and I want to keep within the two major Boston pop stations), at that very moment I am forced hear Rihanna. And then I have to choose if I want to hear her new single or her old song that is so-last-year. Interesting tactic. (If it is a tactic.)
So did Rihanna’s record label make some deal with the radio stations to promote the new song? Or did the radio stations decide to do this? Rihanna’s record label is Def Jam, which is owned by Universal Music Group (ultimately owned by GE). KISS and JAM’N are both owned by Clear Channel. Is there some sort of collaboration there I’ve missed? Curious.
Anyhow, if anyone has some insight into this, hit me with your expertise. I find it really interesting and would love to get an insider’s perspective.
And for your listening pleasure, here are the aforementioned songs. However, I require you play them both at the same time.
Posted: November 28th, 2008 under Catchy Music, Hip Hop.
Comments: 7
Comments
Comment from Adam
Time: November 29, 2008, 7:47 am
oh, for the love of dog! I don’t listen to the regular radio (for the very reason you’ve noted: the offensively endemic payola and crapola). So this was the first time I heard that T.I. song. Let me count the many many many annoying aspects:
- The guy’s name is T.I.?! Was his dad a frustrated mathematician? Or does it stand for Totally Incomprehensibly [bad]?
- He stole the numma numma song! Bastard!!!
- Listening to the spoken opening, the last time I can recall hearing such a laughably hackneyed set of phrases was when someone jokingly started reading “It was a dark and stormy night…”
Bah.
Comment from Rebecca Corliss
Time: November 29, 2008, 10:56 am
Hah! Well… this post wasn’t necessarily meant to bash and/or criticize Rihanna/T.I.’s music. (I actually really like pop music to a degree.)
He did, however, steal the numa numa song; I forgot about that. But to his credit, it’s a pretty good idea to sample an internet phenomenon, don’t you think? Weezer did it too, in video form at least.
Comment from Andy
Time: November 29, 2008, 3:20 pm
well, if you had more then a day to listen to the radio you probably would have heard Rihanna’s songs “Rehab” and “Disturbia”. There is something to the pay-to-play idea. However, in this case i think it is simply due to the fact that right now Rihanna is HUGE. T.I. is pretty big as well. So a song with both of them (although it is only on T.I.’s album) is bound to get radio play. Most radio stations tend to be a mix of sales/press/program directors whim.
Comment from Adam F
Time: November 29, 2008, 3:32 pm
Well first of all let me just say that I love Rihanna, she’s awesome.
Most major radio stations subscribe to software that compares listener ratings against popular songs with variables like time of year, time of day, day of week, geography and so on. For example, Rihanna- “SOS” does really well in the 8-8:30 AM morning commute slot when played after a commercial break, so the station will play accordingly.
Many stations, like JAMN and KISS, are big enough that they probably use something like this and because Rihanna is so awesome she can satisfy a hip hop station as well as a top 40 station audience. So, software telling a program directer that Rihanna does well at X o’clock on Tuesdays mixed with Rihanna spanning a few musical demographics could possibly explain simultaneous Rihanna or Fall Out Boy or whatever is popular at the time Also sometimes its probably just coincidence, as there is often a lack of diversity in popular radio music.
This is pretty common practice as a lot of advertising cost is calculated using data like this, so it’s in the stations best interest to refine the science of satisfying a big audience.
Comment from Adam
Time: November 29, 2008, 4:19 pm
I like pop music, too (though I wasn’t able to play the Rihanna song here; crappy internet connection. so I couldn’t comment on that one specifically).
I just have a gag reflex re: modern radio, which is filled with lousy commercials, and (IMHO) has sucked the soul out of DJs in favor of playing, as Adam F has noted, stuff that’s determined to the most people at a given moment without regard to song quality or how annoyed some of us get when we hear the same song 42 times in one day.
And beyond that huge layer of suckitude is the fact that I’ve never heard a non-college / non-Public radio radio station play kickass a cappella (or really any a cappella that I can think of). That’s just lame lame lame lame lame.
Comment from Rebecca Corliss
Time: November 29, 2008, 4:25 pm
Hah! First, I find it hilarious that everyone who has commented so far has a first name that starts with A.
Andy: I forgot about those other songs. You’re right, it’s not just the two I mentioned.
Adam F: Very interesting indeed. Do you know what the software is called? Have you used it before? Would love to learn more.
Adam: I hear you. However, I judge pop music more than just listening quality. I know that sounds a bit backwards, but take Britney Spears for example. She’s a talent-less nut… but I love her. — But yes, a cappella FTW. :)
Comment from Sam
Time: December 1, 2008, 8:07 am
When I was home I had the same experience, but with Beyonce and “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies.” Except I love those songs so it was fabulous. :)
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