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Clay Aiken ahead of Ruben Studdard in Amazon Sales
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Thursday, 12 Jun 2003
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Ruben Studdard walked away with the "American Idol" title two weeks ago. But in a surprising move, the record company overseeing Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken is releasing both of their debut singles today, setting up another competition between the pair.
Geoff Mayfield, charts editor at Billboard magazine, said he's surprised BMG decided to send both singles out to the public at the same time. At one point, the Studdard record was scheduled for June 3.
"Maybe they wanted to make it more of an event," he said. "They don't have the show on right now to draw consumers' attention to it."
BMG spokesman Roger Widynowski didn't return calls for an explanation. Perhaps record executives wanted to hedge their bets since there was a near 50/50 split vote between the two singers.
Aiken and Studdard appeal to distinct audiences: Studdard is often compared with R&B legend Luther Vandross (who recently suffered a stroke), while Aiken has said he models himself after former Chicago lead singer -- and adult contemporary favorite -- Peter Cetera.
Studdard's single includes a gospel-tinged remake of "Flying Without Wings," first recorded by the Irish boy band Westlife, and a sexy take on the Carpenters' "Superstar," memorably covered by Vandross. This contrasts with Aiken's tune, "This Is the Night," a slice of Broadway-esque pop, and his bombastic version of Simon and Garfunkel's classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
As for who will sell more, Billboard's Mayfield dismisses Amazon.com's advance sales, which have Aiken well ahead of Studdard in preorders. "Amazon represents a very small percentage of overall sales," he said, "and may not be representative of the demographics of people who go to stores."
Over on radio, Atlanta's Top 40 station Q100 (WWWQ-FM) began testing songs by both artists in its evening mix to gauge listener reaction. But the station has not officially added either to its playlist yet.
"I've been playing Clay's `This Is the Night' because that's what's getting the most requests," nighttime jock Jeff Miles said. Aiken's song has made it into the top 10 requests this week, but Studdards' "Flying Without Wings" has not.
If the success of the debut album by first "Idol" Kelly Clarkson is any indication, Studdard has nothing to worry about. Fans have scooped up a million copies of her "Thankful," which has produced its second top 5 hit with the uptempo "Miss Independent."
And let's not forget Justin Guarini, runner-up to Clarkson last year. His self-titled album also comes out today too. But not everything is idyllic for the Idols. 20th Century Fox pushed back the release of Clarkson and Guarini's movie, "From Justin to Kelly," to June 20 from June 13. It also canceled press screenings, a sign that the studio may think reviewers will act like "Idol" judge Simon Cowell and pummel it.
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