Numbers Behind the Melody

Shooter | 01/24/2008 at 10:29 AM | Comments (1)

The staggering record sales slump that continues to cripple the record industry with each passing week may be a pain in the pocketbook to Pop Rock R&B Hip-Hop stars and their housing labels nationwide, but for record-selling underdogs like Raheem DeVaughn, it's most definitely a Billboard blessing in disguise.

The 45,053 units moved by his sophomore album, Love Behind the Melody, may pale in comparison to much of his chart competition's debut week numbers, but it was more than enough to skyrocket him to a #4 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, runner-up to the reigning chart queen Alicia Keys. Those figures are a personal best for DeVaughn in both sales and position; they more than doubled the copies scanned in week #1 by his 2005 debut. The Love Experience only managed 21,842 units its initial week and stalled at a distant #46.
Again, comparing sales of barely 2.5 years ago against the most current chart may cause an instantaneous wave of mixed emotions to sweep across the industry-- Raheem selling 21,000 to debut at #46 in 2005 c/w Fergie selling 21,000 to sustain a #17 position this week-- but such a debut is more than likely the proverbial icing on this R&B Hippie Neo-Soul Rock Star's already iced-with-whipped-cream-and-cherry-topped cake. Lead single, "Woman", is already his most successful to date (having peaked at #33 on Billboard Hot R&B) and last month was given the industry's highest honor by being awarded a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Follow-up single, "Customer", has already commenced its rise to the top, debuting this past week at #89 and Raheem landed the coveted spot as opening act on Jill Scott's upcoming US trek.

How hard and how fast this fickle and stagnant commercialized industry will allow him to fall in the upcoming weeks is to be determined but for right now, an R&B Hippie Neo-Soul Rock Star has been placed among the mainstream elite. Save the date: history made (even if just for a week).

Tags: raheem devaughn