But the race for No.1 has potentially been skewed by the nationwide lockdown in England, which arrived the day before the release of new albums from both acts. HMV and other record shops are unable to open as normal, though some indie retailers will again ramp up click & collect and delivery services.
In the latest issue of Music Week, we investigate the impact of the lockdown on music retail and releases.
At the moment Kylie Minogue’s Disco (BMG) is ahead on physical sales, while Little Mix’s Confetti (RCA) has streaming momentum. For Minogue, it would be an eighth No.1 album as well as a new record for chart-toppers in five consecutive decades by a female artist. For Little Mix, it would be a second No.1 following 2016’s Glory Days.
Minogue’s label BMG has scored consecutive No.1s with 2018’s Golden (157,670 sales to date – Official Charts Company) and the Step Back in Time collection (131,921 sales to date). Both were dominated by physical sales in week one.
Here, Gemma Reilly-Hammond, BMG’s VP, marketing UK, opens up about the impact of the latest Covid-19 restrictions in England…
How will the lockdown impact the Kylie campaign given the high proportion of week one physical sales for her on previous albums?
“I’m devastated for HMV and the indies who have to close their doors once again at such a key time of year, but we are continuing to work closely with them on how to support their online and mail order businesses in a meaningful way. Clearly, volume will be affected out of these retailers but we are working collaboratively with them to mitigate against this as best we can. Amazon and Supermarkets are still continuing to stock and sell music, so this is business as usual.”
Kylie’s streaming business is very buoyant and we have a great plan in place with all the DSPs
Will it affect the chart battle with Little Mix and other rivals who may be more streaming-based?
“Success these days is a marathon, not a sprint, and healthy competition, as I have said before, can only be a good thing, particularly for the industry at this time. Kylie’s streaming business is very buoyant and we have a great plan in place with all the DSPs. We can only focus on our own campaign and do our best job. All I can say is that Disco is shaping up to be a very successful record from both a streaming and physical sales perspective.”
Will you adjust the campaign because of the lockdown?
“We have built a fantastic campaign that we are very proud of, are very well prepared, and are making no changes to our plan as a result of the lockdown news.”
To read our special report on Q4 and lockdown, pick up the latest issue – or subscribers can click here.
To read our interview with Kylie Minogue, subscribers can click here.
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