Today’s music marketplace might be globally and digitally connected, but as “Pompeii” proved earlier this year, there is no guarantee that songs will break in all markets at the same time.
First released in early 2013, Bastille’s breakthrough hit “Pompeii” conquered European airwaves long before it gained any mainstream traction in the United States.
Naughty Boy’s “La La La (featuring Sam Smith)” seems poised to follow the same path. Released in May 2013, the track ranked as last year’s fifth-best selling in the UK.
It is only now beginning to impact the American music market.
An ascent that began with a live rendition on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has brought the song to number 57 on the overall iTunes Single Sales chart. As it seems to be gaining solid ground by the day, it is only a matter of time before it breaks into the top fifty and then even higher.
And it is not the only Sam Smith collaboration finally gaining recognition in the United States. Long a favorite of music insiders and a mild hit in some European markets, Disclosure’s “Latch (featuring Sam Smith)” is beginning to carve out a solid place in the iTunes Top 100. As of press time, it was number 89 on the digital retailer’s sales chart.
Not a prisoner to collaborations, Sam Smith is also looking to make waves with solo release “Money on My Mind.” Though it has not yet made a major impact in the US, it did receive an endorsement from superstar Taylor Swift, who performed the tune with Smith during one of her UK shows. She later referred to the song as her “new favorite” in a Tweet about the duet.