For a critically acclaimed follow-up to smash hits “Royals” and “Team,” Lorde’s “Tennis Court” has been surprisingly slow to catch on. While recent releases from Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and even lower-profile acts like Nico and Vinz and MAGIC! quickly erupted on iTunes and on Top 40 radio, “Tennis Court” has been something of a slow burner.
But the momentum finally appears to be building, and it comes at an opportune time.
For the first time since last year (when it served as a supplemental option for those who were discovering Lorde through “Royals”), “Tennis Court” has ascended back into the Top 100 on iTunes’ overall single sales chart. That ascent, which has brought “Tennis Court” to #89 on the sales chart, comes hours before Lorde performs the song on ABC’s Billboard Music Awards telecast.
Easily accessible to music fans based on its current chart ranking, “Tennis Court” should see a significant spike in response to Lorde’s performance. The hope, then, is that the increased sales and exposure will drive radio programmers to move actively spin the third “Pure Heroine” single. It is currently #38 on the Top 40/pop radio format.
The Billboard awards air at 8PM on ABC.