Mediabase/CMM’s latest pop radio callout report confirms a net negative reaction to Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea’s “Pretty Girls.”
According to the report, which surveys pop radio listeners, “Pretty Girls” received a positive score of 35.5 and a negative score of 41.2. Its net score, therefore, registers at -5.7%.
Now that reception to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “I Really Like You” has moved into net positive territory (6.3), “Pretty Girls” is the only active pop radio song with a net negative score.
“Pretty Girls” and “I Really Like You” are the only songs with net positive scores below 18.8%.
“Pretty Girls” also fares poorly in all individual metrics. Of the 35 active pop songs measured in this week’s report, “Pretty Girls” possesses the highest negative score, lowest positive score and second-lowest favorite score (11.0, ahead of only the 8.4 for “I Really Like You”).
While the relatively low familiarity rate of 72.6% means the current margin of error is heightened, it is significant enough to paint a general portrait of audience reaction to “Pretty Girls.” The song’s scores may rise slightly in conjunction with growing familiarity (as they have done for “I Really Like You”), but “Pretty Girls” will doubtfully transform into a top-scoring pop track.
— Unpopular with radio audiences, “Pretty Girls” has also been failing to garner excitement from radio programmers.
Since debuting at #23 on the Mediabase pop airplay chart (May 3-9 tracking week), “Pretty Girls” has lost ground at the format. It appears at #29 on this week’s real-time/building airplay chart and suffered a week-over-week decline in spins.
Unsurprising given the tepid audience reaction, its sales performance has been lukewarm for a heavily hyped single involving two high-profile names. It is presently #54 on the all-genre iTunes sales chart.
