On May 4, Columbia’s US radio promotions team sent an e-mail blast confirming the availability of Little Mix’s single “Hair (featuring Sean Paul).” The single accordingly appeared on the pop section of AllAccess’ “Cool New Music” digital delivery section. It was also issued to programmers on one of TM Studios’ weekly HitDisc compilations.
Fans grew justifiably concerned, however, when Columbia failed to provide further indication of a planned promotional campaign for the song. Unlike previous single “Secret Love Song (featuring Jason Derulo),” which was itself nixed before Columbia could launch a conventional push, “Hair” did not even appear in the “coming soon” section of the label’s weekly US radio newsletter.
And while “Hair” was called a “Hot Pick” by some US radio stations — including Chicago’s influential B96 — it did not appear to receive any meaningful early airplay. Even the aforementioned “Secret Love Song” received some early adds and spins.
The bleak outlook for the song recently grew bleaker; “Hair” no longer appears on the “Cool New Music” service. While we do not know what specifically prompted its removal, elimination from “Cool New Music” typically coincides with the end of a song’s campaign, whether due to it achieving its peak on the charts or due to the label opting not to move forward with a formal push.
Columbia has not yet formally commented on the song’s status, but the writing appears to be on the wall and “Hair” does not appear set to receive a full-fledged US radio campaign.
