Across America, Starting with the Boxing Champion

 Chapter 514 New Album Release

On November 25, the 40th American Music Awards were held at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles.

Prior to this, the Nielsen SoundScan statistical system also announced the sales situation of the US record market in 2012.

Link's fourth album "Loveisgone" was released in mid-August last year. By the time of the American Music Awards last November, it had sold 5.22 million copies in the United States.

The sales volume of "Loveisgone" in the United States this year was 6.12 million, and the current cumulative sales in the United States are 11.49 million. It is also the highest-selling album selected by the Nielsen SoundScan statistical system this year.

This album is also the second album to top the record sales chart for two consecutive years after MJ's "Thriller" released in 1980. For more than a year since its release, it has never dropped out of the album sales chart. Top 20.

"Loveisgone" is also the 22nd diamond album since the Nielsen SoundScan system began to collect US album sales data in 1991.

The 21st diamond album is Link's third album "The Woman I Love".

The runner-up on the album sales chart is Adele's "21".

The album was released in April last year and had sold 5.82 million copies in the United States as of December 31, 2011.

The sales volume from the beginning of the year to now is 4.41 million.

Total sales have just exceeded 10 million copies.

"21" is also the 23rd diamond album ranked by Nielsen SoundScan statistical system.

In third place is Taylor Swift's fifth album "Red", released in March, with total sales of 3.87 million copies.

This is also her fourth time in the top three of the annual album sales rankings.

Her children's album "Fairy" released at the end of last year sold 1.25 million copies this year, ranking eighth on the album chart.

The albums ranked fourth to tenth are: One Direction's "Up All Night" with 1.62 million copies.

Mumford & Sons rock group's "Babel" has 1.46 million copies, and Lana Del Rey's third album "Paradise" has 1.42 million copies.

Justin Bieber's "Believe" has 1.34 million copies, Taylor's "Fairy" has 1.2 million copies, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" has 1.18 million copies, and Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox" has 1.18 million copies.

"Rolling Papers", released by Wiz Khalifa at the end of last year, sold 1.02 million copies this year, ranking 14th.

There are 14 albums on the Nielsen SoundScan album sales list this year that have sold 1 million copies.

Among these 14 albums, five are from Link Music, and the fourth-ranked One Direction is from the United Kingdom. The group's distribution work in the United States is represented by Link Music.

Counting One Direction's "UpAll Night", there are six albums released by link music, nearly half the number.

This also allows Link Music’s influence in the music scene to continue to grow.

At present, Link Music has a stable market value of 1.8 billion US dollars. According to the evaluation of the Wall Street Journal, after the release of Link's fifth album, the market value of Link Music Company has a chance to exceed 2 billion US dollars.

If Link Music is willing to go public, it has a great chance of exceeding 5 billion or even 6 billion market value.

Because the American Music Awards are tied to album sales.

Also because Link announced that he would not participate in awards selections from last year, Adele won five awards at last year's American Music Awards.

The biggest winner at this year's American Music Awards is Taylor, who leads her peers with three awards: Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Country Vocalist, and Favorite Country Album.

Justin Bieber won the awards for Favorite Pop Male Artist and Favorite Pop Album.

Also Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, Ariana Grande, Maroon 1, Nicki Minaj, Summer Kira and others all received one or two trophies.

Later, the media reported that the reason why Link did not win the award was to help Link's contracted artists win awards.

If he had not announced his withdrawal from all award selections, he would have been the biggest winner at the American Music Awards for three consecutive years.

It’s hard for Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and others to win at music awards.

Even Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and others have a hard time winning awards.

Although this kind of evaluation is exaggerated, based on the sales performance of Link's two albums, he does have the ability to crush his peers.

Including the lucky girls Adele and Taylor, they are slightly behind him in album sales for the time being, and they are also far behind him in terms of popularity and influence in the music industry.

Starting from the Olympic Games in July and August, various status bonuses have made him a unique superstar that no one can match.

"Huh, I think it's a cowardly act for you not to participate in the awards. You're worried about losing to us."

In the driving nanny car, Taylor looked at the three pyramid trophies placed on the seat and said.

"Are you kidding me? For a singer, album sales are the most important thing, everything else is icing on the cake. I am crushing everyone on the album sales chart, so why should I worry about not getting an award?

The reason why I didn't participate in the selection is because I don't want to bully you. How dare you show off to me after you won the award? "

Link shook his head.

Taylor wrinkled the bridge of her nose and kicked him with the toe of her high heel.

"Don't say it so nice. How about you announce your participation in the selection starting next year and see which of us wins more awards next year?"

"No need. You can't take back what you say. Moreover, the fifth album is my last album. I will be semi-retired in the music world from now on. There is no point in announcing my participation in the selection again."

"You told me last time that you would continue writing songs. Are you lying to me?" Taylor said dissatisfied.

"I'm not lying. I will release a single if I get inspiration in the future, but I won't release an album."

Link said.

Taylor looked at him dissatisfied, "You used to be able to write so many good songs every year, but now you are getting lazy and can't write a few good songs a year. I think those comments are right.

Money and fame make you lose the motivation to create music and make you lazy and vulgar. You should give up all your wealth and concentrate on creating music. "

Link shook his head, "I said at the beginning that I became a singer mainly because of you. Only with you can I like music and have the inspiration to create. Later, you kicked me out without hesitation and I lost my passion for music. I am no longer interested in music, and it is difficult to write good songs if I continue to create, so it will be a matter of time before I quit the music scene, so there is no need to force it.”

"Are you blaming me?"

Taylor pursed her lips and stared at him.

"I'm not blaming you, I'm just stating a fact. You are my musical muse. Because of you, I could write those songs before. Without you, how would I write songs? Now Eva is my commercial muse. , so I will pay more attention to the development of several companies under my command.”

"But, we are still together now, and I am not far away from you."

Taylor retorted.

"It's different. You used to love me and we were lovers. Now you don't love me as much as before. You only regard me as Alexander and Cynthia's father. This is also a kind of alienation."

"Hmph, what a self-righteous guy."

Taylor snorted softly, crossed his arms and looked at the neon lights outside the car window.

"Okay, don't be angry. I just said I won't release an album, and I didn't say I would give up music. Music creation is a lifelong job. I have created too much in the past few years and lacked accumulation, which has led to a decline in my creative ability. I took a few years off to get better. I believe you will do the same in the future."

Link sat next to her and put his arm around her waist.

Taylor stared at the street scene outside the car window without speaking. The neon lights reflected on her fair and delicate cheeks through the glass. Her blue eyes and long eyelashes looked even more charming in the dim light.

Link took her into his arms, placing his palms against her smooth and delicate cheeks, cold earlobes, and earrings.

"What?"

Taylor looked at him dissatisfied.

Link lowered his head and kissed her thin lips. Taylor whined a few times and hit him with a white fist, but he kissed her even more passionately and deeply.

Taylor's white palms were pressed against his chest and gradually moved up to embrace his neck.

When he was about to throw Taylor down on the seat, Taylor sat on his lap.

Commercial vehicles drive slowly on Hollywood Boulevard.

The neon lights reflected Taylor's smooth and white back, reflecting blurred colors.

Her golden hair was also loosely spread on her shoulders, gradually becoming wet with sweat.

The car window glass was also shrouded in fog and gradually became hazy.

—

After the American Music Awards, Link's new album "AsItWas" was also released as scheduled.

This album contains more than eight old songs such as "Wedon't Talk Anymore", "Blinding Lights", "Good Time", "Listen" and "Sugar".

There are also ten future champion singles such as "Something Just Like This", "Whatlovers Do", "As It Was", "Remember Me", "What Are Words" and "What AB Beautiful Name".

Different from the past, in order to cater to the market, the standard version of this album has been reduced from the original 29.5 US dollars to 19.5 US dollars, an average of one dollar per song.

This album will be jointly promoted and released by Link Music and Universal Music. From promotion resources to distribution channels, it will be more and broader than the previous album.

Due to various factors, "As It Was" sold 3.05 million copies in the United States in its first week.

In one fell swoop, it broke the record of 2.41 million copies set by Super Boy Group in 2000 with the album "No Strings Attached".

Raising first-week sales to a new level that is difficult for ordinary singers to achieve.

The evaluation of this kind of album is also relatively positive. Although the style is not as unified as the third and fourth albums, the quality of the songs in this album is no less than that of the fourth album, and it is suitable for fans of all tastes.

In the first week of release, the top 12 of the Billboard singles chart were all songs from this album, and all 18 songs entered the top 30 of the singles chart, breaking many Billboard records in one fell swoop.

On the iTunes music store, Amazon Music Mall and Spotify platform, the album's songs were played more than 1 billion times by paid users in the first week, setting a new record again.

Overseas, the album "As It Was" topped the album sales charts in 22 countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Japan, and South Korea, and ranked among the top three in sales in 45 countries and regions.

Cumulative sales in the first week were 11.8 million, making it a diamond album in the first week and setting many new records in the world of music.

Songs from the new album have also topped the singles charts in many countries.

Because this album is so popular, fans all over the world are listening to songs from the new album in December, and songs from this album are also being played in streets around the world.

This has almost become a cultural trend and popular phenomenon sweeping the world.

(End of chapter)