Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Could this be the surefire sign that the power of American Idol is really on the decline? After a decidedly lackluster season (the May finale was the second lowest rated in AI history), winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox are already struggling to make an impact on the music charts.
According to MTV, DeWyze, 24, whose first single is a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day", will come in at No. 10 on the Current Digital Tracks chart. The figures, provided by Nielsen SoundScan, show that DeWyze moved just 95,000 downloads. That's a 25% dip compared to last year's winner Kris Allen's first single, "No Boundaries".
During their Idol season, DeWyze and Bowersox, both 24, had a combined nine songs (including their duet of The Swell Season's "Falling Slowly") on the the top 200 downloads, totaling around 400,000 downloads. But, as Nielsen Entertainment vice president Chris Murator summed up to USA Today, "It's about half the sales total of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert following the finale last year."
But is it DeWyze's fault that the music isn't moving? E! Online's Joal Ryan thinks the singer had the nearly impossible task of shadowing Bono: " The poor guy got saddled with a song the whole world knows by a band the whole galaxy knows."
Nevertheless, both DeWyze and Bowersox have been signed to major labels. As Billboard.com reported last week, DeWyze earned a deal with 19 Recordings Limited and RCA Records, while Bowersox is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and Jive Records.
Plus:
- PHOTOS: American Idol Champs vs. Runners-Up: Who's the Real Winner?
- Lee DeWyze Heads to Disney World Following Idol Win
Do you think Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox will have staying power? Chime in below!
