A special contribution by @PhillipReq
2014 has been a busy year for Phillip Phillips, who is on a mission to prove to the world that he was more than just the Season 11 winner of American Idol.
His platinum-debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon has proven that Phillips is a force to be reckoned with. His debut single, “Home,” which was used in several movies, commercials, and most notably in the 2012 Olympics, reached over 5 million in sales in the US alone, with another 500K in sales worldwide. The song reached #1 on the Digital Songs chart, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first Top 10 hit on the chart.
His second single, “Gone, Gone, Gone” was also successful. Used in several promo spots as well, it has sold almost 2 million in sales in the US, with another 250K worldwide. The song peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The debut was a success. It was more than a success. Phillip Phillips became a household name in a matter of a YEAR. He became one of Interscope’s top artists.
Now, he’s here to show that he can do it all again. The sophomore album is always the test for every artist, because it shows that people are still invested in you as an artist.
On March 3rd, 2014, Phillip Phillips released the lead single, “Raging Fire,”off his sophomore album, Behind The Light. The pop-rock anthem received critical acclaim upon its release, with reviewers complimenting its infectious melody and delivery of lyrics. The song went on to sell 74K copies in its first week, and has sold a total of 250K copies in the US alone. The song continues to sell strongly and is shooting easily towards Gold certification (500K), which would be his 3rd certification after his hit singles, “Home” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.”
Radios in the US quickly picked up the song, and it extended his streak of Top 10 hits in his core formats:
- It became his third Top 10 single on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs Chart (HAC)
- It became his third Top 10 single on Billboard’s AAA chart
- It became his third Top 20 single on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, and is headed towards Top 10.
- It just recently debuted at #50 on Rock airplay
On this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Raging Fire” leaps up this week’s chart from #98->#88. The single has peaked so far at #58, and is looking to pass this position as the weeks go by with an official pop radio release in the future. The single has peaked at #35 on Canadian Hot 100, becoming his 3rd Top 40 hit in the country already. As of this writing, “Raging Fire” is currently #19 on Canadian iTunes and #50 on US iTunes.
The force of his “Philatics” on Twitter has greatly helped, as they continue to feverishly request to several radio stations, and support him. Side Note: As a member who posts a lot of radio updates and request lists, I must say I am so happy many of you decide to take time out of your day and follow the request lists and call your local stations. Please stay awesome, and please continue to request and call your local stations and ask for Phillip’s latest single.
Phillip Phillips’ Behind The Light was released May 19th, 2014 to mostly positive reviews. The album is predicted to enter the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, which will be his second Top 10 album after his platinum-debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon. It’s also predicted to enter the Top 10 on the Canadian Albums chart. The album is off to a great start statistically, and should continue to sell greatly as the weeks go by. As one should remember,The World from the Side of the Moon spent over a year on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. I’m sure after listening to every song on Behind The Light, that this album also has the potential to mark this same feat.
One thing’s for sure. Phillip Phillips won’t stop until he proves to the world that he’s more than just an American Idol winner who got lucky. With Behind The Light released, many reviewers are already complimenting how Phillips has moved on and expanded his sound, coming into his own. Even Phillips himself declared in an interview by radio.com that he feels this album truly represents what his music was before he came on American Idol.
We still have half-a-year to go, and Phillips has gotten off a great start. With the album now officially released, Phillips looks forward to his major tour with O.A.R. to start in June, in which he is co-headlining. He will also be performing on the Today Show’s Summer Concert series on June 27th.
Please purchase or gift his lead single, “Raging Fire” off the new album, Behind The Light on iTunes. And please continue to request and call your local stations and ask for Phillip’s latest single.