Pop update: Correcting misguided album campaigns...

Sigh. More often than not, I think fans look at their favourite acts album campaigns (ie, what singles are chosen or when the album is abandoned far too early) and just weep in despair at some of the bizarre choices that are made. Usually everyone has an opinion over whether Madonna and Kylie chose the right singles from their albums and how they would have done it better. Here are some of my favourite acts and some suggestions on how to correct the wonky course of an increasingly misguided album campaign...

• Maroon 5 ~ I'm not sure Adam and the boys are a good place to start. It's not that the album campaign has been bad per se, it's just I'm not sure that there is the same level of interest in them anymore. Nice poppy choice of first single in Misery, slightly more aggressive funk in Give A Little More. Never Gonna Leave This Bed is just the type of swoony single that will remind people of She Will Be Loved and Won't Go Home Without You. I would have released it around Christmas instead of the non-single campaign for the album track but better late than never. Follow it up please with a fairly innovative video for fan fave Stutter and then round it all off with that nice Lady Antebellum duet. Oh and Adam, just continue to look sizzling hot. That's the stuff :)
• Brandon Flowers ~ was there an album campaign for this? It seemed to fizzle out after the lovely and enduring Crossfire embedded itself into everyone's hearts. Only The Young limped along and Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts would have been a brilliant anti-Valentine's Day anthem, but it seems it was not to be. On the plus side, The Killers Christmas song (Boots) was quite nice and the band seem to be reforming for some concert action later this year. But don't abandon B-Flo's trashy vegas loving album yet, there are some right gems in there...
• Scissor Sisters ~ It started off so well. Critically lauded. Slightly cooler than Ta-Dah (which I loved) taster single in Invisible Light, then different sounding anthem in Fire with Fire. Any Which Way reminded the world of how filthy-gorgeous they could be. Then - a video for the already well known Invisible Light? It seemed like a bit of a let down. Where was a single remix of Whole New Way? Or a down and dirty reworking of Sex & Violence? Then finish it all off with some Invisible Light remixes? There's still time to salvage the wonderful Night Work, they just need to get on with it.
• Shayne Ward ~ oh dear. Poor Shayne. While no one currently looks better in jeans and a white t-shirt, his music career has seen better days. Even after the x-factor performance of his big comeback single (a Nickelback cover), he didn't quite make the top ten. And instead of rallying for Obsession (title track and should've been first single) to be released as the second track with a slightly naughty video (Shayne in s&m, putting Rihanna to shame comes to mind), he's tweeting about Malteasers. Good god man, have you completely given up?! Closer Than Close has been chosen as the US single and would serve well over here, even if it does veer a little too close towards JLS territory. And why isn't the Darin penned Foolish or the ridiculous but brill Must Be A Reason being considered as a single? WHY?! We may never, ever know. And that makes me sad...
• Joe McElderry ~ poor little geordie Joe. It started off well enough by unfeasibly making Ambitions - a bittersweet melancholy tune - into the perkiest disco number this side of Yes Sir, I can Boogie. Then no one seemed to connect to the equally percolating Someone Wake Me Up, despite it's Narnia themed, better than Carrie Underwood b-side. There's more little pop diamonds that the public should get a fist pumping dance routine for too whether it be the alphabeaty Feel The Fire or the Scisster-like Farenheit. Like poor Shayne though, I can't help but feel that the ship has already sailed. It's all about the Wand Erection now...
• Westlife ~ How could i forget the 'loife? Dwayne reminded me in the comments of this horribly mismanaged campaign. He's absolutely right in stating that the far more energetic Beautiful Tonight would have been a much better first single, but i'm thinking even any second single would be a bonus at this stage. It's been over three months. And if I hear the boys say once more how each new album is the real them and how they want to be like Pink and release four-five singles from it, then do bugger all, I'll have a coniption fit. 
• Sophie Ellis Bextor ~ releasing something would be a fine fine start. Thank you.

Back sunday with thoughts on the delirously amazing new Eric Saade song!