Following the finale of Australian Idol 2008, there has been some confusion in the media that has reported the sales of Wes Carr’s single You – with some outlets saying the single was a success, and others, far from it.
As of December 1, around 8300 units have been sold of the Idol’s debut single – but if this constitutes as a success, seemingly, is open to interpretation.
Wire service AAP reported yesterday that “Australian Idol winner Wes Carr has topped off last week's win with strong sales of his first single.”
“You, the first effort of the Bondi singer, has debuted at number three this week, behind last week's No.1, Poker Face, and the Kings Of Leon, who sit at No.2 and No.4 with Sex On Fire and Use Somebody.”
But other news organizations begged to differ.
News Limited said of the success of Carr’s release:
“The Bondi singer-songwriter hit No. 3 in the ARIA singles charts yesterday with You, behind Lady GaGa's chart-topper Poker Face and Kings of Leon's Sex On Fire, which have both been in the upper echelons of the top 50 for more than two months.”
“Fans downloaded only 8300 copies of You in the six days after the Sydney Opera House finale.”
Going deeper, Undercover.com.au’s Paul Cashmere said the single sales were indicative of a lackluster public.
“After winning Australian Idol and after being seen by around 1.5 million people, You, the single for Wes Carr, has only sold 8,292 units.” Cashmere reported.
“Of the 8,292 units, 8,291 were digital. (Who was the only person in Australia who bought a CD single?).”
“The Idol truth is that despite the massive audience that watches the show, it is not translating to the music buying public anymore.”
While some are calling it a poor result, Carr can have some solace in the fact he has outsold 2007 winner Natalie Gauci, who shifted just 7463 units in its first week of release.
In comparison, the debut single of 2003 Idol Winner Guy Sebastian, Angels Brought Me Here, sold 128,679 copies in its first week – over 120,000 copies more than Carr.