Release Day always feels a bit like the NBA Draft to me.
Depending on scouting reports and previous games, the teams pick someone at #1, and that‘s usually the best player in the draft. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama. But every now and then the best player in the draft is chosen later like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Luka Doncic. In some cases the best player in the draft gets chosen very late or even during a commercial break – think Nikola Jokic. Sometimes undrafted players end up being picked up later and in one case even end up in the hall of fame: Ben Wallace stands alone.
New Music Friday feels similar. Every week the respective editorial team picks someone to be on the cover of their playlist, the number one new release of the week. It’s usually the big stars, with a big budget, big campaign and a proven track-record that gives them a high „draft-stock“ and a better chance to succeed. But what even is a „best song“ then? The one that’s on the cover? The one that performs best in the first week? Or maybe rather the one that has the best „career“? I personally love to look for the „steal of the draft“.
A great song is like a great player. Just that – first and foremost. Some never win if not surrounded by the right team. Others just win because they‘re a part of one. But if they‘re truly great they excite us beyond any team or affiliation – to keep us talking about them for years to come.
Happy Release Day to all of us.
