Model Behavior
Australian-born rapper/model Iggy Azalea zeroes in on her first airplay chart appearance as “Work” percolates below Rhythmic. Azalea signed with Interscope in 2012, but the deal dissolved over her management deal with T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint. Now signed to Island Def Jam, Azalea is preparing to release second single “Change Your Life” (featuring T.I.) and join Beyoncé on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, both next month. The video for “Work” has drawn 19 million YouTube views since its March 13 premiere.
First ‘One’
Anaysha Figueroa’s cover of Tramaine Hawkins’ “Holy One,” recorded live at the 2013 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel luncheon during the Stellar Awards in Nashville last winter, opens at No. 21 on the Nielsen BDS-driven Gospel Songs chart. Hawkins was honored at the event alongside Kurt Carr and Walter Hawkins, with their performances to be released Oct. 22 on Light/eOne’s “BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Live 2013” compilation. Signed to Light/eOne, Figueroa is working on her first solo album.
‘Meant’ To Be A Hit
Elizaveta scores a sales boost for her song “Meant” (Republic) after the ethereal track served as the soundtrack to a performance on the Aug. 20 episode of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” The song blasts through 8,000 downloads, a soaring 2,662% increase, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its official video has drawn 219,000 YouTube views since its posting a year ago.
Accounting For Taste
For four years after graduating from the University of Memphis with a 4.0 GPA, pop singer/songwriter Myla Smith worked as a financial statement auditor. However, her dream to be a musician beckoned. In 2006, while working 60 hours a week, she released her first album. After a second set and two EPs, Smith will serve up “Hiding Places” (Shake Rag) on Sept. 10. “I tried to make every song one that people could connect with, which forced me to be really honest,” Smith says.
(Reporting by William Gruger, Wade Jessen, Rauly Ramirez and Gary Trust.)