On Friday, Disney+ premiered Clouds, a film based on the life of Zach Sobiech, the aspiring young artist who recorded an inspirational song that addressed his battle with a rare and terminal form of cancer before he died at age 18 in 2013. Now, the song Sobiech created of the same name has seen a spike in sales.
According to initial sales reports to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, “Clouds” sold a little over 6,000 downloads in the U.S. on Oct. 16-19 — a gain of 2,711% compared to the negligible sum it sold on Oct. 12-15. On Oct. 16, the day of movie’s premiere, the song sold 500 downloads, up from essentially nothing on Oct. 15. Then on Oct. 17, the sales grew to just under 2,000. On Oct. 18 and 19, they jumped to just under 3,000 and a little more than 1,000, respectively. “Clouds” will likely re-enter the Digital Song Sales chart dated Oct. 31, reflecting the sales week ending Oct. 22.
The song debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the June 8, 2013-dated Digital Song Sales chart following Sobiech’s death. On the Billboard Hot 100, “Clouds” debuted and peaked at No. 26 on the chart dated June 8, 2013.
Sobiech lost his battle with osteosarcoma, a cancerous bone tumor, in May 2013. The new movie, which stars Fin Argus, Sabrina Carpenter and Neve Campbell, is an adaptation of the memoir Fly a Little Higher by Zach’s mother, Laura Sobiech.
To raise funds for Children’s Cancer Research Fund, the film’s cast members and supporters are holding an auction here, which includes items like a virtual concert and hangout with Jason Mraz, Andy Grammer and Fin Argus, a virtual dinner with Rainn Wilson and social media follows from Justin Baldoni, OneRepublic and Wilson, among other things.
Watch the Clouds trailer below.