NASHVILLE, TN. & SEATTLE, WA. (Top40 Charts/
Lady Antebellum Official Website) - Lady Antebellum's self-titled debut album, which was released on April 15, generated unprecedented first week digital sales and critical acclaim following an innovative digital campaign on iLike, the leading social music discovery service, and other leading online channels.
Lady Antebellum reached the No 3 position on iTunes Top Albums Chart last week, the first time a country band has ever landed in the top 10 with a debut album. With digital sales comprising more than 21 percent of total sales, this is also the highest digital sales percentage ever achieved by a country band with a debut album, and far greater than the country music industry average of 4.5 percent digital sales. Lady Antebellum's record-smashing digital sales performance was boosted by a multi-faceted, multi-month digital campaign on iLike and other online channels, including the band's website (www.ladyantebellum.com).
'iLike made it easy and fun for us to communicate with our fans online anytime,' said Charles Kelley, co-lead singer of Lady Antebellum. 'iLike is a critical part of our digital presence and it clearly moved the needle on sales.'
The band's innovative digital strategy on iLike included the following highlights:
* Lady Antebellum premiered their entire debut album on iLike the night of the band's performance on the CMT Music Awards - which was also the day before the album became available at retail. The online preview was announced via a national TV commercial that aired during the awards show. The band also chose iLike to syndicate exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage featuring the band rehearsing for their CMT Music Awards performance.
* The band cultivated and communicated with their online fan base by posting weekly video 'webisodes' on iLike for months leading up to the album's release. iLike syndicated Lady Antebellum's content (music, videos, blogs) across Facebook, iLike's Sidebar for iTunes (www.iLike.com/download) and iLike's other leading channels. Lady Antebellum's video journal on iLike chronicles their life on the road and adventures leading up to their album release on April 15, 2008. To view these posts, visit: www.iLike.com/LadyA. The band will continue to make weekly video episodes available on iLike.
'Lady Antebellum is a talented and charismatic band, and it's no surprise that they exploded once fans got the chance to hear their music and meet them virtually on the Internet,' said Ali Partovi, CEO of iLike. 'Lady Antebellum was smart and creative about their digital strategy, and we're very proud to have played a small role in helping them connect with their fans online.'
Other notable Lady Antebellum achievements include:
* Critical Acclaim: Billboard Magazine says, 'Not only is this one of the best new-artist debuts in recent memory (think Dixie Chicks in 1998), Lady Antebellum's self-titled set will go down as one of the year's best, period."
* No. 1 Country Album on iTunes: Lady Antebellum is currently the best-selling country album on iTunes, which means their debut album is outperforming the current releases of established country superstars including Taylor Swift and George Strait.
* Billboard First: This is the first time ever that an album by a new duo or group has debuted at No 1 in its first week of release on the Billboard Top Country Albums sales chart since the chart was launched in 1964. The album also ranked No 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.
* Total Unit Sales: According to Soundscan, Lady Antebellum's debut album sold more than 43,300 units in its first week of availability.
To watch Lady Antebellum's iLike video diary, go to: www.iLike.com/LadyA. To learn more about iLike's multimedia blogging tools and other free services for established and emerging artists, please visit: www.iLike.com/forartists.
Formed in 2006 by longtime friends from Augusta, GA, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood and Nashville native Hillary Scott after a chance meeting at a downtown Music City watering hole, Lady Antebellum blends contemporary country with soulful '60s R&B into an infectious modern brew that relies on the trio's rich harmonies and impeccable instrumental skills. Since its inception, the trio has gone from dive bars to the Grand Ole Opry, opening for Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, and Carrie Underwood. The band is nominated for the Academy of Country Music's 'Top New Group' - their first major award nomination and just released their eagerly anticipated self-titled debut album.
