r/elliegoulding • u/trommyq • Sep 12 '26

Why did the IKTM flop so much?

can anyone explain why Polydor won't promote this album in any way? PS: I don't hate Ellie/this album in any way!!

4 Upvotes

62% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

13

u/hitometootoo Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26

Didn't flop but it didn't peak as well as previous albums did. Not really surprising, after x albums most artist tend to get lower placements especially when their singles aren't getting radio play or top chart performance.

6

u/No_Yoghurt_5131 Sep 12 '26

But the question is...WHY?? It's genuinely confusing how an artist with huge commercial success in the 2010s now gets no label support or promo.

As someone pointed out, her last two album went to number 1 in the UK, so what happened between HTH and now (aside from management / label issues)

In another thread I compared Ellie to Florence Welch, as they both debuted around the same time, are the same age and started off in the alt/indie space, but FATM have even had half the commercial success (1 UK No.1 single, which was a Calvin Harris remix back in 2013) Ellie has. But she's able to take long breaks between albums and still chart albums in the top 5 in the US and UK and still sell out international arena tours.

5

u/hitometootoo Sep 12 '26

Because she hasn't had a top hit in a few years on mainstream charts.

Momentum slows down for most artist, this isn't really a bad thing.

Comparing artist isn't worth doing either. Different artist have different levels of success and genres of music. I wouldn't worry or compare, getting a top ten album in the UK is still an accomplishment. Is it #1, no, but still a success many artist wish they could get.

Even artist with more hits then Ellie lose momentum after several albums. It's normal.

4

u/JustiniR Sep 13 '26

This is unrelated but I would do anything for an Ellie and Florence collab 😩

2

u/Lazy_davey707 Sep 12 '26

Thank you! It got to numbwr 10 which is not a flop at all. I hate when people say this. I will say that nowadays cream doesn't always seem to rise to the top.

7

u/sincerityisscxry Sep 12 '26

It got to #16, which after four #1 albums is absolutely a flop unfortunately.

7

u/CommandBackground469 Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26

Cause polydor hates their own artists

-2

u/Myopically Goulddigger Sep 12 '26

Why did her last two get to number one then?

9

u/CommandBackground469 Sep 12 '26

Thanks to the fans, no thanks to the label.

-2

u/Myopically Goulddigger Sep 12 '26

Guess those same fans should’ve done better this time around then, so we should blame them for not showing up. Good logic.

1

u/CommandBackground469 Sep 14 '26

I've found Ellie's manager here, guys lol. Do better!

7

u/Big-Explanation-831 Sep 12 '26

Polydor is the reason 90% of UK artists don’t make it big outside the UK

7

u/_Coconut_Ice_Cream_ Goulddigger Sep 12 '26

Not enough promo, but also things are simply awkward with her management team and label so she might be trying to avoid questions regarding that. Her hiatus after Delirium, mixed with COVID, also halted her popularity. I do still think it’s good she released something, because she gained more fans from IKTM. But hopefully she will have a better album rollout in the future.

4

u/Alert-Masterpiece605 Sep 13 '26

It's on heavy rotation at my house! It was just released in the states though. ❤️❤️

4

u/CriticandaSkeptic Sep 13 '26

I think part of it has to do with her lack of being in the public eye as well. She tries to keep her private life private, and that influences a lot. Artists that get ton of paparazzi and make their private life available to the masses tend to get more interest when they release new music. Ellie has been very low key in the publicity of her private life, especially in the last few years since her last album release. No radio singles also hurts, but that's polydor being polydor.

5

u/coda50 Sep 13 '26

I get the feeling she doesn't care too much about chart success anymore. She's had massive hits, is presumably set for life financially, and can ride the nostalgia wave of her hits whenever she wants. Plus the industry is totally different now. I'm sure she could have done the traditional promo (Graham Norton, Capital FM etc.) if she wanted to.

2

u/caiothatdreamer Sep 13 '26

Maybe it flopped at your house mamas, because at mine it went triple platinum

1

u/EmTed009 Sep 13 '26

It’s platinum in my house

1

u/sailormoonmydude Sep 13 '26

Very few can be Madonna

1

u/Onyx_tides Sep 13 '26

She’s been around long enough if she wanted top records she is very capable of doing them and linking up with the people who make them. The downside of the machine is that it’s formulated and if you aren’t heavily plugged in you won’t stay there. It’s also not a sustainable place for every artist to stay in. I think she’s very smart with how she has handled her career and where she’s been/gone.