From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Viva la Vida," but what exactly was going on?

Let's rewind time a bit, temporarily back to May. At that time, Thirty August Band's European street tour was causing widespread discussion, "Ho Hey" had climbed to the second position on the Billboard charts after six months, and Anson was preparing to attend the Cannes Film Festival.

Everything was exploding in a surge.

Warner Records could foresee that a new wave of frenzy was inevitable.

On one hand, "Ho Hey" had good momentum.

But to be fair, the single had been released for more than six months. As the first wave of hype, it had far exceeded its mission. Regardless of how the single performed next, or whether it could reach the top, the record company should proceed with the next step of planning.

On the other hand, album promotion was fully underway.

A single is a single, and an album is an album. Although the outstanding performance of a single is worth celebrating, and an album with a hit song is worth celebrating, from the perspective of the record company and the singer, the focus is still on album sales. To some extent, charting a single is to promote album sales.

"Midsummer Midnight" had been officially released. Thanks to the outstanding performance of "Ho Hey," the album had gained considerable attention, and album sales were decent.

But it was only decent.

Now, it was time to release the album's second single, continue promotion, and continue to drive sales. Warner Records needed to accurately seize the opportunity.

After all, the situation was different.

Radio airplay, record store stocking, billboard posters, etc., were all rolled out. The previously saved promotional expenses were now being spent without reservation.

Literally, throwing money around.

It should be noted here that Thirty August Band did not shoot a music video due to various reasons. The cost of shooting a music video is often calculated in millions of dollars, but now, for Warner Records, it was another saving, allowing them to invest more elsewhere.

Moreover, the performance of "Ho Hey" had given Warner Records enough courage.

Thus.

Overwhelming!

"Viva la Vida" was released with great fanfare, completely different from "Ho Hey." A brand new look and a brand new scene. Warner Records took the initiative, demonstrating the depth of a large company.

The promotion had a direct effect.

"Viva la Vida" debuted at number sixty-seven on the Billboard singles chart.

For the general public, perhaps they had heard "Ho Hey," perhaps not. But even if they had, Thirty August Band was still an unfamiliar name. Not everyone is constantly concerned about entertainment industry news, nor is information as visually presented on trending searches as in the social network era.

Therefore, "Viva la Vida" debuting at number sixty-seven was already a gratifying achievement. Moreover, it quickly won the love of critics and listeners.

"Best of the Year!"

"A collision of pop and classical, a fusion of history and popular culture, everything is just right."

"Perfect! A masterpiece!"

"Melody, lyrics, arrangement—impeccable."

"Anson Wood found a perfect entry point between grandeur and sorrow, shocking the soul while making people endlessly fall into it."

"A perfect adventure, please remember Thirty August Band, and please remember the name Anson Wood. This will not be the last time he amazes the world."

"Spectacular, amazing!"

Praise, praise, and more praise filled the vision overnight, from professional magazines with national sales championships to niche media focusing on independent music, all focused together.

In the single "Ho Hey," people had already witnessed Thirty August Band's unique style of taking a different path, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. "Viva la Vida's" use of classical instruments and the adaptation of symphony orchestras allowed pop and classical music to collide with brand new sparks, completely overturning the entire music world.

Bursting onto the scene.

Bustling, blooming, creating an incredible widespread impact.

Far beyond imagination.

On one side, people were closely watching the amazing performance of "Ho Hey" continuously stuck at number two.

On the other side, "Viva la Vida" was riding a rocket, with its ranking soaring all the way up.

In just four weeks, "Viva la Vida" had completed a four-level jump, entering the top ten of the Billboard singles chart, becoming the disruptor of May.

After advancing to the top ten, the competition was fierce, and the pace of "Viva la Vida"'s ranking finally slowed down, but it still did not stop moving forward.

This scene made people sigh with regret.

The top ten of the Billboard singles chart is indeed a purgatory test of bayonets. Any single that can enter such ranks is by no means easy. From the perspective of a new band like Thirty August Band, it may be difficult to break through.

Perhaps "Viva la Vida" will inherit the mantle of "Ho Hey" and continue to be stuck at number two. The second place may be the ceiling, an insurmountable gap.

Third week of June.

"Ho Hey," second.

"Viva la Vida," fifth.

Thirty August Band and 50 Cent each occupied two seats in the top ten list, which was also the most exciting scene of this early summer.

It was against this background that things happened.

According to past experience, it would be more and more difficult for "Viva la Vida" to continue to rise in the rankings. Even if it rose, it would often only climb one position, at most two positions, which was basically the limit.

Therefore, the focus was more on "21 Questions" and "Ho Hey," whether 50 Cent could continue to defend the championship throne, and whether Thirty August Band could break the historical record and be stuck at number two for the tenth consecutive week.

This was the focus, but no one expected that an accident would happen.

The fourth week of June, the top three of the Billboard singles chart were completely shuffled.

Champion, "Viva la Vida," Thirty August Band.

Runner-up, "21 Questions," 50 Cent.

Third place, "Ho Hey," Thirty August Band.

Boom, boom, boom.

The entire North American music market was in chaos, witnessing history in stunned silence.

First, the upward curve of "Ho Hey" lasting for nine months was finally interrupted. Since October last year, the ranking had declined for the first time.

Second, "Ho Hey" ultimately failed to continue to create history, stuck at the second position for nine consecutive weeks, missing the opportunity to tie the record.

Third, "21 Questions" failed to continue the strong momentum of 50 Cent's first wave of singles, and was pulled off the throne after holding the championship for three weeks.

Finally, and most importantly, "Viva la Vida" topped the Billboard charts, completing this feat in just eight weeks, achieving Thirty August Band's first number one single in their career.

Shock, impact, madness.

Although people had been looking forward to this day, no one was sure whether Thirty August Band could do it. Aside from the new band, integrating classical instruments into pop and rock music to challenge tradition, whether such music could truly open up the market and be widely recognized, this was what needed to be questioned.

Now, the result is out.

"Viva la Vida," creating history!