“Sonny Fodera, MK & Clementine Douglas's Asking tops Official Trending Chart”
Copyright: Photo by: @photocyclone
The dance banger is officially the UK's hottest Trending track this week.
Australian producer and DJ Sonny Fodera has made a significant impact on the charts with his dance track "Asking," a collaboration with fellow DJ MK featuring vocalist Clementine Douglas.
In its 13th week on the chart, the single entered the Top 10 on Friday, October 13th. "Asking" has amassed chart sales of 183,305, driven largely by 21.2 million streams in the UK alone.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy as the track is released on Sonny Fodera’s own London-based label, Solotoko. Fodera's previous chart peak was in 2020, when his collaboration with MK, "One Night" (feat. Raphaella), charted at No. 51 (387,098 sales to date).
Greg Burnell, MD of management firm Palm Artists and partner at Three Six Zero, discusses the success of the Sonny Fodera campaign:
"We released the track through Sonny Fodera’s label, Solotoko, via our label services company Palm Projects distributed by ADA. It's been a massive team effort involving our London office, the ADA sales and distribution team, multiple promo agencies, and our USA partners at Three Six Zero.
"The track being 100% independent and self-funded allowed us to be agile with our marketing spend, adjusting our plan and budgets as needed without the constraints of a larger organization. We've focused on optimizing digital ad campaigns and engaging social media activities, which have attracted a substantial number of new fans for Sonny and listeners for the track.
"Jacko, Vicki, and Ehsen at Listen Up, along with Aaron at Plug & Play, conducted an exceptional radio campaign that broke new ground for Sonny across multiple networks.
"We strategically launched the track in early July, capitalizing on Sonny & MK's major live performances throughout the summer. Headlining shows at Brooklyn Mirage and slots at Tomorrowland, Creamfields, Hard Summer, and their Ibiza residencies provided ideal opportunities to build awareness and create content around the track. Clementine Douglas delivered outstanding live performances of the track, enhancing its status as a summer festival anthem in the UK."
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]"Since the launch, we've maintained a steady flow of new campaign highlights, including five different mixes, ongoing marketing activations, and weekly updates to our ad assets. This approach has resulted in consistent week-on-week growth in streaming numbers, complemented by a steadily building radio campaign. It's required patience over the 14 weeks, but early data indicated a strong audience reaction to this track, motivating us to consistently support it until reaching our peak, which we hope is yet to come."
In terms of management's increasing importance within the label role, could you elaborate on whether this is a good example of how that approach can work for artists?
"Over the past three-plus years, we've been managing Sonny Fodera's releases through Palm Projects, which has been pivotal for us. This setup grants us complete flexibility in scheduling and executing marketing campaigns. As Sonny's management, we deeply understand his brand and audience potential, leveraging touring as a key component of our marketing strategy.
"We view promotion and advertising in key territories as strategic investments, knowing they often translate into ticket sales and broader engagement beyond music consumption alone. This allows us to push boundaries that traditional labels might hesitate to, provided the artist's brand continues to grow. It's a truly holistic approach when artists own their masters, and we're passionate about offering this opportunity to our management clients and others willing to invest in themselves. Our goal is to demonstrate that, with the right team and thoughtful investments, artists can build a sustainable future with significant revenue from their own recordings."
““Asking definitely tapped into the current wave of faster tracks capturing the energy of UK club culture””
"In terms of bpm, 'Asking' has definitely tapped into the current trend of faster tracks that resonate with the high energy of UK club culture. At 127bpm, this might have been unconventional for a vocal house record a few years ago, but we're seeing a broader trend of increasing tempo across genres, which is always exciting!"
What's next for Sonny Fodera in terms of recordings and collaborations?
"Sonny has an upcoming collaboration with Jazzy & Belters Only, followed by another solo single and an album slated for release on Solotoko in 2024. Additionally, he will headline at Alexandra Palace on March 29."
Will this week’s ADE performance be a chance to celebrate this self-released chart breakthrough with the dance community?
"We're eagerly anticipating ADE and look forward to connecting with our partners worldwide who have supported the track thus far. Representatives from the US, Australia, SGA, and Benelux will gather to discuss and further promote the campaign in their regions. Sonny Fodera will host a Solotoko showcase at Chicago Social Club on Saturday, alongside Gorgon City's label party, Enter The Realm, and a packed schedule. Our team is excited to return to Amsterdam this week."
"A huge shoutout to Simon Bensoussan and Scarlett Thomas for their tireless efforts on the campaign, and special thanks to Howard Corner at ADA for encouraging our growth in this area of our business."