Alead single (orfirst single)[1][2] is the firstsingle to be released from astudio album by anartist or aband, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut single", is the first single released by a new artist.[3]
Artists often choose songs that are moreup-tempo, yet representative of the album's sound, as lead singles. Such songs are often catchier and attract the attention of listeners. The subsequent single might then be slower in tempo, in order to demonstrate the range of the album. Female vocalists likeMariah Carey andChristina Aguilera often maintain a formula of an up-tempo first lead single with a slowballad follow-up. For example, two singles were released byMiley Cyrus before her albumBangerz – an up-tempo track, "We Can't Stop", was released as the first, and a slow-ballad song, "Wrecking Ball", as the second. This was a successful practice of 1980sheavy metal bands.Girls Aloud chose to use "The Show", adance-pop andelectropop song, as their lead single for their second album,What Will the Neighbours Say?, following the fact that their previous singles from their debut albumSound of the Underground were "quite down and moody"[citation needed] according to band memberCheryl. However, not all artists decide to choose their lead single with the up-tempo criteria. Artists may release a lead single that has a message they want to convey to listeners instead of a song with more commercial potential, such asFall Out Boy who chose to release "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" over the radio-friendly "Thnks fr th Mmrs".[4]
Japanese artists such asAyumi Hamasaki,Namie Amuro andB'z may release four to eight singles before their albums to achieve record-breaking debut-week sales. The lead singles in Japan are very heavily advertised and promoted, in some cases even more than the album itself. With album sales continuously declining in the United States, record labels often release singles before the album's release date to online music retailers includingiTunes, ranging in price from $0.99 to $1.29. This trend has become increasingly popular in many markets.[citation needed]
In the late 2010s, artists began a trend of releasing multiple singles before eventually releasing a studio album. An unnamed A&R representative confirmed toRolling Stone in 2018 that "an artist hasto build a foundation to sustain" and adding that "When artists have one big record and go run with that, it doesn't work because they never had a foundation to begin with." The same article cited examples such asCardi B,Camila Cabello andJason Derulo releasing four or more singles before their album releases.[5]
In the 2000s, a common trend developed to release a lead single months in advance of the album release date. It has equally become common for further singles to be released before the release of the album. For example,Usher issued the lead single "Love in This Club" four months before the May 29, 2008, release ofHere I Stand. The second single "Love in This Club Part II" was released one month before the album release date. Another example isJustin Timberlake's 2013 album,The 20/20 Experience, which was released on March 19, 2013. The first single off it is "Suit & Tie", released two months before the album hit stores. One month before the release of the album, another single called "Mirrors" was released.[6] Katy Perry released "California Gurls" as a single on May 7, 2010, and "Teenage Dream" on July 23, 2010, leading to the release of the albumTeenage Dream on August 24, 2010.Ed Sheeran did something similar, releasing both "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill" as double lead singles from his album÷, although these songs were both released on the same day, 6 January 2017.[7] The 1995Oasis single "Some Might Say" would go on to appear on the group's second album,(What's the Story) Morning Glory?, though at the time it was a standalone release, with "Roll with It" acting more as a lead single.
InSouth Korean music, the term "title track" is sometimes used interchangeably with "lead single". The term is used to describe an album's main promoted song, usually released on the same day as the album and promoted onSouth Korean music programs.[8][9] This term is used regardless of the song's title or whether or not it was the first single from an album to be released.[8] For example, "Boom Boom Bass" is considered the title track fromRiize's 2024extended playRiizing[10] despite not sharing a title with the EP, nor being the first single released from the album.