Tate Stevens' "Holler If You're With Me" music video has premiered on Vevo online two days before a clip from the video is set to premiere on TV during the 2013 Grammy Awards. On Feb. 8, 2013, the video premiered on Vevo (and on Stevens' official Vevo channel on YouTube) and has gotten less than 250 views on YouTube in its first two days.
Country singer Stevens, 37, was the winner of "The X Factor" U.S. in 2012. As part of Stevens' "X Factor" grand prize (which includes $5 million), the Pepsi-sponsored music video for "Holler If You're With Me" will premiere during the 2013 Grammy Awards telecast, which CBS will televise in the U.S. on Feb. 10. As previously reported, Steven filmed the video in Simi Valley, California, and he told Rolling Stone magazine that his song "Ordinary Angels" is a strong contender to be his next single.
"Holler If You're With Me" was released as a digital single on Feb. 5, 2013. Sales for the song are off to a very slow start. It in its first few days of release, "Holler If You're With Me" was floundering in the 90s on the iTunes Top 100 Songs chart before the song dropped off of the chart. Perhaps the Grammy Awards telecast exposure will help increase sales for the song. But if sales don't pick up considerably after that kind of TV exposure, and if country radio overall doesn't support the song, then "Holler If You're With Me" could turn out to be a giant flop.
As previously reported, Stevens is signed to Syco Music/RCA Nashville, which are both part of Sony Music. "The X Factor" winners get deals with Sony Music as part of their grand prize. In January 2013, Stevens began working on his first album (whose title and release date to be announced), which will include songs that Stevens co-wrote. According to an RCA Nashville press release, the album will features his collaborations with Joe Diffie, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Shane Minor and David Lee Murphy. Blake Chancey is the album's producer.
Stevens commented in a press release: “Things are moving very fast since the finale of X Factor, and we’re already laying down tracks for my new album that will be out this spring. I truly feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity. Having chased this dream for nearly a decade, I was certainly familiar with the concept of a music video, but I had no idea what to expect. In spite of the 50 mph winds, everyone on the set had a great time. It’s a party song and so it was only fitting that we threw a party! I’m sure more than a few folks watching the Grammys at home can relate."
As for working with Diffie, Stevens said, "The moment I sat down in that room with Joe it hit me — this is my life now, this is my chance to follow in the path of my heroes and make my own unique mark on the genre — and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Stevens is represented by Vector Management (based on Nashville), whose other clients include Emmylou Harris, Dierks Bentley, Kings of Leon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Patty Griffin and Trace Adkins.
Former "X Factor" U.S. judge Antonio "L.A." Reid, who quit the show in December 2012, was Steven's "X Factor" mentor" but will not be a key player in Stevens' career, since country music is not Reid's area of expertise. Reid said he quit "The X Factor" to spend more time on his main job of being chairman/CEO of Epic Records.
There is no word yet if or when Stevens will do a concert tour. He performed on Fox's "New Year's Eve Live!" special in Las Vegas on Dec. 31, 2012.
(Click here to watch the "Holler If You're With Me" music video.)
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