On July 20, first lady Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott joined the Carpool Karaoke segment of The Late Late Show with James Corden. While exposure on the show has boosted music consumption for past guests, this episode had a bigger impact on the songs that were featured in the segment, according to Nielsen Music Connect.
The first lady, Corden and Elliott sang Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” and “This Song Is For My Girls,” a song performed by Elliott and others as a global call to action for Mrs. Obama’s “Let Girls Learn” initiative. According to Nielsen, fans on Facebook discussing Stevie Wonder, where conversations increased by 33,000 (72.7%). Fans mentioning Elliott on the platform grew by 58,000 (85.5%) from the previous week.
Music consumption also increased.
Fans streamed “Get Ur Freak On” 497,000 times, marking a 22.7% increase from the previous week. Digital track sales also increased by 312% to 4,500 units sold compared to week ended July 14. “Single Ladies,” the second song the group performed in the segment, also saw a lift in streaming and digital sales from the previous week. Fans streamed the song 1.3 million times, up 6.4%, and digital track sales increased by 42%.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” the first song in the segment, has been a favorite of both Michelle and Barack Obama even before Stevie Wonder performed it at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Digital track sales and on-demand streaming of this Stevie Wonder classic grew 76.5% and 7.9%, respectively, compared with the previous week.
“This Is For My Girls Up” 1562%
While each song generated notable sales and streaming lifts, the group’s rendition of “This is For My Girls,” the first lady’s girl power anthem, has generated the most traction. In fact, the song saw a 1,562% increase in digital track sales after the segment aired, with 9,200 units sold, up from just 552 units sold in the previous week. All proceeds from this song are donated to the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Fund.