The Greatest Showman #1043 - First Wave

The "Today Show" may have come to an end, but the waves created by this episode are only just beginning.

From the heated discussions on social media to the attention from news outlets, the storm sparked by this episode exceeded all expectations. As Renly himself pointed out, it was all part of a publicity stunt—he needed attention. And so, all aspects of the campaign erupted, building to an unprecedented climax.

Along with the frenzy of excitement came controversy. A small number of media outlets harshly criticized Renly's actions as malicious hype. Renly had openly acknowledged it during the live broadcast, and their critiques were not held back—many believed the charity was merely a smokescreen to promote "Edge of Tomorrow." They argued that turning charity into a spectacle was nothing more than a personal show, which could not be ignored.

But after the "Hype Gate" scandal in February, the situation was different.

Supporters, often referred to as "Don Quixotes," came to Renly's defense, arguing that his efforts were misunderstood by the media. They claimed that the media had misrepresented his low-key charity work, turning it into a negative spectacle. The media, both positive and negative, had become the battlefield, leaving little room for impartiality.

Mainstream media outlets started discussing the real value of philanthropy. Thanks to Renly, ALS had gone from being a relatively unknown disease in North America to one that now captured global attention. His high-profile efforts had placed the disease in the public eye and made a significant contribution to its awareness.

Furthermore, Renly had never used charity events to promote his movie directly. Instead, he capitalized on the summer movie craze to draw attention to the charity, successfully pushing the message forward.

Experts from the medical community, activists, and organizations focused on childhood diseases rallied in support. They even encouraged other Hollywood stars to follow Renly's example, using their influence to raise awareness and provide assistance to those in need.

Before an official statement was issued, the few media outlets criticizing Renly were quickly discredited. Warner Bros. and Andy Rogers responded, reiterating that Renly's intentions had always been focused on supporting the Heather-Cross Foundation and ALS, not on self-promotion. They urged the media to shift the focus away from Renly and onto the cause, emphasizing that charity was the true purpose of the campaign.

By the 13th, 14th, and 15th of June, the buzz was still growing. "The Today Show" had ended, but the discussion was far from over. The live performance video of "Another Light" had already surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, and its momentum continued to build, soon reaching 200 million views within 72 hours—an incredible achievement.

On June 15th, the real surge began. It was a Friday, the day the special edition of Don Quixote was released, alongside the singles "Another Light" and "Say You Won't Give Up." After days of anticipation and media buzz, this quickly became the hottest topic of the week.

Interestingly, the music market had entered a quiet period with no major new releases, making this event even more noteworthy. Despite Don Quixote being released more than eight months ago, its popularity showed no signs of waning, staying in the top ten on the Billboard charts. The release of the remastered special edition reignited public interest, creating an undeniable frenzy.

In less than five hours, the special edition of Don Quixote was sold out.

Confirmations came in from record stores in major cities and online platforms, with Eleven Studios officially announcing that the special edition had sold out. The speed of sales was nothing short of astonishing.

Initially, Eleven Studios had been unsure about the demand for the special edition, even worrying that 500,000 copies might be too many, given that Don Quixote had already been selling well for months. But no one could have predicted that it would sell out so quickly. For comparison, Don Quixote had never sold more than 500,000 copies in a week.

Fans were still clamoring for the special edition, with petitions circulating on social media, asking Eleven Studios to release more copies. These petitions gained widespread support, with over 60,000 signatures, and the number continued to rise.

In a subsequent interview, Renly downplayed the significance of the special edition, stating, "There's no need to rush to get the special edition. I don't think this album will go down in history. The difference between the special edition and the original is just one hidden track; the real value of the special edition lies in thanking the fans and supporting charity. If fans want to continue supporting the cause, they can buy the digital singles instead."

According to unpacking videos shared by fans, the special edition was reasonably priced, with no price increase compared to the original version. The only real difference was the inclusion of a hidden track, "Say You Won't Give Up," as well as a redesigned cover, featuring an anonymous photographer's work, and a booklet with handwritten lyrics and personal photos by Renly.

Although the special edition was indeed a limited edition, once the 500,000 copies were sold out, it would never be restocked, increasing its collectability and value.

Following the special edition's rapid sellout, sales of the original Don Quixote album surged by 250,000 copies in just three days. This not only pushed total sales past 3 million but also propelled the album back to the top of the Billboard charts, rising from eighth place to first place after a 14-week hiatus.

By the third week of June, Don Quixote topped the Billboard album chart, overtaking John Mayer's Born and Raised, which had been in second place for two weeks. Adele's 21 remained at third, continuing its impressive run. This was the seventh time Don Quixote had claimed the top spot since its release.

In the following week, Don Quixote held onto its spot at number one, with 21 in second place. Native had fallen to eighth, but the album's remarkable endurance was evident.

Despite 21's impressive 67-week stay in the top three, Don Quixote had cemented itself as a classic folk album of the 21st century. The album's sales were showing no signs of slowing down, with industry experts predicting that it might eventually surpass 5 million copies sold.

Eleven Studios was already planning its European distribution and hoped to expand Don Quixote's reach to markets beyond North America, particularly the UK.

Under this wave of success, the singles "The Beast" and "Believe in Belief" saw a resurgence in popularity. However, most of the market potential for these folk tracks had been exhausted, with only "The Beast" breaking back into the top ten. Other singles hovered just outside the top fifty, with less remarkable results.

What truly grabbed the spotlight, though, were the newly released singles "Another Light" and "Say You Won't Give Up." In just three days, these singles dominated the charts, maintaining the number-one positions on iTunes and Spotify for 72 consecutive hours, a streak that no one could challenge. Meanwhile, the YouTube video for "Another Light" was confirmed as an officially certified streaming success, cementing the two singles as massive hits.