The People's TV show premiered on MTV Dec. 8 at 9 PM and the show (above) included Alan Jackson in a performance. The two other artists on the show were Sugarland. The release had earlier earned an RIAA Gold Certification, which recognizes 500,000 units sold.
Gary Primm from the show's studio noted on Twitter that before the show’s airing MTV execs didn’t know if it was okay for Jackson to be in the show or not. Apparently Jackson was allowed on the show and recorded the segment, which did include pictures of Jackson backstage. MTV decided not to edit it because Jackson told them he’d take pictures on his own and that MTV couldn’t censor the images (a claim Jackson's people will tell you hasn’t been confirmed.)
If the people don’t realize that Jackson hasn’t released a record since 2005, you can’t really blame the network. After all, where else can you get a red-hot tour this time of year, instead of a Christmas double-disc boxed set or a DVD documentary? Where else do you find Jackson performing in one of his most show-stopping songs? For the complete package, for free? It has to be pretty surprising when you learn you are on the cover of Rolling Stone and have already recorded a Grammy award for Best Country Solo Performance and you are now on a television show. And, it’s about more than a song.
The video premiered right after MTVs 2013 Year in Review special where the video was screened at a club. Jackson is no longer the lead act, but as the encore, Jackson sang with a band. I’m not sure what’s up with the rest of the show, but Sugarland is performing songs from their fourth album, “Twice the Speed of Life,” which is this year’s hottest release on country radio. It debuted at No. 1 and is gaining momentum by the day, having logged over one million sales. Sugarland, a trio of sisters who grew up in Oklahoma, released their first album in 2004, but haven’t hit No. 1 until this year, thanks to hits like “Baby Girl” and “Stay.” Also, Nikki Rowland as a solo artist is gaining momentum. Her debut album “Love and War” (for which she’s also the songwriter) sold over three million copies in the U.S. in the first six months of 2011, according to the Billbord album tracking company.
As Jackson and Rowland put on a show, they could probably keep the MTV show going through today. Country artists, many who were powerhouses when MTV began their programming blitz a decade ago, are ruling the music charts in a different time.
The people seem to love Sugarland, Jackson and Tyler Farr, who is a vet of several country radio stations in Virginia. In the next week or so they could become MTV’s biggest duo again, it is also unclear what will happen if there are more performances on MTV. If there are no sit-downs, see the accompanying story from the Vertical Press for insight into Farr’s concert tonight.
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