pureNRG's new album tops Christian chart

|PIC1|pureNRG’s eagerly awaited new CD, The Real Thing, has hit the highest mark in the group’s three-year career for first week sales, with 21,545 total units sold, giving the group the high ranking of No 20 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart and No 1 on the Christian Soundscan chart.

“We are thrilled at the street-week success of pureNRG’s latest release,” states Rod Riley, COO of Word Entertainment. “I’m proud of Jordan, Caroline and Carolyne and excited to see fans engage in their music and message in such a significant way. Word thanks management, our retail, on-line and media partners for their support of pureNRG and continuing to build this faith-based tween brand.”

Physical retail played a huge part in the success of the project. A pre-sale with the 300-store national chain, Family Christian Stores, accounted for a significant percentage of first week scans through a partnership with FCS’s ministry arm, The James Fund, resulting in the purchase of thousands of shoes for orphans in third world countries.

The group also hosted an exclusive video chat on street day to all pre-sale purchasers of the album. Creative floor displays in the shape of a school locker and an exclusive pureNRG messenger bag added to the in-store presence and showcased the commitment from Family Christian Stores and The James Fund. Additionally, an exclusive 24-page activity book with Lifeway Christian Stores added to the pureNRG-focused endcap in the chains 150+ stores.

There were numerous online contests, promotions, and partnerships with pureNRG to help promote the new project. iTunes featured The Real Thing on their Christian/Gospel and Pop home pages and Yahoo! Kids positioned pureNRG on its homepage and added a dedicated music carousel on the music page.

pureNRG has been touring aggressively leading up to the release of this project. The past nine months has seen the group perform for over half a million people as part of the 14-date Casting Crowns Christmas Tour and the 36-date Winter Jam Tour earlier this year. Their busy schedule doesn’t slow down as the next few months include the Creation West Festival in July, a second appearance in August at the American Airlines Center in Dallas at a Ringling Brother’s Circus event and a missions trip to Mexico in October.

pureNRG is just one of the many artists partnering with Word Entertainment in a multiple rights relationship. As detailed in the July 18th issue of Billboard Magazine, the entertainment company is working with artists on many levels – including booking, merchandise, website development and e-commerce.

In conjunction with the release of The Right Thing, Word has launched clubNRG, a free fan club found on pureNRG’s office site, www.pureNRGonline.com, the hub for all things pureNRG. As a clubNRG member, fans can access exclusive videos, photos, giveaways and discounts to the pureNRG store while interacting with other fans around the country.