Album: The One Gazed Upon by Gods
North America, three-week cumulative sales: 499,000 copies.
Europe, three-week cumulative sales: 584,000 copies.
With numerous music critics and professional websites recommending the album, third-week sales saw a sharp rebound.
Asia, first-week sales: 2.17 million copies.
This was about 200,000 copies less than the fan-dedicated album's first week, not a major issue.
The only small surprise: the third-week sales were expected to be 277,000, enough to dominate Billboard 200 consecutively. Unexpectedly, American pop princess Gibaldi released her new album on Wednesday, immediately debuting at the top of the Billboard 200.
It was considered a debut because the Billboard 100 and 200 count from Friday to the following Thursday. Gibaldi sold 468,000 copies in just two days in the U.S., hence the "airdrop" debut.
Popularity in Europe and America was still limited. By current trends, Gibaldi's album could reach 700,000 in its first seven days.
Chu Zhi, however, had advantages that Gibaldi and other Western stars lacked, like a solid Asian market.
Top Hollywood singers are called "global superstars." Most Asian countries acknowledge their status, but many only buy albums sporadically.
Thus, Chu Zhi's global album sales could compete with Western singers. The One Gazed Upon by Gods had already surpassed three million globally.
A balance of power was forming. Even though Gibaldi's promotion temporarily overshadowed Chu Zhi's heat, as a pop princess, her agency, William Morris, still had S-tier promotional power.
Hollywood Reporter headline: "Gibaldi's New Album Sells 230,000 Copies on First Day, Breaks Her Own Record."
In Asia, Gibaldi had some promotion too, but against the flood of news about Chu Zhi, it was easily eclipsed.
For example, Japan's Weekly Bunshun featured Chu Zhi's album cover on the front, followed by the headline "Chu Zhi Shines in Europe and America," and the second column read "The One Gazed Upon by Gods, Chu Zhi's Masterpiece of Courage!"
The third column finally mentioned Gibaldi.
There was another discussion about Chu Zhi that got heated.
"You know what you're saying, Mr. Firas."
"I do. I am certain. My plan has been accurately calculated by our team."
"If that is the case, I believe you could be more precise."
"Mr. Al-Rahat, you should familiarize yourself with this twenty-first-century Asian star."
"Mr. Firas, you should know how many years China has not made it to the World Cup."
"All right, gentlemen. Let's gather more information. This ad-hoc meeting is concluded."
This dialogue took place between two teams and a supervisor: the FIFA World Cup organizing committee and the Qatar World Cup contractor, TJ Design Office.
The supervisor was Gazi, chief executive of the Qatar 2022 World Cup project and deputy director of the Crown Prince's office.
The World Cup was scheduled for November last year, but remember the viral outbreak? Chu Zhi's fan festival was postponed once. Thanks to China's effective control, there were no cases domestically.
Abroad, especially in the Arab region, outbreaks delayed the event by a year due to customs and religious factors.
TJ Design is the Middle East's top design firm, commissioned by Qatar to design the opening ceremony and stadium layouts.
Founder Firas' plans were approved, except for disagreements between the FIFA vice-chair Al-Rahat and Firas regarding the official World Cup theme song, which prompted the dialogue above.
"Do not worry, Leo Gazi. Since our country is hosting, the organizing committee will not interfere excessively," Firas said.
"Leo" is an honorific in the Arab world for high-ranking officials, equivalent to titles like Sultan or Emir.
Many newspapers confuse these titles. For example, the Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum recently made headlines for marrying six wives and confining his daughters. Titles like Sheikh and Leo function as respect markers before the name.
"Chinese football hasn't been strong in recent years, but not terrible either," Gazi said while checking records.
Gazi, young but deputy director of the Crown Prince's office, is likely a member of the Qatari royal family.
Upon checking, he realized China last qualified for the World Cup 21 years ago.
The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup was China's first and only appearance. After seeing this, Gazi fell silent.
"Does China not value football?" Gazi wondered. "Track and field, basketball, badminton, gymnastics—China dominates in Asia. Its population equals seven Brazils."
"Probably," Firas nodded, still puzzled. "Even so, Mr. Al-Rahat opposing using Chu Zhi's We Will Rock You as the theme song makes no sense. The World Cup brand is massive, and song quality matters. This track fits perfectly."
"America hasn't been strong in the World Cup either, but many theme songs are sung by Americans. Why should it matter?" Gazi said.
What could one say against Firas, the sponsor? Gazi agreed with him.
Firas could argue with the organizing committee, but with the sponsor paying, he had to defer.
"The World Cup theme must be We Will Rock You. Only then can the opening guest invite Chu… Mr. Chu," Gazi stated firmly.
Gazi is twenty-four. Last year, as a recent graduate studying in China, he became a devoted fan of Chu Zhi.
Knowing his homeland was hosting the World Cup, Gazi volunteered as project supervisor.
He knew that even if Chu Zhi toured Asia or the world, Qatar was unlikely to be included. This World Cup was the only chance to invite his idol.
Gazi planned to use public resources for private purposes.
Since Gazi's return, Qatar television frequently aired Chu Zhi programs, all legally licensed. He was also Chu Zhi's Middle East fan lead. Even globally famous singers often struggle to gain followers here.
Chu Zhi, however, accumulated many fans, thanks entirely to Gazi's efforts.
The One Gazed Upon by Gods sold 9,549 copies in Qatar's first week, in a country with just over two million people.
This excludes the 30,000 physical copies purchased by Gazi.
Two flowers bloom, each representing their own branch. In Qatar, the most common flower is the Oudan rose.
Vice-chair Al-Rahat of the World Cup committee reviewed Chu Zhi's profile and was surprised. He hadn't even listened to the music yet. Asia has such an influential singer?!
"Asian culture largely comes from China and India. Wars, neighboring tensions, and the narrowness of the internet era mean such unified idols are rare," Al-Rahat murmured.
The internet turns the world into a village, connecting people, but Al-Rahat believed it also reinforces regional boundaries.
He listened to several of Chu Zhi's songs.