Chapter 128: Album Sales Soar

Seeing the numbers in his account double every day, Link hesitated whether to give up boxing and become a full-time singer.

At the current rate of making money, earning twenty to thirty million a year was not a problem, and with more effort, he could potentially earn even more.

Boxing might not bring in that much.

After careful consideration, of course, he wouldn't give it up.

Continuous training, constantly improving his physical fitness, and continuously tapping into his potential were his capital and foundation for strength.

Since it was the foundation, it could never be shaken.

Therefore, whenever he held a signing event or concert in another city, he would take time to exercise for a few hours. Although the effect of training in the gym wasn't as good as in the boxing ring, it still had some effect.

"Why is he still exercising after a busy day? Isn't he tired?"

At the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Ivanka heard that Link was holding a concert and signing event in Las Vegas, so she flew in from New York to check on the situation.

Upon arriving at the hotel, she saw Link with his back bare, lifting barbells in the gym. With a 200-pound barbell, he gritted his teeth and lifted it up again and again, sweat dripping from his body, and his muscles gradually engorged, becoming firmer and stronger.

Ivanka looked at him through the glass window.

Today, this guy first held a concert in the hotel square and then signed 11,000 albums on the spot.

With this level of activity, even the fittest person would be exhausted after a day, perhaps unable to get up the next day.

But after finishing all this work, Link still had the energy to lift weights in the gym. He was truly a disciplined and hardworking guy.

Ms. Mandy said, "Link exercises every day. He goes for a morning run and spends his afternoons in the gym if he has time. This is something he does every day. He doesn't seem to know what tiredness is."

Ivanka blinked, gazing at his sexy figure in the gym, feeling a warm current surging in her lower abdomen. She covered her pounding chest, turned around, and said calmly, "Mandy, let him continue exercising. We'll discuss the work."

"Okay!" Ms. Mandy nodded.

---

With the joint efforts of Link Music and distributors in various locations, the sales of "The Fighter" not only did not decline in the third week but exceeded 350,000 copies, successfully surpassing Kanye West's "808's & Heartbreak" to top the Billboard 200 album chart.

In three weeks since its release, the album had sold a cumulative total of 780,000 copies, nearly breaking 800,000, causing quite a stir in the American music scene.

A boxer crossing over to singing, and his first album sold so many copies, even more than many top-tier singers. This was incredible.

Professional music critics came out to express their views through the media, some positive and some negative.

Positive reviews believed that the quality of the songs in "The Fighter" was very high, especially the seven songs written by Link himself. The lyrics, melody, and music production had reached a top-notch level, which was the foundation for the album's success.

The second reason was Link's fame. He was an Olympic champion, an inspirational idol, with a good image and talent, a positive and perfect idol. People of all ages, from 99 to toddlers, could become his fans.

His album had a very broad audience.

"There's one more thing we shouldn't forget."

Renowned music critic Robert Sherman commented in Rolling Stone magazine that the social reasons behind the popularity of "The Fighter" should not be ignored.

Starting in late 2007, a financial crisis triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis swept across the United States and the world, causing the U.S. stock market to evaporate $7.3 trillion, hundreds of banks to go bankrupt, countless businesses to close down, and many American families to face significant financial difficulties.

Both social discourse and the thoughts of ordinary people were relatively negative.

"At this time, we need a voice to loudly tell everyone that the disaster is over and we are about to welcome the light.

This role should have been played by the Federal Reserve or the government, but the chairman of the Federal Reserve and our new president are also full of pessimism and dare not speak out.

Just then, Link spoke up.

He used an album to tell everyone that we should bravely face disasters, fight against them, and successfully overcome them, welcoming the light together. This album is amazing and timely. It's not just an album but an inspiring call."

Mr. Robert Sherman introduced and recommended the songs in Link's album in detail in his article and gave the album a 4.5-star rating.

Mr. Fred Kirschner, a music critic for The Sun, also highly recommended Link's new album in the newspaper.

"I'm not a boxing fan and didn't know who Link was before, but after listening to the songs in this album, I was amazed by his voice. I wondered, what kind of person could produce such a powerful and positive sound?

With strong curiosity, I searched everywhere for information about him and learned what kind of person he is. He was born into poverty, made mistakes in his youth, went to prison, but later turned his life around and became an Olympic champion, a world boxing champion, a young man who truly achieved the American Dream.

However, what's even more valuable is that after achieving the American Dream, he didn't lie in a mansion counting money like many nouveau riche.

He took the initiative to sing and create, conveying his successful experiences and insights to everyone through his music. I think everyone should listen to his songs because in his voice, you can find the strength to keep striving."

Mr. Fred Kirschner used over 8,000 words in the latest issue of The Sun's arts section to explain Link's album in detail and strongly recommended several songs from it.

In addition to these two gentlemen, dozens of other pop music critics gave positive reviews in the media.

"The Fighter" received a professional rating of 3.8 out of 5 on Rolling Stone magazine.

Although 3.8 might not seem high, Rolling Stone is known for its strict attitude towards music. For a newcomer's debut album to achieve a rating of 3.8, this was a very high evaluation.

On Amazon Digital Music Store and iTunes Music Store, the album was rated 4.2 and 4.1, with over 20,000 ratings.

However, there were also some who criticized Link's album.

The critics mainly came from the rap and gangsta rap community in black music, such as Kanye West, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and others.

They claimed that the album was a product of catering to the market, that the songs were too trashy, too clichéd, and too conventional, like a motivational speaker selling his success experience, constantly feeding everyone chicken soup that was actually useless.

They called Link the "preacher's son," who liked to preach, a "light-skinned good boy," not cool at all.

Link didn't care about these criticisms. His album surpassed Kanye West and other black singers in weekly sales, so it was natural to be envied and criticized.

On the 27th day of its release in the United States, "The Fighter" reached 1 million sales and was certified as a platinum record by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also the second album released in 2009 in the American music industry to break 1 million sales.

The first was Kanye West, whose album sales exceeded 1 million in just ten days.

Link couldn't match that data for the time being.

(End of Chapter)