We briefly caught up with the Reach Records emcee for a few minutes to get his thoughts on the exciting chart placement. When asked if this strong sales number was expected due to his recent momentum, Mineo was transparent. "If I'm being honest, I really didn't know what to expect" he revealed. "I do know that our fans always come out and support us, but naturally I was also uncertain because we didn't have the marketing campaign and push that would typically come with an album. But as always, I was very hopeful that our fans would support it."
Considering the dearth of positive voices on the mainstream charts (especially in the genre of hip hop), "Neverland"'s presence is a refreshing shift from the norm in both content and sound. With a flurry of record sales success, it's easy to believe that Mineo's aim is all about the numbers, a notion he quickly corrects. "The record sales just means more opportunities for people to hear the music and ultimately for lives to be transformed. Big numbers of CD's sold is never the ultimate goal, but it just allows for the message to get into more hands."
On the flip side though, he doesn't shy away from saying he strongly believes it's important for Christian music to continue to place high on the charts. "When you chart, that tells a story to the world that more people are exposed to and get to hear. That's an important thing for Christians to consider." Though the true impact of the movement will never be truly represented by sales, Gospel-centered art in the ears of a mass audience is always positive fruit of hard labor.
In the end, it's clear that this artist just wants new listeners to appreciate his artistry. "For people who are listening for the first time I say, 'enjoy the art!' I think its good music that forces you to think about life and my worldview." May Andy Mineo and many like him continue to make their presence felt on the Billboard charts.
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