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Arista's Divas Are Losing That Old Platinum Touch submitted by: Lisa D. source: New York Daily News Date: March 11, 2003 BY JIM FARBER Are the days of the diva numbered? They seem to be at Arista Records. In Clive Davis' last decade at the helm, Arista's identity was as wrapped up in powerful females as was famed "women's director" George Cukor. Stars including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton and TLC weren't just the company's most consistent sellers. They were its mascots. But with Clive gone to form J Records - and with L.A. Reid plopped into the driver's seat at Arista - old-line divas have gone into decline. Today, young female rockers line Arista's bottom line. Reid can trumpet two major triumphs: Avril Lavigne, whose debut CD, "Let Go," has moved nearly 5 million copies in the last 39 weeks, with no end in sight, and Pink, who has pushed 4.6 mil of "MissUndaztood," with some color still left in it. Meanwhile, Houston's latest release, "Just Whitney," has sunk to No. 125 in its 12 weeks out, barely squeaking past gold. In the same period, women like the late Aaliyah and Mariah Carey have sold twice as many records. Houston's last work, 1998's "My Love Is Your Love," sold more than 2.7 million copies. TLC has fared even worse, plunging to a torpid 157, with dead-in-the-water sales of less than 600,000. This, from a group whose last CD moved 4.7 million. Braxton just fell out of the top 200 entirely, with a total tally of 371,000 copies of her "More Than a Woman." Her last CD, "The Heat," sold 2.1 million two years ago. Mitigating factors can be cited for both Houston and TLC. Houston kicked off her album's promotion in November with the most career-killing interview since Gary Condit's chat with Connie Chung. And TLC suffered the death of Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes. Still, TLC's "3D" featured just as much of Lopes as its three predecessors (through the miracle of editing), and the album garnered the best reviews of the group's career. Likewise, Houston's music showed few signs of the personal problems that have played out in the gossip columns. As for Braxton, there's little artistic reason for her market to have shrunk this quickly. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder if Reid's new administration wanted to put its own stamp on the company by getting behind new artists rather than sustaining old ones - especially those saddled with significant baggage. Also, it's better for the bottom line to push fresh faces -who command smaller royalties, fewer perks and take orders more easily - over wiser types, who demand more money and think they know everything. In other chart news: Would-be diva Solonge Knowles just proved that nepotism doesn't always pay. The li'l sis of Beyonce Knowles released her first album, "Solo Star," six weeks ago. But after four, it vanished from the top 200, selling just 54,000 copies. Consider this a case of star destiny denied. Site design by: Dolphin Webpage Designs © 1996-2003