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(A thread) 1/10
@Spotify CEO guy got me thinking. It was interesting what he said about how artists in the 60s used to put out 3 or more records a year. Which is doubtless a level of productivity I for one aspire to. But let’s look at that a little closer...
@Spotify CEO guy got me thinking. It was interesting what he said about how artists in the 60s used to put out 3 or more records a year. Which is doubtless a level of productivity I for one aspire to. But let’s look at that a little closer...
2/10
Of course even then, there were still shady industry characters with pathological relationships towards money who made sure many of those artists never got their fair share of royalties or profits from their work, despite how prolific they were.
Of course even then, there were still shady industry characters with pathological relationships towards money who made sure many of those artists never got their fair share of royalties or profits from their work, despite how prolific they were.
3/10
but there’s also the perhaps less known or talked about fact that many artists didn’t write their own material back then. In fact, most artists got songs from a network of songwriting teams and producers (record labels even routinely had in-house songwriters)
but there’s also the perhaps less known or talked about fact that many artists didn’t write their own material back then. In fact, most artists got songs from a network of songwriting teams and producers (record labels even routinely had in-house songwriters)
4/10
So while the artist was still under tremendous pressure to produce hits, they often at least had help finding the songs (the writers of which also got jerked around and often stiffed, but I digress) which helped them keep up this break-neck amphetamine pace of productivity.
So while the artist was still under tremendous pressure to produce hits, they often at least had help finding the songs (the writers of which also got jerked around and often stiffed, but I digress) which helped them keep up this break-neck amphetamine pace of productivity.
5/10
Whereas now, the industry & market has shifted (due to decades of relentless watering down & advertising-culture co-opting) to a place where society at large deeply and ravenously craves authenticity of any kind and so artists have to fully conceive of all their own material
Whereas now, the industry & market has shifted (due to decades of relentless watering down & advertising-culture co-opting) to a place where society at large deeply and ravenously craves authenticity of any kind and so artists have to fully conceive of all their own material
6/10
Which must be imbued with the most deeply personal and sacred aspects of their lives and then strategically packaged and marketed in such a way that ensures fans feel they are being “engaged with” in meaningful ways.
Which must be imbued with the most deeply personal and sacred aspects of their lives and then strategically packaged and marketed in such a way that ensures fans feel they are being “engaged with” in meaningful ways.
7/10
It’s almost as if now, they can’t just play songs, but rather weave entire multifaceted tapestries across all forms of media by harvesting some very essential part of themselves or becoming 3rd-rate comedians or 4th-rate philosophers via virtual pseudo-community platforms
It’s almost as if now, they can’t just play songs, but rather weave entire multifaceted tapestries across all forms of media by harvesting some very essential part of themselves or becoming 3rd-rate comedians or 4th-rate philosophers via virtual pseudo-community platforms
8/10
in order to ever have any prayer of financial stability from their craft within their lifetime...it’s almost as if they (i.e artists) now have to monetize the very thing that makes them human, whose expressions are ostensibly sincere
in order to ever have any prayer of financial stability from their craft within their lifetime...it’s almost as if they (i.e artists) now have to monetize the very thing that makes them human, whose expressions are ostensibly sincere
9/10
and therefore desirable to the buying public (who desires sincerity so badly)
whose money (the Public’s) still has a wildly convoluted and difficult time reaching said artist ... it’s almost as though artists have to trade their own spiritual purity,
and therefore desirable to the buying public (who desires sincerity so badly)
whose money (the Public’s) still has a wildly convoluted and difficult time reaching said artist ... it’s almost as though artists have to trade their own spiritual purity,
10/10
converting it into a grotesque and cartoonish commercial avatar
Which they must use as a bargaining chip towards a decidedly reasonable but ever-fleeting end that ruthless capitalism never acquiesces to...it’s almost as if... ah, someone should write a song about that...
converting it into a grotesque and cartoonish commercial avatar
Which they must use as a bargaining chip towards a decidedly reasonable but ever-fleeting end that ruthless capitalism never acquiesces to...it’s almost as if... ah, someone should write a song about that...
