1/
What's funny about the supposed Zoomer-era sensation Charley xcxc is that she got her start on Myspace.
...Myspace. A Gen Z icon from the Myspace era.
But this makes sense if one understands the current economics of pop music. 🧵
What's funny about the supposed Zoomer-era sensation Charley xcxc is that she got her start on Myspace.
...Myspace. A Gen Z icon from the Myspace era.
But this makes sense if one understands the current economics of pop music. 🧵
2/
Pop music artists are no longer in the business of selling their music, as streams do not generate any real revenue for artists. Everyone knows this.
Instead, artists position themselves to secure BRAND DEALS that net them tens of millions.
Pop music artists are no longer in the business of selling their music, as streams do not generate any real revenue for artists. Everyone knows this.
Instead, artists position themselves to secure BRAND DEALS that net them tens of millions.
3/
Securing those brand deals is determined by the aggregate of two metrics:
-Spotify/Apple Streams
-Social Media Followers
It's not media features, or t shirt sales, or even number of tickets sold in live shows. It's streams & followers.
THAT’S IT.
Securing those brand deals is determined by the aggregate of two metrics:
-Spotify/Apple Streams
-Social Media Followers
It's not media features, or t shirt sales, or even number of tickets sold in live shows. It's streams & followers.
THAT’S IT.
4/
Brands do not care if the artist’s label paid the $120k (or whatever it costs) for the cover of the political magazine known as Rollin Stone. They don’t care about radio spins, tastemaker reviews, or if the music meets any standard of quality.
Brands do not care if the artist’s label paid the $120k (or whatever it costs) for the cover of the political magazine known as Rollin Stone. They don’t care about radio spins, tastemaker reviews, or if the music meets any standard of quality.
5/
And that makes sense. Dior won’t sell a single bottle of perfume cause some new artist is on the cover of a magazine.
What is important to note though is that those two key metrics are DIGITAL, which means they are completely susceptible to manipulation. Totally corrupt.
And that makes sense. Dior won’t sell a single bottle of perfume cause some new artist is on the cover of a magazine.
What is important to note though is that those two key metrics are DIGITAL, which means they are completely susceptible to manipulation. Totally corrupt.
6/
That makes pop music a game of controlling those two metrics. And since Myspace, where Charlei xccx began, alllll artists have employed the use of click farms to boost their numbers. Spotify/Socials oblige this for obvious reasons.
Been done this way for 15+ years.
That makes pop music a game of controlling those two metrics. And since Myspace, where Charlei xccx began, alllll artists have employed the use of click farms to boost their numbers. Spotify/Socials oblige this for obvious reasons.
Been done this way for 15+ years.
7/
Because the game is one of cooking the metrics, artists are not springing forth due to an organic groundswell of youth culture.
This helps explain why so many of the new “relevant” artists are OLD by historical standards. They are not of the generation they represent.
Because the game is one of cooking the metrics, artists are not springing forth due to an organic groundswell of youth culture.
This helps explain why so many of the new “relevant” artists are OLD by historical standards. They are not of the generation they represent.
8/
At some point a threshold is crossed where this translates into the creation of real fans.
It’s no accident the initial converts to their core audience are exclusively drawn from terminally online aggrieved demographics — algorithmically-molded outcasts looking for community.
At some point a threshold is crossed where this translates into the creation of real fans.
It’s no accident the initial converts to their core audience are exclusively drawn from terminally online aggrieved demographics — algorithmically-molded outcasts looking for community.
9/
This amounts to mere dozens, not even hundreds, of actual real humans. Digitally though, they are legion when artists amplifies their aggrieved status.
That instigates media controversy/frenzies which eventually hit a stardom inflection point.
VERY few reach this point though
This amounts to mere dozens, not even hundreds, of actual real humans. Digitally though, they are legion when artists amplifies their aggrieved status.
That instigates media controversy/frenzies which eventually hit a stardom inflection point.
VERY few reach this point though
10/
But every step of the way, from an artist as big as Swift down to the trap beat rapper, those two key metrics are driving the machine. Classic Hollywood media frenzies will not work today without an online substructure.
But every step of the way, from an artist as big as Swift down to the trap beat rapper, those two key metrics are driving the machine. Classic Hollywood media frenzies will not work today without an online substructure.
11/
From this emerges a nexus of how digital manipulation tools are used to corral and direct brands into making massive multimillion dollar commitments to pop artists.
Groups like GARM, who also exert political controls on artistic output/behavior, are also part of that nexus.
From this emerges a nexus of how digital manipulation tools are used to corral and direct brands into making massive multimillion dollar commitments to pop artists.
Groups like GARM, who also exert political controls on artistic output/behavior, are also part of that nexus.
12/ It's not THAT different than some 70s junkie driving from radio station to station and offering the PDs or DJs a hit (of coke) to spin an artist the label was pushing. But the tools and products are completely different now.
It's ALL fake.
It's ALL fake.
13/
Despite it being fake the whole time, swapping the real for the digital atrophies creative impetus.
Couple that with the shift from "musician" to "brand" of the artist themselves, it becomes obvious there's no economic reason to actually *do* music, classically understood.
Despite it being fake the whole time, swapping the real for the digital atrophies creative impetus.
Couple that with the shift from "musician" to "brand" of the artist themselves, it becomes obvious there's no economic reason to actually *do* music, classically understood.
14/
Hot take is this: The next two generations, Z & Alpha, will have to reject currently-constituted digital information/metrics.
This will largely depend on their ability to resist legal/cultural pressure to be digitally absorbed to a greater degree than the Millennials.
Hot take is this: The next two generations, Z & Alpha, will have to reject currently-constituted digital information/metrics.
This will largely depend on their ability to resist legal/cultural pressure to be digitally absorbed to a greater degree than the Millennials.
15/
Hot take wrap up: As digital life is unlikely to go away, a cause the ideologically inclined should take up would be actual accountability of digital metrics, and return the Socials to their original function as largely-decentralized periodicals.
However it’s done, this digital Potemkin landscape must cease, cause it’s quagmired our musical culture.
Hot take wrap up: As digital life is unlikely to go away, a cause the ideologically inclined should take up would be actual accountability of digital metrics, and return the Socials to their original function as largely-decentralized periodicals.
However it’s done, this digital Potemkin landscape must cease, cause it’s quagmired our musical culture.
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