“Damn, they really fell off”: The Art of Artful Regression
As we listen to our favorite artists, we can see them grow into their own sound, style and lyricism. While some may constantly improve, putting out better and better projects as time goes on, others regress and fall to the hands of the radio stations and record labels. We constantly hear phrases such as “Oh, The Beatles were better in 1967” and “Drake hasn’t had a good album since ‘If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late’”. Do most artists get burnt out and fall out of love with the craft as time goes on? Or, do we, the consumers, become stingy, emotionally attached to the nostalgia of their old music? Why do so many artists produce less-profound music once their songs begin to be played on the radio? From these questions emerge the gatekeeping: “I bet you only like (insert most popular album/song from an artist that has just earned their well-deserved recognition in the mainstream media)!” Take Tyler, The Creator’s fanbase, for example. Before 2015, he could have been considered a more “underground” artist. He wasn’t played on the radio, and a niche group of fans enjoyed both his visual and auditory content. However, after the release of “Flower Boy” in 2017, a rap icon was pushed into the “indie” category due to his shift to a softer sound. He then gained a larger, more mainstream audience due to hit songs like “See You Again”. The gatekeepers of the pre-2015 Tyler, The Creator fanbase resented this, as most fans do in similar situations. Our generation suffers from extreme individuality complexes: Who can listen to the most “underground” music? Who knew the band “before they were popular?” I went on a hunt for answers, and whether I found any of value is most likely up to someone with a bit more expertise than a 17-year-old child with minimal credibility that genuinely enjoyed listening to G-Eazy four years ago (we all make mistakes, okay?).
Don’t get me wrong, this phenomenon is not an uncommon one. Even off the top of my head, I can name several artists who have regressed since their first real hit Walk The Moon, Chance the Rapper, Gus Dapperton and ROLE MODEL are all perfectly valid examples of people whose current music style shifted pretty far from their original sound as their fanbases grew larger. Walk The Moon was one of the first bands that introduced me to alternative music; their self-titled album is practically no-skip certified (“Anna Sun” is still on my top 10 favorite song list). Now, they somehow make some of the least-inspired radio-pop music I have ever heard. Chance The Rapper’s newest album is the textbook definition of a flop: it lacked the individuality and personality that made “Coloring Book” such a hit. After listening to Gus Dapperton’s new releases, I can honestly say that I’m disappointed. How he could go from the hazy, addicting sounds of “Moodna, Once with Grace” and “Prune, You Talk Funny” to a boring, upbeat song like “Post Humorous” is beyond me. While ROLE MODEL is still a bit lesser-known, he also shifted from fuzzy and quiet alternative music (see: “Supermodel,” “Not a Fan.” and “Girl in New York”) to a more pop-influenced, upbeat album. Now, I’m not saying just because an artist shifts to pop music they become inherently bad. Pop is a useful tool for an artist of any genre, as long as they don’t abuse it. But, with the pop sound can also come pop habits. Cop-out tropes, too many love songs, and the utter defamation and overuse of the beat drop. Let’s just say that if all genres of music were a spectrum and The Chainsmokers were the radically right side of the scale, an artist does in fact get worse the closer to the right they move.
What have I learned from scrolling through the entirety of the Apple Music library, searching for artists that I no longer listen to? About three things:
Yes, a majority of the artists you enjoy listening to will begin to regress to pop music about a year after becoming mainstream. I like to look at it as the circle of music. You’re born, you work your rear-end off to make your name known, you sell your life away to a record label, they force you to make radio-friendly music and suddenly Halsey is featured on your next song.
An epiphany came to me about half-way through my highly credible investigation: What if some of these artists genuinely enjoy making pop-influenced music more than their old music? What if, as time goes on, artists actually get to know themselves more and grow comfortable in their unique sound? Yes, that’s a possibility, But, can it always be the case? Absolutely not.
The biggest takeaway from all of this is authenticity. Your artistic integrity must span beyond money, followers and record deals. Sadly, for most modern artists, that might not always be an option. Are you really in it for the music, or are you willing to change your sound at the mere smell of a couple hundred-thousand dollars? I’m looking at you, Chance the Rapper.
If you’ve ever felt personally victimized because your favorite artists sold their souls to the record label and radio station demons, you’re not alone. The life cycle of music will begin again, and people will find another “indie” and “underground” artist to gatekeep until their music is played in their local Homegoods. Ah, the beauty of modern-day music.