Maybe this is karma for how some these same labels treated artist in the past. I think they are mad because they simply can’t compete against the internet and are losing control.
It seems like we’re in a gray area where labels either want the artists to come already polished and prepared so they don’t have to spend money and time to get them ready for the masses or they want the artist to already have a following before they get signed. 🥴🥴
@@CalvinMichaelsyeah, they want artists to come to them perfect AND they want them to do the marketing that the label is supposed to be paying a firm to do. But I don’t understand why an artist that already does those things would sign with a label. Why would they add a greedy middle man?
@@CalvinMichaels Basically the issue is that the focus is on how marketable an artist is (in their opinion) instead of does the artist have talent. And we can’t forget pay-for-play saturates the market.
@@LoveK1Because they aren’t “Artist” per say. Its a cash grab for them as well. In their mind,they can live off the advance forever and in a social media time they think ppl will support them regardless
No development of these artists, no quality music, no backup, and no actual talent or ability with these artists, streaming has basically put a knife in the industry. My opinion.
The lack of quality suggests a lack of care. Its a grave mishandling when you want a huge profit margin but dont put in a genuine investment. I often wonder if those execs even listen to music or have artists they admire.
This. As a person who used to sing in and out of school, has a father that's a musician I have followed the trends in music. All this is true, but I don't feel bad for these record companies. For nearly 100 years they have been taking advantage of artists. Then you have them picking talent that they could mold to propagandize their own agenda. Sales and decension over talent. So in my opinion let them fall.
@@nakairoberson3057 Say that again. I wish there were healthier environments for the stories and messaages to thrive alongside the artists, but that doesnt redress the damage that has been done over time. Im with you on the exploitation. I dont think they anticipate the effect it has on society.
I saw LaTavia Roberson (one of the original members of Destiny’s Child), she was talking about how they use to have to promote themselves everywhere at clubs, festivals, colleges, doing interviews any and everywhere. These artists today do NOT I REPEAT DO NOT put in the work of a Destiny’s Child, Pink, Mya, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, EnVogue, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson,TLC, N’Sync etc… so they suffer cause they can’t keep up like those artist have and can.
@@CalvinMichaels yessir!!!! Matthew Knowles as a manager or artist developer knew what he was doing. And whether people want to give them credit or not, Kelly, LaTavia, LeToya and even Michelle have that same breath work Beyoncé does. I love the range LaTavia and Michelle have. I also love the power in Kelly and LeToya have in their voice that they downplay so much, being that both of them always had to sing the note high than Beyonce they had to be able to sing NO DOUBT.
@TheTruthAintInYa so damn true!! The work that they put into their music really showed. Janet and Mya put in that work work with their choreography, Destinys Child and EnVogue put in that work with their vocals and TLC, Michael and Nsync put in that work work with video visuals. One thing I love is that folks like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys had the MTV machine behind them yet still were able to conduct interviews well in 1998/1999, able to connect with fans on TRL without any corny or disgusting gimmick for a viral moment and took us behind the scene of the actual artwork. The lyrics of the artist you mentioned are perfectly memorable and their albums told an actual story or theme like The Writings On The Wall or No Strings Attached.
@@TheTruthAintInYa Yass!!!! To this day I swear to God I listen to The Writings On The Wall on repeat every other day. The whole entire album like you said. Every lyric is memorable and makes so much sense compared to whatever these singers and rappers of today are saying. A bunch of nothing. Only able to smoke or drink to their music and not actually relate or deep think about it. Their words are not even clever or figurative like the artists back then.
Phyllis Hyman warned of this back in the late 80s early 90s. No development of newer artists, while trying to toss aside veteran artists. Clive Davis is guilty of this! Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill, Vesta Williams all got tossed aside for the "next bubblegum ONE-HIT artists"!
Even Whitney Houston was thrown to the media wolves, years later, after she made hundreds of millions for the record label. I'm gonna need somebody to hold Clive Davis accountable for his actions 😩
@@tincredibleYou need to understand labels aren't all at fault here. The new kids out here have questionable taste in short spam music. Also feels the poor new rap all these kids listen to isn't exactly help for other artist doing other genre. New Rap has been dominating for the last 5 years. And it is rather an extremely watered down version of great rap music from before. Pop has almost disappeared unless you are in Korea. Rnb is barely holding on thanks to no more than 5 mega artist still around pushing it to the masses. Streaming system cheaped up music worth then overstated by allowing just about anyone in their bedroom to have music on all platforms. Then Ai entered the chat.
and did you check out what he did when she passed ? here it is she was in the same hotel where he was throwing a grammy party it was announced that she passed and he still had the party , i mean that was disgusting and demonic and what makes it even worse is he was supposedly her " friend " @@ZebraLens
Nicki Minaj summed it up well by stating it's currently about popularity not talent. Sadly nothing but microwave music. I'm a 70s baby so I was fortunate to grow up with music that embodies artistry, lyricism, professionalism, humility, love, soul etc. I still remember gathering with family in front of the tv to watch the Thriller video when it debuted. Good times indeed.
I mean she and Drake are a HIGE reason for that. They are the beginning of a song not having to actually be good but because her Barbz will support ANYTHING it will get pushed down the masses throats.
I hate to say it but …. She did help make it like this. She helped it be a popularity contest 🤷🏾♀️ every female rapper gotta have long hair and a big butt to be successful now . She has to dumb her self down and repeat words twice to be considered a “good metaphor”
For the past 10-15 years I have asked why the music industry doesn’t media train their new artists, invest in their artist’s pure talent or invest in their artists overrall package including instrumental play, choreography, stage presence, songwriting, etc like they used to in yesteryears whether the genre was hip-hop, R&B, pop, poprock, etc. It feels like today the mainstream artists all rely on tiktok producers, sextapes, “leaked” pictures, gimmicks and one-liner podcasts interviews to promote themselves and their next project. The years of standing and singing or rapping about deep lyrics into the microphone in front of them are over. I always tried to pinpoint where the decline started in the 2000s of quality artistry being put on the backburner for repititive gimmicks of art that’s called music. I’m hoping this video will enlighten me.
Not just that but the vocal ability too like we have a lot of half ass singers ain’t nobody really sangin on stage, they just want to look cute on stage
In today’s music, the artists is not media trained and says whatever comes out their mouths on their live tiktok feeds’ IG videos and twitter threads while the artists back then were trained well to do interviews with the honorable likes of Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Carson Daly, AJ & Free, etc. while giving a detailed step on behind the scenes of their artwork on Behind The Music, Driven, Making The Video, Access Granted..heck even Cita’s World.
That also implies that there is artistry to explain. Some “artists” I’ve seen for the last few years have nothing that distinguishes them. Some are generic and uninteresting. I miss having mainstream variety.
Too many people in musichave nonsense of how to carry themselves in a classy way.They tell too many their personal business,argue/physically fight with fans and other artists,swear like a sailor,etc.
I'm an up-and-coming artist and we are not in short supply - 7 languages/every genre... But they don't want that; they want the generic artists who will continue to give them the issues breaking into the industry they currently experience. If they looked for real music, they might have better luck. 'By the way', Chris Brown's music does sound the same.
i agree with alll the above lolol but chris? yeah it’s not just his voice. the songs sonically, musically, meaning-wise all sound the same. he has not grown in his craft in YEARS
Back in the 50s & 60s record label execs were music lovers. They groomed their artist to have decades long sustainable music careers by putting them through years of vocal training/singing lessons, charm school, but that all changed 40 years ago when the record labels shifted towards a making a quick buck model. Had Earth, Wind & Fire came out after the 1970s, Columbia Records would've dropped them. It took 5 albums for them to hit pay dirt & become the legendary juggernaut band they eventually became over the decades. The same went for Aretha Frankin. She didn't hit it out the park on her early albums. It took close to decade for her to hit pay dirt. The record execs greed did them in for the long haul. If they don't go back to the old model of grooming artist to have long sustainable careers, then they will continue to struggle trying to break in new artist. While they're at it, how about having some balance. Everything that comes on the radio sounds the freaking same to me. That's just my thoughts on this subject.
You said a lot of truth there but sadly time is moving forward. New generation with shorter spam, awful soulless music taste (classics turned generic and repetitive rap/trap) and a preference for songs 25 secs long as an audience do not help. Also streaming is just the devil in all of this. More money is spent making the records than what is coming back. Ai are now here to put whatever is left of all this to the grave as label may not need new artist anymore. There are a few unsigned artist still making quality music but they struggle in a world where music of great quality with meaningful lyrics means nothing anymore. Curently loving Switch by Cédrisian. He is a new artist who makes real love experience songs but he gets such little views. The list goes on...
Thank you and Calvin Michaels for educating us. They should go back to the Motown blue print on creating great artists and music.. That's still my go to music anyway. Some other artists I have enjoyed who were in Country, Pop and folk music. Are all gone. You don't hear good quality music from those genres anymore. The technology has changed music a great deal. Now they are bringing record players and vinyl records back.😂😂😂😂😂. Which they should have never left behind anyway. Bring good music back. No more of this junk music on the air ways.🎉
@christinestevens8845: You're welcome! Motown is an excellent example! You'll never have artist like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jackson 5, The Commodores, Rick James, Teena Marie & the Four Tops on one record label ever again. I have turntables & vinyl. I never fully bought into the digital revolution even though i do have some CDs of artist who's music never made it to vinyl.
I think the issue is, labels no longer wanna invest in artists these days. It’s all about do you have the numbers to be an immediate success. Which in turn leads them to trying to make whatever TikTok person into a popstar. However, that ends being a failed experiment cuz their own audience has no interest in them being a popstar. So ultimately it ends up backfiring on the labels
I think an artist like Tiwa Savage, who had a large international fan base, didn't get the investment and support when she signed with Roc Nation. She still has a lot of respect in the AfroBeats and Afro-Pop scene because of the career she built but it felt like when she started her US crossover, her label didn't really put effort into her for years and ended up being behind the Afrobeat wave into the US
As a Colombian this story sounds a lot like Becky G who is huge in Latin Music. She started her career as an English-speaking pop rapper in the USA but was going nowhere with her music. So she instead focused onto the Reggaeton market and years later today she is one of the top female artists in Latin Music. I guess the story is, go wherever your talent takes you highest and appreciated, even if it is not in America.
Also, we no longer all hear the same song on one device, the radio. Even when Napster started and iTunes, the MAJORITY of music was still delivered to us on the radio. Now everything is so siloed, there is no "main source" anymore so it is hard to push one new artist through to everyone. So you have to make your impact on instagram reels or TikTok as the main source, but then you dont know if that artist can perform for 3 hour straight in person, which is the real problem. These new artists who hit hot on TikTok are not performers.
1: Too many copy & paste artists. 2: Artists are self producing so they're less polished. 3: Record companies arent budgeting for artists, because theyre loosing profits from streaming. 4: Trash Music from popular artists, not Talented artists. 5: Oversaturated and Attention Span real estate. Your CD collection got replayed. You don't hear the same song twice. So your not able to remember and have an experience with an artist.
Speaking of CDs, I notice that as I’ve transitioned to streaming from CDs I find myself more so play listing than experiencing albums in full. I may play an album in full on the first or second listen and then I put the stand out tracks on a playlist. So the songs that tend to be a slow burner usually become forgotten over time and then I rediscover them years later. 🥴
VH1 leaning so heavy into celebrity reality TV & going away from the behind the music & Even the I love blank series. They was a good way to let the teens of the generation to connect with the artist of yesteryears. So many solid music documentaries get lose to streaming. We all listen to what we like while algorithm cues up similar song. It leaves no room to explore new music. I think some type relegation to keep companies from consolidating power wealth so much.
Part of the problem is that the industry is trying to create the art rather than find and support it. I turn off when I know they’re trying to convince me that something is good rather than presenting it and letting me say, hey this is good. Also the industry just turns me off. The predatory nature of labels, producers and the attempts to erase the music that came before is just a turn off.
The hard truth is that we live in an everybody-gets-a-chance society now and when everybody gets a chance,its hard to develop stars. No gatekeepers. You can be a celebrity or famous by your own standards and without having charisma or even real talent by having a million ig followers,100K youtube views and a blue checkmark by your photo. Nothing is aspirational when anybody can get it/be it. What makes someone like Beyonce a STAR is that nobody can get up there & do what she does but if you only have presence behind a phone,photoshop and a microphone…when its time to do star things,its just not there.
I see a lot of blaming the labels but the consumer has to take responsibility as well. We live in a society that caters to niche audiences and props up mediocrity.
Exactly, taste in good music has sunk to a new low. The stuff I hear people sing or should I say rap along to with zero depth is a massive issue. The audience for great music isn't there as many are over a certain age and Dont really bother supporting or looking for new artist trying to put quality sound out.
Louder for the people in the back! You attract what you put your energy in to. There are so many creative artists out there (Oshun, Cleo Soul, SaRoc, Sampa the Great, Raven Lenae, Christian Scott, Robert Glasper, Masego, October London, Gregory Porter-etc) that don’t have a massive following because folk are too busy writing whole dissertations on what Chloe or Megan Pete have on today-instead of spending time to find music that you as a consumer prefer. Change your algorithm. If you like music from the Motown era, and you search that enough in UA-cam, you will start getting recommendations for artist whose melodious musicality match the energy of that genre. Half of the artists I listed are because I have over 20 playlists across UA-cam and Apple Music (of which both Chloe and Megan are on LOL-BUT my music taste extends from Quincy Jones to Queen Pen to Queen) .
Established artists even have a hard time putting out unique work because the labels are looking for a quick hit. When Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak presented their idea of a 70's soul album, both Atlantic and Aftermath thought they were insane. Fortunately, they both had some pull, so they were able to put out 'An Evening With Silk Sonic'. It's cross generational and different from anything else in the market. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice.
I'm glad you brought up the part about touring and how it's the older listeners (I put anyone that is 30 and up in that category) that are really sustaining the artists and their music. We love music too and we crave new music from new acts as well. But it's the under 21 crowd that is catered to when it comes to new acts and music so what ends up happening is that the 2000s and 90s artists are the ones killing the touring game now and for good reason. Because they're all we got.
What about not giving artists such crappy label deals? Like every artists talking about how crappy and predatory the contracts are Like every other major artist is fighting the label they’re contracted under Like Taylor swift, Kanye, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson/prince fought theyr labels Billy corgan fought his label there’s probably others that I havnt listed
I think a lot of artists today dont know how to perform on stage today because we dont have shows like TRL, 106 & park, and Top of the pops anymore where artists get to hone their performance skills before the award shows and tour dates.
We are living in the manifestation of the Drake,Nicki Minaj and Justin Beiber era of music where mediocrity thrives as long as its commercially successful.
@@archivesunset4214Agree. Nicki is not mediocre. Neither is Drake or Justin. They are all talented and the last of the megastars. They also had coaching and real industry backing.
You must be young. All of these artists are mediocre and don’t even have songs with longevity. They just put out trendy music. Name several songs from either of these “artists” that they put out 10 years ago. That simply doesn’t exist.
I don't think there's a lack of talent I think it's a symptom of the times we're in. Life is hard right now and the music is too superficial to make an impact, I do think there's going to be a big swing in the opposite direction of tiktok music we're going to go back to looong songs, with a message. I also think people want community more now and prefer to see their artists live. The artists aren't performing like they used to but I think that's going to change too.
Great point. It's definitely a reflection of the times. We're currently in a time where people also celebrate mediocrity and relatability as opposed to back in the day, society celebrated exceptional talent and innovation. We're in an era of mediocrity, relatability, remakes, reboots, sequels, etc. It's the Dark Age of entertainment. I certainly hope the pendulum swings back.
This video was so informative and on-point that I had no idea an hour had already passed. It's like eating the whole snack without knowing it and sadly reaching up to an empty plate for another bite 😮😢 Great talk! Stay real! 💯
@DanielleSamoneJohnson77 "It's like eating the whole snack without knowing it and sadly reaching up to an empty plate for another bite." You phrased that so well!!
I noticed that Victoria Monet is doing a radio press tour and local promotional events to promote her music. I think she understands it takes more than just social media to her music out there.
yeah but understand that majority of those interviews are being uploaded to social media. interviews do play a part in showing the artist personality and connects them even closer with the fans
There are a plethora of us out here. They just don't want to take the time, effort or money to invest in the artist artistry. They want the microwave success.
Two things: 1. A lot of my highlights are coming from a place centered within the old industry standards or the old guard. As time, technology, and society evolves the industry will have to as well. Which goes back to the point made about the industry always being in a position of playing catch up to what’s already happening. I don’t think the music industry has successfully been able to tackle the transition into its new norm during this current world of fast media, streaming, and the public’s rising need for more content, more often, with more innovation. 2. Also as stated in the description they’re so much more that can be added to this conversation. Things I didn’t get a chance to expound on: 1. The era of DIY artists… where do they fall within the picture? (Spotify has 40,000 daily uploads of new material) 2. The decline of award show relevance 3. The repurposing of Music Videos & Promo 4. Social Media marketing 5. Interchangeability of Merch vs Streams Battle 6. Sustainability of Singles 7. Album Eras are indistinguishable 8. The transition from albums to mini projects 9. Marketable “all purpose” entertainers vs artists that specifically want to do music 10. Ageism 11. Limited musicianship in production 12. The fear of not falling within the popular trend 13. Artists not given grace to develop a fanbase through multiple projects 14. 360 Deals 15. Consumer and artist burnout from over saturation 16. The slowly changing identity of musical genres 17. International acts 18. Where does AI fit into all of this?
This kind of reminds me of the Beenie Baby craze - boom and crash. The thirst for profit drove their own business into the ground. They didn’t understand what elements were allowing the boom to happen and at the time they didn’t really care. They focused on squeezing as much profit from the boom as possible and thought the boom would last forever but anyone on the outside could see that they were crippling themselves. This is what I would say is happening in the music industry.
The Labels and Radio Stations made the mistake throughout history by pushing the older artists out the rotations. Like the 70's Artists being push away in the 80's. The 80s Artists going into the 90's, The 90's Artists into the 2000's, Etc Etc!!! They pushed the Adults and Mature Consumers away. They won't play the independent Hip Hop and R&B Artists that are putting out Great Music. Thank God for Spotify, Pandora, IG Artists suggestions. I didn't know about Briitish Artists Little Simz, Mahalia and Sampa The Great (Zambian). I heard them on my local HBCU Station (NCAT State University). I miss shows like Video Soul on BET, Yo MTV Raps, Rap City, Etc! Keep up the great work, Brother! Like you said, Artists in past all had different vibes. Stephanie Mills, Angela Winbush, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole sounded different. Gang Starr, The Roots, Wu Tang Clan, Common, Nas, Eve, ATCQ, Mos Def, Outkast all sounded different. Now other than J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody....these Rappers sounded a like. Back in the past you would here 3-5-7 songs off of a EWF, Micheal Jackson, Prince, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, Madonna Album. Now you will here the same song 10 times a day for 1 year.
1. Image in lieu of talent 2. Same-sounding, non-unique music: why follow one artist when you can get the exact same sound from a thousand copycats 3. Defunding of R&B: R&B artists and music heavily fueled and influenced the genres of rock and pop. Unfortunately, the industry closed up the well. There is no development of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys without New Edition. There is no development of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera without Janet Jackson. Think about more than just the artists Think about the songwriters, producers, and arrangers that would later enter the pop world.
Hi Calvin! Can we also talk about how music has been kinda trash and creativity just isn't the same ever since music and the arts were pulled out of public schools? People used to be so much more creative and unique, and they were willing to take more risks to try something different. UPDATE: Please, please, PLEASE do a review of Usher's new song, "Boyfriend"! When it dropped, I immediately thought of how you said new music needs to be cross-generational again... and maybe Usher heard the message? LOL
@CalvinMichaels You are a wealth of knowledge and I really enjoy your analysis and insightful views on music. You definitely connect the dots and contextualize topics in a way for people to understand the how and why. Cause and effect.
Awesome insight on this topic. I haven’t listened to the radio in over 10 years. I went from playing mixes made on cds to streaming music! With social media and adding all these songs to their videos, songs/music gets burnt out soooo quickly. This video is awesome 👏🏾 Side note: for the book club, are we reading the Tragic Life of Robert Peace?
Your work is so appreciated, and I adore you for it! But even more importantly, you're fun and engaging to watch and listen to. I couldn't breathe for like 2 mins when you said grandma might not make it on the bumper cars 😭😭😭 And the twist dance you did in your seat, lmao. I love how evident it is that you enjoy doing what you do. Love you, Calvin 😘❤
This is true, thanks to Billboard constantly lowering the bar & moving the goalposts with bundles & Streaming! They have most definitely played a role in what they're writing about!
Live streams are a good indicator of popularity imo. First how many are watching, how many are actively talking. You can get a gage (bots are obvious here). If you don't have a good live streaming presence the chance of you selling out a big concert is pretty abysmal.
The end of the age of the artist superstar is a good thing. They were the 1% - the rest of us worked for them or got other music related jobs. The gatekeepers are losing their power and we can get our music directly to people who love what we do. Now with the attention of fans spread across more smaller acts, more of us get to make a living by finding our fans - more great music is now getting released and heard.
I think another major issue is that so many new artists have controversial issues so early on. They don't even have enough time to gain loyal fans that will weather the storm with them because they're so new lol.
Calvin we're just gonna have to add this to your R&B is Dead series because we've been deprived for way too long. I love it when you're in your music history bag.
Calvin everything you have said is one hundred percent correct. But you forgot about how AI has effected music negatively. I have listened to some of them and the music sounds dead. I agree that if you give the audience what they want yes they will come and tell others about the album. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
They don’t sign SINGERS anymore. They sign people for one song or their look. If a girl looks like Kehlani she can get signed off a few songs on SoundCloud and enough followers on IG. The next Whitney Houston doesn’t have a chance.
They went cheap with the rappers, pushed R&B artist on the back end, discontinued Artist and Development and turned away artist wh plays instruments and sing. Live bands and music by artist who has the trinity. Tik Tok is commercial cheap. Go back to the roots of music with true writers who don't do ABC simple Simone lyrics.
I think during the touring segment you should have shouted out Victoria Monet who just sold out her tour in a single day even though she’s a relatively small artist. That was really impressive and shows people are willing to pay for a show for someone who will really give them one
Also for the tv part, shows for all ages used to have popular artist doing theme songs and performances during the show- not just late night shows for exposure. I can think of Proud Family, ALL that, In Living Color, Living Single, A Different World, Keenan and Kel, Cousin Skeeter, et al. Multiple generations on lock.
Brother Calvin, you said it if best. It is artist development. Even rappers had it. It took a minute for them to blow up and they had to bust their behind. A good example was Nelly, 50 cent even Jay Z. When they had that 1 hit, it was a wrap. That’s why their music back then is gold ❤❤❤
The 1st person I thought about was Cardi when u mentioned people who just wanna b famous. She's not talented as an artist, but is a fan favorite based on drama & personality. She has no flow or delivery, just a huge following. Her concerts were not selling out when she was doing performances.
I recommend supporting local artists in your community. Most have to be decent live performers in order to have some kind of foothold in the local market. I’ve been going to a lot of free and low cost live shows in my area (Baltimore/Washington) this summer. We have a lot of nice artists from a broad array of genres.
I'm 52 years old and remember the late 70s definitely the 80s music. We were blessed to be able to listen to different types of music back then. Today's music is noise. No heart, no feelings or no creativity in it. I've meet so many younger people who feel the same way. And they listen to 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and some 2000s music because they do not like today's music.
There’s great music today; unfortunately, you have to do a little work to get through the noise. That goes back to A&R and scouting. Too many TikTok stars and bootleg reality stars.
This is such a great video events like this make me feel bad for the younger artists coming up bc there are ones that have alot of potential but don’t have artist development behind them or if they do they are signed to a indie label put them in a 360 deal and if that’s not the case the indie labels are too small to help them breakout to the mainstream these young artists especially black artists and Asian KPOP idols are victims of how messed up the music industry have become,
Bruh 😂 I listened to this in 1:25 speed because it was a long one. But first of all you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t Kevin Hart speaking 😂 and secondly as a person who was in the music industry and went through hell and back dealing with labels and other big artist I’m here to just say AMAZING JOB 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 you broke that shit DOWN!!! Loved it
@48:30 Steve Lacy is an example of this. Clips of his concert went viral when he was performing 'Bad Habit' because people only knew the lyrics of the snippet that was a popular sound on Tik Tok. People were singing their hearts out during the snippet then it was crickets and awkward for the other parts of the song. Crazy and sad phenomenon.
Calvin, I’m going to need you to get a sessional lecturer position to teach American music history at a major university. I’m speaking it into existence for you!
Celebrities in general aren't popping like they used to. The same conversation can be applied to movies and movie stars. Entertainment isn't what it used to be because we no longer have a communal experience. Honestly, the age of global A-list stars is dead.
Love your music insight! This actually mirrors Hollywood in so many ways. Everything from “looking at streamer fillers you have” - you’ll be amazed how many studios look at new actors twitter/Insta followers - it’s ridiculous. There is no development- they keep producing these microwaveable artists with no Star power. These new rappers out here trying and failing at sounding like Lil Wayne over these lame lazy beats. It’s so sad what’s happened to music. The loss of the music video channels really affected the industry and for someone like me (a Janet fan) 🤬don’t start me. Keysha Cole…. After hearing her LIVE at the BET awards in 06👀 she sounds a HOT MESS live, I remember saying, how did she get a contract? Ugh
You forgot to talk about how Lil Wayne sold a million copies of his 2008 album in one week during the first week which upset Usher's Here I Stand album. This was during a time when the teen pop acts were no longer selling gigantic numbers of albums in the first week.
On a basic level the issue is this. As long as accountants and old people running the industry continue to think their way is best, they will continue to lose. One to five people with their finger on the pulse and a few to search those people out needs to constantly be in your lineup. Giving the artists creative freedom helps. The gatekeeping the American music constantly does is getting annoying. Latin music, Afrobeats and soon Kpop have proven that we are not the only ones that can produce quality music that everybody wants to hear. The fear they have is amazing on so many levels. Also trotting out the OGs is a bit of nostalgia but not proof that the industry still has it, especially when up against New music that didn't come from America (ie.BTS, Bad Bunny, etc.) Edit: Americans are complaining about Koop but they(SM Entertainment) took the Motown blueprint and became the artists people claim to want. Not all Kpop is good, but the ones that are they are killing it. The other problem is the industry don't know how to handle them or capitalize on them unless they come to America for tours.
In R&B,they need to search locally, nationally and online for stars.I think they need to go old school and re-focus on finding R&B bands and singers,who can actually sing sang naturally. Also,too many songs aren't classic because you can't play them across generations because of adult lyrics and profanity.
Sorry to say a lot of the young male artist are unprofessional AF. they show up late and perform for thirty minutes. I spend $300 for my daughter to see Bryson Tiller and he was over an hour late and performed for maybe 45 minutes! Plus it was super dark on the stage and you could barely see him at times. I will never pay that amount again for a new act! We paid the same thing for an Australian band and they performed for like 1.5 hours and maybe was 5-10 minutes late. Which is fine because they have like five albums and puts on a great performance!!
i really enjoyed this assessment! your grasp on how the music industry has changed over time and different artists’ career trajectories is impressive. nicely done!
This is an EXCELLENT summary of the evolution and modern history of the music industry. It should have more views. Please make more videos diving into these industries, especially as they pertain to black artists and entertainers.
OMG when that Macarena song came out, it was EVERYWHERE! I remember my coworker came into work with a Macarena doll. You press the doll and plays the song lol 😂
I swear back then late 90s-00s, all music sounded like it’s genre. So yes I 100% agree with everything sounds alike. Rock, Pop, R&B, Rap, Funk, Country all sound the same. And also people that have unique voices don’t get signed, if you can carry even the slightest tune you will get signed and it could be based off looks which is a shame cause their worried about the appeal to the masses. I listen to so many artist that have such raw unique voices it’s a shame they don’t have these platforms we need to go back to when all genres were different
this video felt like 30 mins with all the info you gave! I took a trip down memory lane and felt like i was chatting with a friend. this is an amazing video!!
Maybe they should invest in A&R again? Artist development and training? A lot of these new artists have no foundational base in singing, dancing or stage presence. They can't tour, can't sing live, can't interview well, create massive scandals from their image on social media because they have no teams or training to ground their careers. They haven't done their traning in background singing or touring with other artists or even jingles! Michael, Whitney, Mariah and others were working for years before they had their "big break" and even then it was hours and hours of training and practice to get them superstar ready. And lastly put the arts back into public schools and community centers!
Great Video.... I agree with every single point. I dont even fillow todays industry as a 38year old....i just stick to the artists I hava already appreciated: Michael, Janet, Whitney etc.
Music reflects the times we are in no matter the period in history and today listen to the music and then go outside no matter the medium and we know it mirrors that which is reflected outside. Great Episode!!
I appreciated your point about the industry cultivating artists the way Keyshia Cole's label cultivated her. That sounds like it would CHANGE the industry. 💯
I'm so glad I was born in the late 80s with parents who were teens during the 70s. I got to grow up through cassette tapes, the emergence of CDs, ipods. And watched weekly shows like Showtime at the Apollo and Soul Train. During a time where real music and artistry was still very prevalent and inspired me so much. Sure the sound changed and evolved per decade, but the talent and heart was still there. Record companies have to start valuing the total package again when it comes to the artists.
Shout out Calvin who really kno how to breakdown material reality to things especially the many layers of the music industry. Along with great music history. Most of the music industry with a focus of majors they are only about maximizing profits with minimum effort on all sides for the next Q6 & wash rinse repeat. That modal doesn’t leave room for artist development & creating long lasting musicians.
If we think about what’s so different from other generations to today is accessibility to these artist. We are missing the real STAR power. Everyone’s popular but they aren’t stars anymore. Think of in the past you had to buy a artist album to support and even feel close to them, when u started seeing them tv it was special they were these ppl who had these great talents, today we see them to much, we know their flaws they argue with their fans, we see a million interview clips , they go live, there’s no reason to really just be invested in their music, look at Beyoncé let Beyoncé go live it would break IG, people buy Beyoncés music to specifically support her, they buy physical copies, they aren’t doing that for these new ppl.
Maybe this is karma for how some these same labels treated artist in the past. I think they are mad because they simply can’t compete against the internet and are losing control.
For sure I believe that.
I wouldn’t call it karma because the artists suffer if the labels do too
Bingoooooooooooo
Yep!!! I've said it before & I'll say it again...
... The major record companies are the worst thing to happen to the music industry...!!! 🎶
How about Labels start training the artists again? Also start promoting artists more.
It seems like we’re in a gray area where labels either want the artists to come already polished and prepared so they don’t have to spend money and time to get them ready for the masses or they want the artist to already have a following before they get signed. 🥴🥴
The problem is oversaturation and "attention span" real estate.
Its the difference between porn on DVD compared to Streaming.
@@CalvinMichaelsyeah, they want artists to come to them perfect AND they want them to do the marketing that the label is supposed to be paying a firm to do. But I don’t understand why an artist that already does those things would sign with a label. Why would they add a greedy middle man?
@@CalvinMichaels Basically the issue is that the focus is on how marketable an artist is (in their opinion) instead of does the artist have talent. And we can’t forget pay-for-play saturates the market.
@@LoveK1Because they aren’t “Artist” per say. Its a cash grab for them as well. In their mind,they can live off the advance forever and in a social media time they think ppl will support them regardless
No development of these artists, no quality music, no backup, and no actual talent or ability with these artists, streaming has basically put a knife in the industry. My opinion.
Yup
The lack of quality suggests a lack of care. Its a grave mishandling when you want a huge profit margin but dont put in a genuine investment. I often wonder if those execs even listen to music or have artists they admire.
This. As a person who used to sing in and out of school, has a father that's a musician I have followed the trends in music. All this is true, but I don't feel bad for these record companies. For nearly 100 years they have been taking advantage of artists. Then you have them picking talent that they could mold to propagandize their own agenda. Sales and decension over talent. So in my opinion let them fall.
@@nakairoberson3057 Say that again. I wish there were healthier environments for the stories and messaages to thrive alongside the artists, but that doesnt redress the damage that has been done over time. Im with you on the exploitation. I dont think they anticipate the effect it has on society.
@@nakairoberson3057they do deserve to fail 👍🏾🤣😂
I saw LaTavia Roberson (one of the original members of Destiny’s Child), she was talking about how they use to have to promote themselves everywhere at clubs, festivals, colleges, doing interviews any and everywhere. These artists today do NOT I REPEAT DO NOT put in the work of a Destiny’s Child, Pink, Mya, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, EnVogue, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson,TLC, N’Sync etc… so they suffer cause they can’t keep up like those artist have and can.
Even had them performing at Tina’s hair salon for the customers.
@@CalvinMichaels yessir!!!! Matthew Knowles as a manager or artist developer knew what he was doing. And whether people want to give them credit or not, Kelly, LaTavia, LeToya and even Michelle have that same breath work Beyoncé does. I love the range LaTavia and Michelle have. I also love the power in Kelly and LeToya have in their voice that they downplay so much, being that both of them always had to sing the note high than Beyonce they had to be able to sing NO DOUBT.
@TheTruthAintInYa so damn true!! The work that they put into their music really showed. Janet and Mya put in that work work with their choreography, Destinys Child and EnVogue put in that work with their vocals and TLC, Michael and Nsync put in that work work with video visuals. One thing I love is that folks like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys had the MTV machine behind them yet still were able to conduct interviews well in 1998/1999, able to connect with fans on TRL without any corny or disgusting gimmick for a viral moment and took us behind the scene of the actual artwork. The lyrics of the artist you mentioned are perfectly memorable and their albums told an actual story or theme like The Writings On The Wall or No Strings Attached.
@@AmoMe2009 Writings on The Wall I could listen to from top to bottom most albums if they have one you can’t even do that no more
@@TheTruthAintInYa Yass!!!! To this day I swear to God I listen to The Writings On The Wall on repeat every other day. The whole entire album like you said. Every lyric is memorable and makes so much sense compared to whatever these singers and rappers of today are saying. A bunch of nothing. Only able to smoke or drink to their music and not actually relate or deep think about it. Their words are not even clever or figurative like the artists back then.
Phyllis Hyman warned of this back in the late 80s early 90s. No development of newer artists, while trying to toss aside veteran artists. Clive Davis is guilty of this! Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill, Vesta Williams all got tossed aside for the "next bubblegum ONE-HIT artists"!
Even Whitney Houston was thrown to the media wolves, years later, after she made hundreds of millions for the record label. I'm gonna need somebody to hold Clive Davis accountable for his actions 😩
I remember Phyllis saying this in either a a Video Soul interview or an EbonyJet interview.
@@tincredibleYou need to understand labels aren't all at fault here. The new kids out here have questionable taste in short spam music. Also feels the poor new rap all these kids listen to isn't exactly help for other artist doing other genre. New Rap has been dominating for the last 5 years. And it is rather an extremely watered down version of great rap music from before. Pop has almost disappeared unless you are in Korea. Rnb is barely holding on thanks to no more than 5 mega artist still around pushing it to the masses. Streaming system cheaped up music worth then overstated by allowing just about anyone in their bedroom to have music on all platforms. Then Ai entered the chat.
and did you check out what he did when she passed ? here it is she was in the same hotel where he was throwing a grammy party it was announced that she passed and he still had the party , i mean that was disgusting and demonic and what makes it even worse is he was supposedly her " friend " @@ZebraLens
@@ZebraLensClive will get his karma 👍🏾so will Puffy 🤔
Nicki Minaj summed it up well by stating it's currently about popularity not talent. Sadly nothing but microwave music. I'm a 70s baby so I was fortunate to grow up with music that embodies artistry, lyricism, professionalism, humility, love, soul etc. I still remember gathering with family in front of the tv to watch the Thriller video when it debuted. Good times indeed.
Basically this Beyonce said it as well the moment social media became a huge part of an artist worth is when the talent became less important.
I mean she and Drake are a HIGE reason for that. They are the beginning of a song not having to actually be good but because her Barbz will support ANYTHING it will get pushed down the masses throats.
There has always been microwave Artist. Like Paula Abdul
I wouldn't consider Paula Abdul a microwave artist she was a choreographer which is an art form itself music for her was also a passion.
I hate to say it but …. She did help make it like this. She helped it be a popularity contest 🤷🏾♀️ every female rapper gotta have long hair and a big butt to be successful now . She has to dumb her self down and repeat words twice to be considered a “good metaphor”
For the past 10-15 years I have asked why the music industry doesn’t media train their new artists, invest in their artist’s pure talent or invest in their artists overrall package including instrumental play, choreography, stage presence, songwriting, etc like they used to in yesteryears whether the genre was hip-hop, R&B, pop, poprock, etc.
It feels like today the mainstream artists all rely on tiktok producers, sextapes, “leaked” pictures, gimmicks and one-liner podcasts interviews to promote themselves and their next project. The years of standing and singing or rapping about deep lyrics into the microphone in front of them are over. I always tried to pinpoint where the decline started in the 2000s of quality artistry being put on the backburner for repititive gimmicks of art that’s called music. I’m hoping this video will enlighten me.
Not just that but the vocal ability too like we have a lot of half ass singers ain’t nobody really sangin on stage, they just want to look cute on stage
I saw a decline around 2015 or 2016 in terms of music and training artists.
Because the labels ripped the artist off and the label owning their masters for 25 years is why..
No A&R producers
Music isn't physical either..You have to actually buy it ..
If Calvin isn't giving a history lesson, it's not a day of the week! 🤣
Never change brother!
I am up at 5am listening to this topic....feels like I am in school and I love it
In today’s music, the artists is not media trained and says whatever comes out their mouths on their live tiktok feeds’ IG videos and twitter threads while the artists back then were trained well to do interviews with the honorable likes of Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Carson Daly,
AJ & Free, etc. while giving a detailed step on behind the scenes of their artwork on Behind The Music, Driven, Making The Video, Access Granted..heck even Cita’s World.
Not cita’s world 😂😂😂😂
@@inthemixwithleahbpodcast 😇
That also implies that there is artistry to explain. Some “artists” I’ve seen for the last few years have nothing that distinguishes them. Some are generic and uninteresting. I miss having mainstream variety.
Too many people in musichave nonsense of how to carry themselves in a classy way.They tell too many their personal business,argue/physically fight with fans and other artists,swear like a sailor,etc.
@@Wonderwoman79G so true. Their personal business overshadows their artistry focus. Tyrese is a good example of this.
I'm an up-and-coming artist and we are not in short supply - 7 languages/every genre... But they don't want that; they want the generic artists who will continue to give them the issues breaking into the industry they currently experience. If they looked for real music, they might have better luck.
'By the way', Chris Brown's music does sound the same.
i agree with alll the above lolol but chris? yeah it’s not just his voice. the songs sonically, musically, meaning-wise all sound the same. he has not grown in his craft in YEARS
Yes,@@taylormccoy6145, it does - he's exactly the same.
Back in the 50s & 60s record label execs were music lovers. They groomed their artist to have decades long sustainable music careers by putting them through years of vocal training/singing lessons, charm school, but that all changed 40 years ago when the record labels shifted towards a making a quick buck model. Had Earth, Wind & Fire came out after the 1970s, Columbia Records would've dropped them. It took 5 albums for them to hit pay dirt & become the legendary juggernaut band they eventually became over the decades. The same went for Aretha Frankin. She didn't hit it out the park on her early albums. It took close to decade for her to hit pay dirt. The record execs greed did them in for the long haul. If they don't go back to the old model of grooming artist to have long sustainable careers, then they will continue to struggle trying to break in new artist. While they're at it, how about having some balance. Everything that comes on the radio sounds the freaking same to me. That's just my thoughts on this subject.
You said a lot of truth there but sadly time is moving forward. New generation with shorter spam, awful soulless music taste (classics turned generic and repetitive rap/trap) and a preference for songs 25 secs long as an audience do not help. Also streaming is just the devil in all of this. More money is spent making the records than what is coming back. Ai are now here to put whatever is left of all this to the grave as label may not need new artist anymore. There are a few unsigned artist still making quality music but they struggle in a world where music of great quality with meaningful lyrics means nothing anymore. Curently loving Switch by Cédrisian. He is a new artist who makes real love experience songs but he gets such little views. The list goes on...
Thank you and Calvin Michaels for educating us. They should go back to the Motown blue print on creating great artists and music.. That's still my go to music anyway. Some other artists I have enjoyed who were in Country, Pop and folk music. Are all gone. You don't hear good quality music from those genres anymore. The technology has changed music a great deal. Now they are bringing record players and vinyl records back.😂😂😂😂😂. Which they should have never left behind anyway. Bring good music back. No more of this junk music on the air ways.🎉
@christinestevens8845: You're welcome! Motown is an excellent example! You'll never have artist like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jackson 5, The Commodores, Rick James, Teena Marie & the Four Tops on one record label ever again. I have turntables & vinyl. I never fully bought into the digital revolution even though i do have some CDs of artist who's music never made it to vinyl.
I think the issue is, labels no longer wanna invest in artists these days. It’s all about do you have the numbers to be an immediate success. Which in turn leads them to trying to make whatever TikTok person into a popstar. However, that ends being a failed experiment cuz their own audience has no interest in them being a popstar. So ultimately it ends up backfiring on the labels
I think an artist like Tiwa Savage, who had a large international fan base, didn't get the investment and support when she signed with Roc Nation. She still has a lot of respect in the AfroBeats and Afro-Pop scene because of the career she built but it felt like when she started her US crossover, her label didn't really put effort into her for years and ended up being behind the Afrobeat wave into the US
And isn't she 40!? I swear she can pass for early 20's
As a Colombian this story sounds a lot like Becky G who is huge in Latin Music. She started her career as an English-speaking pop rapper in the USA but was going nowhere with her music. So she instead focused onto the Reggaeton market and years later today she is one of the top female artists in Latin Music.
I guess the story is, go wherever your talent takes you highest and appreciated, even if it is not in America.
@@brownskinbeauty. Early 20s is a stretch
Also, we no longer all hear the same song on one device, the radio. Even when Napster started and iTunes, the MAJORITY of music was still delivered to us on the radio. Now everything is so siloed, there is no "main source" anymore so it is hard to push one new artist through to everyone. So you have to make your impact on instagram reels or TikTok as the main source, but then you dont know if that artist can perform for 3 hour straight in person, which is the real problem. These new artists who hit hot on TikTok are not performers.
I love it when Calvin does these deep dives on music & in the news. He does the indepth research cuz music is his passion. Keep up the great work sir
Yup this is Calvin at his best
1: Too many copy & paste artists.
2: Artists are self producing so they're less polished.
3: Record companies arent budgeting for artists, because theyre loosing profits from streaming.
4: Trash Music from popular artists, not Talented artists.
5: Oversaturated and Attention Span real estate. Your CD collection got replayed. You don't hear the same song twice. So your not able to remember and have an experience with an artist.
Speaking of CDs, I notice that as I’ve transitioned to streaming from CDs I find myself more so play listing than experiencing albums in full. I may play an album in full on the first or second listen and then I put the stand out tracks on a playlist.
So the songs that tend to be a slow burner usually become forgotten over time and then I rediscover them years later. 🥴
VH1 leaning so heavy into celebrity reality TV & going away from the behind the music & Even the I love blank series.
They was a good way to let the teens of the generation to connect with the artist of yesteryears.
So many solid music documentaries get lose to streaming.
We all listen to what we like while algorithm cues up similar song. It leaves no room to explore new music.
I think some type relegation to keep companies from consolidating power wealth so much.
Part of the problem is that the industry is trying to create the art rather than find and support it. I turn off when I know they’re trying to convince me that something is good rather than presenting it and letting me say, hey this is good. Also the industry just turns me off. The predatory nature of labels, producers and the attempts to erase the music that came before is just a turn off.
Good point.Predatory behavior is a concern for a young artist,who is trying to break into the industry.
The hard truth is that we live in an everybody-gets-a-chance society now and when everybody gets a chance,its hard to develop stars. No gatekeepers. You can be a celebrity or famous by your own standards and without having charisma or even real talent by having a million ig followers,100K youtube views and a blue checkmark by your photo. Nothing is aspirational when anybody can get it/be it. What makes someone like Beyonce a STAR is that nobody can get up there & do what she does but if you only have presence behind a phone,photoshop and a microphone…when its time to do star things,its just not there.
Yep.
I see a lot of blaming the labels but the consumer has to take responsibility as well. We live in a society that caters to niche audiences and props up mediocrity.
Right
Exactly, taste in good music has sunk to a new low. The stuff I hear people sing or should I say rap along to with zero depth is a massive issue. The audience for great music isn't there as many are over a certain age and Dont really bother supporting or looking for new artist trying to put quality sound out.
Louder for the people in the back! You attract what you put your energy in to. There are so many creative artists out there (Oshun, Cleo Soul, SaRoc, Sampa the Great, Raven Lenae, Christian Scott, Robert Glasper, Masego, October London, Gregory Porter-etc) that don’t have a massive following because folk are too busy writing whole dissertations on what Chloe or Megan Pete have on today-instead of spending time to find music that you as a consumer prefer. Change your algorithm. If you like music from the Motown era, and you search that enough in UA-cam, you will start getting recommendations for artist whose melodious musicality match the energy of that genre. Half of the artists I listed are because I have over 20 playlists across UA-cam and Apple Music (of which both Chloe and Megan are on LOL-BUT my music taste extends from Quincy Jones to Queen Pen to Queen) .
🗣
Established artists even have a hard time putting out unique work because the labels are looking for a quick hit. When Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak presented their idea of a 70's soul album, both Atlantic and Aftermath thought they were insane. Fortunately, they both had some pull, so they were able to put out 'An Evening With Silk Sonic'. It's cross generational and different from anything else in the market. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice.
I'm glad you brought up the part about touring and how it's the older listeners (I put anyone that is 30 and up in that category) that are really sustaining the artists and their music. We love music too and we crave new music from new acts as well. But it's the under 21 crowd that is catered to when it comes to new acts and music so what ends up happening is that the 2000s and 90s artists are the ones killing the touring game now and for good reason. Because they're all we got.
What about not giving artists such crappy label deals?
Like every artists talking about how crappy and predatory the contracts are
Like every other major artist is fighting the label they’re contracted under
Like Taylor swift, Kanye, Britney Spears,
Michael Jackson/prince fought theyr labels
Billy corgan fought his label there’s probably others that I havnt listed
Sadly that's the business model just like billion dollar corps paying folks $15. The labels are greedy and just plain EVIL!
I think a lot of artists today dont know how to perform on stage today because we dont have shows like TRL, 106 & park, and Top of the pops anymore where artists get to hone their performance skills before the award shows and tour dates.
We are living in the manifestation of the Drake,Nicki Minaj and Justin Beiber era of music where mediocrity thrives as long as its commercially successful.
nicki minaj is not mediocre she's the queen of rap for a reason....one of the best rappers to ever do ut
@@archivesunset4214Agree. Nicki is not mediocre. Neither is Drake or Justin. They are all talented and the last of the megastars. They also had coaching and real industry backing.
You must be young. All of these artists are mediocre and don’t even have songs with longevity. They just put out trendy music. Name several songs from either of these “artists” that they put out 10 years ago. That simply doesn’t exist.
Bruh. Super Bass? Moment 4 Life? Your Love? ROMANS REVENGE?? Like bruh what
@@Gullahbae-xm6msI agree
I don't think there's a lack of talent I think it's a symptom of the times we're in. Life is hard right now and the music is too superficial to make an impact, I do think there's going to be a big swing in the opposite direction of tiktok music we're going to go back to looong songs, with a message. I also think people want community more now and prefer to see their artists live. The artists aren't performing like they used to but I think that's going to change too.
Great point. It's definitely a reflection of the times. We're currently in a time where people also celebrate mediocrity and relatability as opposed to back in the day, society celebrated exceptional talent and innovation. We're in an era of mediocrity, relatability, remakes, reboots, sequels, etc. It's the Dark Age of entertainment. I certainly hope the pendulum swings back.
@@coolida23511 so true, me too
This video was so informative and on-point that I had no idea an hour had already passed. It's like eating the whole snack without knowing it and sadly reaching up to an empty plate for another bite 😮😢 Great talk! Stay real! 💯
@DanielleSamoneJohnson77 "It's like eating the whole snack without knowing it and sadly reaching up to an empty plate for another bite." You phrased that so well!!
I noticed that Victoria Monet is doing a radio press tour and local promotional events to promote her music. I think she understands it takes more than just social media to her music out there.
yeah but understand that majority of those interviews are being uploaded to social media. interviews do play a part in showing the artist personality and connects them even closer with the fans
There are a plethora of us out here.
They just don't want to take the time, effort or money to invest in the artist artistry.
They want the microwave success.
Two things:
1. A lot of my highlights are coming from a place centered within the old industry standards or the old guard. As time, technology, and society evolves the industry will have to as well. Which goes back to the point made about the industry always being in a position of playing catch up to what’s already happening. I don’t think the music industry has successfully been able to tackle the transition into its new norm during this current world of fast media, streaming, and the public’s rising need for more content, more often, with more innovation.
2. Also as stated in the description they’re so much more that can be added to this conversation.
Things I didn’t get a chance to expound on:
1. The era of DIY artists… where do they fall within the picture? (Spotify has 40,000 daily uploads of new material)
2. The decline of award show relevance
3. The repurposing of Music Videos & Promo
4. Social Media marketing
5. Interchangeability of Merch vs Streams Battle
6. Sustainability of Singles
7. Album Eras are indistinguishable
8. The transition from albums to mini projects
9. Marketable “all purpose” entertainers vs artists that specifically want to do music
10. Ageism
11. Limited musicianship in production
12. The fear of not falling within the popular trend
13. Artists not given grace to develop a fanbase through multiple projects
14. 360 Deals
15. Consumer and artist burnout from over saturation
16. The slowly changing identity of musical genres
17. International acts
18. Where does AI fit into all of this?
This kind of reminds me of the Beenie Baby craze - boom and crash. The thirst for profit drove their own business into the ground. They didn’t understand what elements were allowing the boom to happen and at the time they didn’t really care. They focused on squeezing as much profit from the boom as possible and thought the boom would last forever but anyone on the outside could see that they were crippling themselves. This is what I would say is happening in the music industry.
I think we may need a part 2 on this 😂
The Labels and Radio Stations made the mistake throughout history by pushing the older artists out the rotations. Like the 70's Artists being push away in the 80's. The 80s Artists going into the 90's, The 90's Artists into the 2000's, Etc Etc!!! They pushed the Adults and Mature Consumers away. They won't play the independent Hip Hop and R&B Artists that are putting out Great Music. Thank God for Spotify, Pandora, IG Artists suggestions. I didn't know about Briitish Artists Little Simz, Mahalia and Sampa The Great (Zambian). I heard them on my local HBCU Station (NCAT State University). I miss shows like Video Soul on BET, Yo MTV Raps, Rap City, Etc! Keep up the great work, Brother! Like you said, Artists in past all had different vibes. Stephanie Mills, Angela Winbush, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole sounded different. Gang Starr, The Roots, Wu Tang Clan, Common, Nas, Eve, ATCQ, Mos Def, Outkast all sounded different. Now other than J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody....these Rappers sounded a like. Back in the past you would here 3-5-7 songs off of a EWF, Micheal Jackson, Prince, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, Madonna Album. Now you will here the same song 10 times a day for 1 year.
1. Image in lieu of talent
2. Same-sounding, non-unique music: why follow one artist when you can get the exact same sound from a thousand copycats
3. Defunding of R&B: R&B artists and music heavily fueled and influenced the genres of rock and pop. Unfortunately, the industry closed up the well. There is no development of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys without New Edition. There is no development of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera without Janet Jackson. Think about more than just the artists Think about the songwriters, producers, and arrangers that would later enter the pop world.
Hi Calvin! Can we also talk about how music has been kinda trash and creativity just isn't the same ever since music and the arts were pulled out of public schools? People used to be so much more creative and unique, and they were willing to take more risks to try something different. UPDATE: Please, please, PLEASE do a review of Usher's new song, "Boyfriend"! When it dropped, I immediately thought of how you said new music needs to be cross-generational again... and maybe Usher heard the message? LOL
That PART!!
@CalvinMichaels You are a wealth of knowledge and I really enjoy your analysis and insightful views on music. You definitely connect the dots and contextualize topics in a way for people to understand the how and why. Cause and effect.
Right ! He’s so good at that .
Awesome insight on this topic. I haven’t listened to the radio in over 10 years. I went from playing mixes made on cds to streaming music! With social media and adding all these songs to their videos, songs/music gets burnt out soooo quickly. This video is awesome 👏🏾
Side note: for the book club, are we reading the Tragic Life of Robert Peace?
The touring segment of the vid is my favorite part. 100% FACTS! Touring is REALLY EXPOSING WHO'S WHO in music today!
Your work is so appreciated, and I adore you for it! But even more importantly, you're fun and engaging to watch and listen to. I couldn't breathe for like 2 mins when you said grandma might not make it on the bumper cars 😭😭😭 And the twist dance you did in your seat, lmao. I love how evident it is that you enjoy doing what you do. Love you, Calvin 😘❤
Thank you 💙💙💙💙💙
Billboard IS THE REASON why real artists can’t get a look in, so this is hilariously ironic to me.
This is true, thanks to Billboard constantly lowering the bar & moving the goalposts with bundles & Streaming! They have most definitely played a role in what they're writing about!
Live streams are a good indicator of popularity imo. First how many are watching, how many are actively talking. You can get a gage (bots are obvious here). If you don't have a good live streaming presence the chance of you selling out a big concert is pretty abysmal.
The end of the age of the artist superstar is a good thing. They were the 1% - the rest of us worked for them or got other music related jobs. The gatekeepers are losing their power and we can get our music directly to people who love what we do. Now with the attention of fans spread across more smaller acts, more of us get to make a living by finding our fans - more great music is now getting released and heard.
I think another major issue is that so many new artists have controversial issues so early on. They don't even have enough time to gain loyal fans that will weather the storm with them because they're so new lol.
Calvin we're just gonna have to add this to your R&B is Dead series because we've been deprived for way too long. I love it when you're in your music history bag.
They need you in those board meetings to set them straight. Your chanell is amazing, hope it continues to grow further !
Calvin everything you have said is one hundred percent correct. But you forgot about how AI has effected music negatively. I have listened to some of them and the music sounds dead. I agree that if you give the audience what they want yes they will come and tell others about the album. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Calvin I am a 70's child. And I listen to nothing but classics, 60's thru 90's
They don’t sign SINGERS anymore. They sign people for one song or their look. If a girl looks like Kehlani she can get signed off a few songs on SoundCloud and enough followers on IG. The next Whitney Houston doesn’t have a chance.
There will never be another Whitney let's starr there. Just be the next yourself. Whitney wasn't the next anybody either
I think the music industry would be good if they just took more risks and actually looked at what people gravitate towards
They went cheap with the rappers, pushed R&B artist on the back end, discontinued Artist and Development and turned away artist wh plays instruments and sing. Live bands and music by artist who has the trinity. Tik Tok is commercial cheap. Go back to the roots of music with true writers who don't do ABC simple Simone lyrics.
Your music videos are my favorite you bring so much history, cultural context to Events.
@naimalavender2657 I feel the same way! Calvin always brings the *GOOD* conversations!
I think during the touring segment you should have shouted out Victoria Monet who just sold out her tour in a single day even though she’s a relatively small artist. That was really impressive and shows people are willing to pay for a show for someone who will really give them one
I’m still so mad it sold out within 2 hours. Couldn’t even get a ticket 😒
@@CalvinMichaels there should still be some tickets available for resale if you don’t mind paying $150 lol
Also for the tv part, shows for all ages used to have popular artist doing theme songs and performances during the show- not just late night shows for exposure. I can think of Proud Family, ALL that, In Living Color, Living Single, A Different World, Keenan and Kel, Cousin Skeeter, et al.
Multiple generations on lock.
I've been waiting for you to talk about this! Let me grab my breakfast.
I’m so mad it took 3 days longer than I wanted it to take. Couldn’t find a free minute to film and edit..
Brother Calvin, you said it if best. It is artist development. Even rappers had it. It took a minute for them to blow up and they had to bust their behind. A good example was Nelly, 50 cent even Jay Z. When they had that 1 hit, it was a wrap. That’s why their music back then is gold ❤❤❤
The 1st person I thought about was Cardi when u mentioned people who just wanna b famous. She's not talented as an artist, but is a fan favorite based on drama & personality. She has no flow or delivery, just a huge following. Her concerts were not selling out when she was doing performances.
Nephew, I agree, people gravitate towards happy music. This is why the Lost Boyz was able to thrive, in their era.
REMEMBER POP UP VIDEO!!? WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ARTIST, VIDEO, SONG... ETC❤️❤️❤️🎶🎶❤️
CALVIN WE NEED A PART 2 I know you ain’t done and we will watch much love!!!!! 🫶🏾🖤
I recommend supporting local artists in your community. Most have to be decent live performers in order to have some kind of foothold in the local market. I’ve been going to a lot of free and low cost live shows in my area (Baltimore/Washington) this summer. We have a lot of nice artists from a broad array of genres.
I'm 52 years old and remember the late 70s definitely the 80s music. We were blessed to be able to listen to different types of music back then. Today's music is noise. No heart, no feelings or no creativity in it. I've meet so many younger people who feel the same way. And they listen to 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and some 2000s music because they do not like today's music.
There’s great music today; unfortunately, you have to do a little work to get through the noise. That goes back to A&R and scouting. Too many TikTok stars and bootleg reality stars.
You did a great job of giving me language to describe my frustration with the music and what is readily available. Thank you!
39:15 SUMMER WALKER LMAO
😂😂 that’s who I thought of
This is such a great video events like this make me feel bad for the younger artists coming up bc there are ones that have alot of potential but don’t have artist development behind them or if they do they are signed to a indie label put them in a 360 deal and if that’s not the case the indie labels are too small to help them breakout to the mainstream these young artists especially black artists and Asian KPOP idols are victims of how messed up the music industry have become,
Bruh 😂 I listened to this in 1:25 speed because it was a long one. But first of all you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t Kevin Hart speaking 😂 and secondly as a person who was in the music industry and went through hell and back dealing with labels and other big artist I’m here to just say AMAZING JOB 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 you broke that shit DOWN!!! Loved it
@48:30 Steve Lacy is an example of this. Clips of his concert went viral when he was performing 'Bad Habit' because people only knew the lyrics of the snippet that was a popular sound on Tik Tok. People were singing their hearts out during the snippet then it was crickets and awkward for the other parts of the song. Crazy and sad phenomenon.
Had to blink to make sure I saw right..an hour long video?!? Yessss 😆
Calvin, I’m going to need you to get a sessional lecturer position to teach American music history at a major university. I’m speaking it into existence for you!
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Celebrities in general aren't popping like they used to. The same conversation can be applied to movies and movie stars. Entertainment isn't what it used to be because we no longer have a communal experience. Honestly, the age of global A-list stars is dead.
Love your music insight! This actually mirrors Hollywood in so many ways. Everything from “looking at streamer fillers you have” - you’ll be amazed how many studios look at new actors twitter/Insta followers - it’s ridiculous.
There is no development- they keep producing these microwaveable artists with no Star power. These new rappers out here trying and failing at sounding like Lil Wayne over these lame lazy beats.
It’s so sad what’s happened to music. The loss of the music video channels really affected the industry and for someone like me (a Janet fan) 🤬don’t start me.
Keysha Cole…. After hearing her LIVE at the BET awards in 06👀 she sounds a HOT MESS live, I remember saying, how did she get a contract? Ugh
You forgot to talk about how Lil Wayne sold a million copies of his 2008 album in one week during the first week which upset Usher's Here I Stand album. This was during a time when the teen pop acts were no longer selling gigantic numbers of albums in the first week.
On a basic level the issue is this. As long as accountants and old people running the industry continue to think their way is best, they will continue to lose. One to five people with their finger on the pulse and a few to search those people out needs to constantly be in your lineup. Giving the artists creative freedom helps. The gatekeeping the American music constantly does is getting annoying. Latin music, Afrobeats and soon Kpop have proven that we are not the only ones that can produce quality music that everybody wants to hear. The fear they have is amazing on so many levels. Also trotting out the OGs is a bit of nostalgia but not proof that the industry still has it, especially when up against New music that didn't come from America (ie.BTS, Bad Bunny, etc.)
Edit: Americans are complaining about Koop but they(SM Entertainment) took the Motown blueprint and became the artists people claim to want. Not all Kpop is good, but the ones that are they are killing it. The other problem is the industry don't know how to handle them or capitalize on them unless they come to America for tours.
I've said it before & I'll say it again...
... The major record companies are the worst thing to happen to the music industry...!!! 🎶
I truly appreciate how educated musically you are.⭐️🤗
In R&B,they need to search locally, nationally and online for stars.I think they need to go old school and re-focus on finding R&B bands and singers,who can actually sing sang naturally. Also,too many songs aren't classic because you can't play them across generations because of adult lyrics and profanity.
All of this has been my frustration now for over damn near 10 years……
Labels have always been 🗑️🚮
Sorry to say a lot of the young male artist are unprofessional AF. they show up late and perform for thirty minutes. I spend $300 for my daughter to see Bryson Tiller and he was over an hour late and performed for maybe 45 minutes! Plus it was super dark on the stage and you could barely see him at times. I will never pay that amount again for a new act! We paid the same thing for an Australian band and they performed for like 1.5 hours and maybe was 5-10 minutes late. Which is fine because they have like five albums and puts on a great performance!!
i really enjoyed this assessment! your grasp on how the music industry has changed over time and different artists’ career trajectories is impressive. nicely done!
This is an EXCELLENT summary of the evolution and modern history of the music industry. It should have more views. Please make more videos diving into these industries, especially as they pertain to black artists and entertainers.
Very thoughtful content and the time passed quickly. Thank you so much for the history lesson and analysis.
Omg Calvin in the morning yessssss❤❤❤ get me through this work day Calvin! You're the best 😅 love the randomness, let's get it!!!
OMG when that Macarena song came out, it was EVERYWHERE! I remember my coworker came into work with a Macarena doll. You press the doll and plays the song lol 😂
Lord not a doll 😂😂😂
@@CalvinMichaels
I know right! 🤣🤣🤣 Hahahahaha.
I swear back then late 90s-00s, all music sounded like it’s genre. So yes I 100% agree with everything sounds alike. Rock, Pop, R&B, Rap, Funk, Country all sound the same. And also people that have unique voices don’t get signed, if you can carry even the slightest tune you will get signed and it could be based off looks which is a shame cause their worried about the appeal to the masses.
I listen to so many artist that have such raw unique voices it’s a shame they don’t have these platforms we need to go back to when all genres were different
I agree, the music has become very dark.
this video felt like 30 mins with all the info you gave! I took a trip down memory lane and felt like i was chatting with a friend. this is an amazing video!!
Great video. I gave up on radio and the 'Music Industry' over 15 years ago.
Maybe they should invest in A&R again? Artist development and training? A lot of these new artists have no foundational base in singing, dancing or stage presence.
They can't tour, can't sing live, can't interview well, create massive scandals from their image on social media because they have no teams or training to ground their careers.
They haven't done their traning in background singing or touring with other artists or even jingles! Michael, Whitney, Mariah and others were working for years before they had their "big break" and even then it was hours and hours of training and practice to get them superstar ready.
And lastly put the arts back into public schools and community centers!
The music industry is going through the same thing as Hollywood. There’s no more black movie stars also…
Baby!!! When I say you be doing your research!! You are legit.
19:00 I'm in Jamaica and that's precisely why I don't even turn on my radio when I'm in my car. You hear THE SAME SONGS all day!
I should hope so, the record companies are paying enough for it. 😂 If you don’t laugh you’d cry. 😭
Great Video.... I agree with every single point. I dont even fillow todays industry as a 38year old....i just stick to the artists I hava already appreciated: Michael, Janet, Whitney etc.
This was Absolutely Genius! Thank You for bringing the history to life.
Music reflects the times we are in no matter the period in history and today listen to the music and then go outside no matter the medium and we know it mirrors that which is reflected outside. Great Episode!!
I appreciated your point about the industry cultivating artists the way Keyshia Cole's label cultivated her. That sounds like it would CHANGE the industry. 💯
I'm so glad I was born in the late 80s with parents who were teens during the 70s. I got to grow up through cassette tapes, the emergence of CDs, ipods. And watched weekly shows like Showtime at the Apollo and Soul Train. During a time where real music and artistry was still very prevalent and inspired me so much. Sure the sound changed and evolved per decade, but the talent and heart was still there. Record companies have to start valuing the total package again when it comes to the artists.
Very well reseaeched Calvin. Your points are clear, the structure is cohesive and your references/details are supportive.
Shout out Calvin who really kno how to breakdown material reality to things especially the many layers of the music industry. Along with great music history.
Most of the music industry with a focus of majors they are only about maximizing profits with minimum effort on all sides for the next Q6 & wash rinse repeat.
That modal doesn’t leave room for artist development & creating long lasting musicians.
I'm not even 15 minutes in, and this historical overview is fantastic! Thank you so much for your insight.
When it comes to radio in current times....thank God for the Aux Cord and Bluetooth, Amen.
If we think about what’s so different from other generations to today is accessibility to these artist. We are missing the real STAR power. Everyone’s popular but they aren’t stars anymore. Think of in the past you had to buy a artist album to support and even feel close to them, when u started seeing them tv it was special they were these ppl who had these great talents, today we see them to much, we know their flaws they argue with their fans, we see a million interview clips , they go live, there’s no reason to really just be invested in their music, look at Beyoncé let Beyoncé go live it would break IG, people buy Beyoncés music to specifically support her, they buy physical copies, they aren’t doing that for these new ppl.
We appreciate your breakdowns sir! & the podcast, keep it up!