Micro-blogging is breaking down music elitism and giving artists their own identity
My recent experimenting with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has revealed to me that the power no longer lies with big institutions and labels. How? Good question.
Why do we use social media? If aliens invaded Earth tomorrow, how would you explain to them why millions of people use an app that lets you send out paragraphs or photos onto the internet, where other people can press a like or heart button on them that doesn’t really do much? Well, this meaningless use of social media may have a bigger meaning than we think. Micro-blogging does what it says on the tin. It’s a widely accessible form of blogging in short form, that millions of people do everyday. People largely do this on social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram, and they do it because they want others to listen, or they want to get something off their chest.
Micro-blogging takes much less effort but allows you to say what you want to say, or get your point across. And these new capabilities brought about by media platforms and networks are allowing people to bypass institutions and news networks to voice their own opinions and own the narrative. Music artists particularly are finally forging their own identities, breaking free from the shackles of labels that try to define what fans can see and what artists perceptions are to their fans. Artists blogging their own lives is meaning they are having a closer connection with their fans, blurring the lines between them and the artists.
My personal experience on social media has been eye-opening. In an environment that is frequently denounced as bad for mental health and self esteem, many are instead empowered and, for the music industry, it is clear to see this come into play. I found myself tweeting at ease news of new music and upcoming artists, with the platform providing me easy access to a diverse range of music genres and styles, whilst my micro-blog analytics show hundreds of impressions through hashtags as the word of new music reaches new audiences.
One Tweet sent out by myself regarding the homogenisation of music among social media platforms was retweeted by the magazine who wrote the article I cited, as music journalists want to get on board with and work with micro-blogging cites to boost their investigative powers and diversify the music industry. Micro-blogging is also allowing for a two-way conversation between the fan and the artist, helping fans to become more immersed with the artist, and breaking barriers that formerly saw fans as somewhat ‘lesser’ than the artist. When Dr. Dre was recently admitted to hospital, he sent out messages to his fans reassuring them that he was ‘doing great’. We are no longer having to wait for news outlets and record labels to release press releases or get exclusive access to a manufactured interview or behind the scenes tour, and artists are forging their own narratives.
When a fan Tweeted a picture he drew of The Weeknd which was, let’s just say, awful, The Weeknd himself then set the photo as his Instagram profile picture, showing how micro-blogging has really empowered fans with artists themselves involved in jokes and discussion. Artists are no longer hemmed into following the rules their labels set, with many expressing strong political opinions. Smart phones allowed me to share these opinions on my Instagram feed, whilst polling features on Twitter meant I too could get involved with the debate, almost as if I was talking with the artists. Micro-blogging is short, sweet and straight to the point, and so is much easier to get points across. After the capitol breach in early January, pop artist Halsey took to Twitter to blog about the situation;
When is enough enough? Impeach him. We are long past the luxury of making it a conversation…
Micro-blogging is also breaking down the elitism engrained into signing artists and forging new talent, with talent emerging from musicians themselves who are forging careers through the use of these micro-blogging platforms. Jon Bellion released his first EP Scattered Thoughts on his Facebook page, reaching 11,000 downloads. Since then, he has released 2 studio albums, sold out shows and teamed up with some of the biggest artists including writing the chorus to Eminem and Rhianna’s The Monster and producing Jason Derulo’s The Trumpets.
Taylor Swift wrote 2 albums during a global pandemic that saw her completely depart from her usual manufactured pop albums seen in Lover. She took to social media to explain how music ‘helps keep me connected to you all’, adding in a Pitchfork interview that her life is always so planned out for her, and so it has become a relief to finally release music in an environment where she has control. She mentioned how Lover was a deep breath and these last two folk albums have been largely a very long exhale.
As artists have their livelihoods controlled and manufactured by record labels, with images determined by news outlets and tabloids wanting to get the best story, my experience with micro-blogging has evidently exposed me to the millions documenting their own lives everyday, and with that, bypassing the elitism of news outlets and record labels.
