Why Do Some Artists Fall Off the Rails?
Let’s state the obvious : artists and public personalities live in their own bubble, detached from reality for the most part. Well-known musicians fall in this category, of course. Some, sadly, lose their senses and who they are over time. Part of that transformation is due to fame. Another explanation to this tendency could be the enormous egos it takes to become an idolized celebrity, to have everyone at your feet. It isn’t all about rainbows and sunshine, there is a dark side to fame and popularity. A certain number of the celebrities love the attention that fame brings them. They love how much of a voice they can have when they make it there.
It is true public personalities can change the course of history for the better by advancing injustices and asking for change by getting the media’s attention, subsequently the attentiveness of people in power like CEOs and influent politicians. We have seen this play out when the main purpose is to fight human rights violations (domestically or abroad), racial injustice (like giving credibility to the Black Lives Matter movement), animal cruelty, economic inequality or climate change. Artists, given their notoriety, have the power to change the world. To frame it in a better way, they can act as a catalyst for change, by inciting people who follow them to do the actual change collectively.
Anyhow, the media, either print or TV, have an enormous role to play in giving the artists their aura. They have a way of exaggerating the importance that singers have. By giving all of this coverage to someone famous, the media contribute to inflating their egos well beyond what is necessary or healthy. Some of the personalities then see themselves as gods in a way, stronger than anyone else. It is not out of the blue that Kanye West became who he is today, that he did a song called I Am A God, that he went on multiple rants, that he said disturbing and racist stuff over the years. The media helped create the monster that went on InfoWars in 2022, praising Hitler along the way.
In Kanye’s case, pure hate played and plays a huge role, as well as obvious mental health issues. However, this is not an excuse for all the hate speeches done over the years, especially antisemitism towards the Jewish community.
Others also think that since they are so admired that anything can go. They can mistreat people, talk down on others.
That goes for artists who have destroyed lives by doing inhumane things. R. Kelly, who sexually abused dozens of women, falls in this category. He was, in my opinion, the best R&B singer ever but became an evil man; thinking he could do everything he wanted to women with no repercussions just because he was R. Kelly. He went from an icon to a predator. Thank God that he is now behind bars.
To go back to my previous point, artists can use their fame status wisely. Others become bananas, to say the least. They can exaggerate in all aspects of their life. At one point, we can even wonder why in the world they are famous, even though they have no visible talent. Influencers, who don’t do much good to society, fall in this category.
In the music industry, there are plenty of examples of artists deserving to be known across the globe, but they fall short of getting in the spotlight. They are not wearing a meat dress (Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards), they are not going on stage half-naked, or don’t have tattoos all over their face (Post Malone, and others). Some of the most talented artists, and sorry to say it, are the ones that aren’t filling up stadiums- they are playing at small venues on a regular basis. They aren’t willing to lose their self-worth and identity to please what the industry, the radios and the media want out of them. So they do their thing without having all of the cameras on them 24/7. I think that they are fine with that because for them music is not done for the attention it brings. It is for the love of the art. These underrated artists should be proud of what they bring to the table, changing the world in a more quiet way.
Superficiality can become the norm for artists. A couple of them are willing to go down that road if it can bring them more money and fame. These people then become insignificant (do not have much to offer) and have a temporary place in history books.
Sensationalism pays off in the vast world of media. People don’t want to be bored. And things that are out of the ordinary get lots of clicks and views. Money, sex and disasters sell big time. If you have the three combined, you’ve just hit the jackpot! It is almost as if some artists look for the attention, but mostly in the wrong way.
When people think about the king of pop, the first entertainer that comes to mind for the majority is Michael Jackson. Not only was he a good singer (not the most talented), but, most importantly, he stood out. He was an enigma. The man was clearly a pedophile who did harm to children, had a ton of plastic surgery done, died early, and went through impressive skin changes throughout the decades.
Sorry to say it, but to be the “best” you also need to be quite deranged. Is it just me or that makes no sense? And, when it’s not about something bizarre that an artist is doing, it is all about them. Some have a hard time talking about others, and learning something out of it. It is all about their craft- for the duration of their career.
Nothing is black or white. Some artists don’t automatically start on the wrong foot. They are able to be the artist they want to be for a while, before changing drastically. Evolving and trying new stuff is not wrong on its own. The issue is when an artist gives up their identity and let the industry control them; becoming a product. On occasions, an artist goes down this rabbit hole. By the time they want to get out of this vicious circle, it is too late.
Depression and dependence caused by fame are also a well-known taboo in the music industry. We know it exists, but most decide to ignore it all. How many artists have lost their lives because of a drug overdose or from suicide? The list goes on and on. The ones that leave us too soon seem to lose themselves; being constantly the person society wants them to be. There must also be too many highs and lows, as well as toxic people gravitating near them, some wanting to be friends with them just because of the fame.
This is not a critic of all artists. It is only an observation. The reality is that a lot of singers are underappreciated, and will remain so, because they do not want to play the so-called game it takes it to make it to the top. The world is made like this. If people get attached to this nonsense in entertainment, the status quo will remain. The celebrity phenomenon is a strange one. I wish things were different for true music fans like me.
With technology, the predominance of social media, and the rise of egoism, artists crazy stunts are only going to get worse. It will become the norm to stand out and be seen as a “pioneer”. Art is not what it used to be. It is no longer about the actual art, but more and more about being distinct even though it means getting ridiculous.
