Bad Look
An indie artist on the increasingly high cost of getting people to pay attention.
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Attention is the only currency that matters.
It’s difficult to comprehend the magnitude and power of attention. It’s vital in almost every conversation and in every situation. Without it, can you be loved properly? Without it, can you get paid?
For a musician, it’s necessary. Without attention, there would be no fans, no sales, no streams, no performances, etc. We would be creating only for ourselves.
And while there have always been purists — artists doing it for the love of the music, to genuinely become one of the best — most embark on the journey with some measure of professional and financial aspiration in mind. These days, that looks like going viral. Which, don’t get me wrong, if you play your cards right, can lead to the bag. But at what cost?
Look at social media. Once a tool to stay connected to friends and family, it’s become a cesspit of 24/7 self-promotion and misaligned priorities, with masses of artists seeking validation through a like or follow, instead of focusing on their craft.
What’s the difference between a liar and someone faking it until they make it?
It’s a slippery and sometimes disgusting slope. The acts I’ve witnessed from others just to get noticed, the lies I’ve heard just to get on. What’s the difference between a liar and someone faking it until they make it?
We are drawn to those of natural charisma and authenticity. People with larger than life magnetism (the YNs today would call it aura). There are those with it, those without it, and the vast majority somewhere in between trying to build it from scratch.
Once, I had a conversation with an artist who felt that she needed to dress risqué and be overt with her sex appeal. This, she explained, was because people wouldn’t pay her attention otherwise. In response, I suggested a few other artists who were extremely dope but not taking the same approach. Internally however, I wondered if maybe talent was the issue. Maybe those who don’t feel as talented as others feel like they need more of a gimmick to stand out?
That’s not always the case. I’ve also encountered artists who were extremely talented, had the image, checked all the boxes, and yet, no matter how dope I and others considered this artist… the more insecure he came off. As he molded his authenticity to fit and fold into what he believed the public wanted, he simultaneously alienated those who valued him most. For attention he was willing to sell the best part of himself out — only for the worst of himself to be exposed.