It always gets worse.
By now, you’ve likely heard “Friday” by Rebecca Black. It’s easy to criticize on any number of levels. It’s vapid. It’s an idol farm’s vanity project to to milk rich parents of their money. It’s overproduced to the point of sterility. The singer’s voice is so saturated by pitch correction that it sounds like fingernails being raked across a blackboard.
In short, it’s everything that’s wrong with pop music. But it’s also the new normal. For all the mocking and vitriol, everyone’s heard it.
By any measure, this sort of exposure is a massive success. The initial investment on the part of Ms. Black’s parents was $2000. We don’t know how much they’ve made, but I’m willing to guess that they’ll have enough to put their daughter comfortably through college if they invest the proceeds properly.
That’s something they’ll definitely want to do, because it’s unlikely that Rebecca can expect much of a future in the music business. The old adage that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” doesn’t apply here. There’s a phenomenon known as overexposure, and “Friday” is a tragic example.
It’s a catch-22 for a music industry struggling to stay relevant in the digital age. A prospective label wants to be the one to discover and “break” a new talent. They want to have first rights to grooming an artist’s public persona and career trajectory. They can’t do that with someone who already comes with baggage.
In the old days, artists seeking a long-term career were advised to steer clear of shows like Star Search, as well as the industry sponsored “battle of the bands” events. Should they get significant publicity in one of those venues, their all-important image would be set in stone.
Consider Tiffany. Remember her? She was a child singer in the late 1980’s. She had a huge hit with a cover of “I Think We’re Along Now.” Know what? She still records, but try as she might, she can’t break back into the American mainstream as an adult. She’ll always that girl who did mall concerts.
Cyndi Lauper moved on to be a serious (and very talented) adult songwriter. She’s worked with Jeff Beck and Sarah McLachlan, but American radio is virtually allergic to her. It’s unfair, without argument, but that’s the way the industry works.
That’s the problem for Rebecca Black. She might have the potential to become a phenomenal singer. She could have it in her to be the songwriter who speaks for a generation, but we won’t get to find out. We’ll only remember her as that chirpy girl from the silly YouTube video.