Music

The term Industry Plant is not new, and more and more artists are getting accused of being one, examples include Jack Harlow, Adele, Ice-Spice, Lorde, Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Bobbi Althoff from the overly awkward interviews with various celebrities, Chance the Rapper, and even Billie Eilish. However, what is this concept? In this article, I will delve into the ambiguous definition of Industry Plants, analyze some questions that arise when we try to define this notion, and briefly explore the dynamics of the music industry and why these phenomena appear.

Is it a definable concept?

The sources for the definition are far from scientific or academically reviewed, however since it is a term not commonly used by sociologists or scholars of the matter, I’ll have to rely on these ‘underground’ sources. According to Urban Dictionary, an Industry Plant is ‘an artist who has major/indie label backing their movement but presents themselves as a “home-grown start-up” label to create a pseudo-organic following. They act as if things miraculously happened for them based on their talent. The reality is a low-risk/high-reward situation for labels looking to build the next “new star”’. We need to break this definition down into two parts: Why does the consumer feel so strongly that they have been deceived? And how is this strategy beneficial for big labels?

Firstly, why do consumers immediately categorize some artists as industry plants when they, the artists, gain overnight success? Is virality not a thing anymore? In show business, especially in music, we gravitate to personalities that feel authentic, and we want to support them due to factual situations that they have been through. We feel some type of comfort when we see that an artist’s setback or struggle has, however small it may be, a connection with yourself, if you think about it, most likely, this relationship is present in your favorite artists. Since this connection with an artist takes time when people cannot pinpoint the moment when they saw the artist finally getting some recognition from other people or the industry, the notion of an Industry Plant appears.

By following this logic, an artist that has gone viral overnight is not credible and not even worth consuming? Noah Callahan-Bever, founder of Idea Generation, and a music industry icon, states that ‘Before you had the internet, it almost felt like artists came out of nowhere (…) All of a sudden they’re in The Source every month for three months in a row (…) unless you were super plugged into the industry, it was always like, “Who is this new person?”’.

The concept of virality is much more difficult to achieve nowadays, in part because of the high exposure to content we have through various platforms but also due to the high amounts of content being created and uploaded daily to those platforms. Therefore, it seems fair for suspicion to be raised when out of a sudden Bobbi Althoff, the previously mentioned podcaster, has Drake on her fourth episode. People believe this only happens with backing from large corporations, these being management agencies or music labels. A clear example of this is Coi Leray, who was featured on big playlists, which always brings a lot of exposure, performed at big, televised award shows but only managed to sell 10k copies of her sophomore album in the first week.

A very recent example of an artist being accused of an Industry Plant is R&B singer 4Batz. With only 3 released songs, the 22-year-old artist from Dallas, Texas, has quickly amassed a considerable amount of streams on DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) and a remix with Toronto’s very own, Drake. Its rough public image deceives consumers into thinking the sound of the artist will resemble something like a NLE Choppa, who raps about violence and firearms, however, the presence of a high-pitched voice creates a certain “wow” factor and seems to attract people, at least for now. What seems to be bothering some music fans is the fact that affiliations with big labels are present, with its manager being the lead creative director of RCA Records (owned by Sony Music), Amber Baker. Although all of its music is independently distributed, 4Batz’s affiliation with Amber supports the argument that there is an involvement of big labels in this, allegedly, fully independent artist.

Coming back to the idea of authenticity, modern audiences are captivated, more than ever, by personalities who present to them an idea of a spectacular journey that started from an ordinary beginning, in Hip-Hop especially. However, what big music labels seem to fail to understand is a fundamental aspect of Hip-Hop as a cultural movement, the artist’s growth not only in their art but as an individual and the duality of their past and present living conditions is more important than rapping or singing about “cool stuff” in trendy instrumentals. When Notorious B.I.G, Future, Kanye, Drake, and others, ‘flex’ on their, sometimes considered, shallow lifestyle is not to show that they have all these possessions per se but to demonstrate how they went from living in the Southside of Chicago to designing couture with head designers of famous French fashion houses, in the case of Kanye West. More specifically, it’s the journey of flipping the odds and overcoming the hardships of life that attracts people, and when commercial interests, generally of big labels overpower the need for authenticity, a discontentment among Hip-Hop fans arises.

Is the development of Industry Plants a good business opportunity for big labels?

On superficial analysis, we quickly realize that it is much cheaper for labels to develop an artist from the ground up since signing them has less demand from competitors, and bidding wars between labels are less likely to happen. Not to mention, the investment that happens when labels sign an already established artist. During the Soundcloud era, labels would say an artist gained a following on the platform, but they were signed to a label before that. In theory, this is a great way of labels making a buck, but in reality, it is not that simple. The public normally realizes when they are being ‘fed’ a manufactured act. According to an article by Billboard Pro, outside of Olivia Rodrigo and Ice Spice, there are no artists to break through the industry. However, this is not because they developed artists in the past, the causes are much more worrying, as previously explored.

Conclusion

From all the examples given and the nuances analyzed, I can conclude that, regarding the accusations of artists being Industry Plants, if the success of the artist is documented, people do not seem to care as much about authenticity, however, if it appears out of nowhere, the relevancy of the artist itself is put into question. That is one of the reasons why labels do not just manufacture artists to cater to the market needs, as we have seen in the case of Hip-Hop with its growth as a genre in the 2000s, but a recent decline, in part, because of a ‘dumping effect’ of music, but also a lack of authenticity in the artists being pushed and backed by labels.

Francisco Agostinho

What do the songs “Imagine”, “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “We Shall Overcome” all have in common? Indeed, they gained significant popularity, topping music charts at the time, but more importantly, they all had a profound impact on society. With powerful messages of justice, equality, and peace, they have become, arguably, the strongest symbols of the causes they advocated, across continents and generations.

Throughout history, music has consistently embodied the spirit of revolution, unity, and resilience. From the jazzy melodies of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States to the rhythmic rap of the 2021 Senegalese Protests, artists and musicians have often transformed their creations into anthems of discontent and hope. On behalf of wounded societies and particularly their youth, the lyrics call for justice and challenge the status quo.

In this article, several historical examples are explored to better understand the role music has played in societies in bridging the gaps opened by social unrest and in fostering empathy on a broader scale.

A universal language of harmonies

Historical evidence has confirmed the role of music in conveying messages and preserving narratives due to its unique ability of transcending barriers of time and geography. Characterized by melodic and repetitive patterns, songs are easily understood and memorized, disseminating in informal contexts and creating cycles of transmission. Furthermore, music surpasses barriers of language and culture. When displaying simple harmonies and a catchy chorus, they manage to captivate even those who are unfamiliar with their lyrics, fostering unity among diverse audiences.

It is often the simplest compositions that become the best sources of conflict transformation. In fact, “Bella Ciao” a well-known Italian song, with a refrain that is nowadays almost universally recognized, despite having its roots in the late 19^th century, is a prime example of this. The song’s first adaptation to the context of social unrest was conducted by Italian partisans, who used it as an anti-fascist opposition anthem during the Italian civil war. It has since become a hymn of freedom and resistance, translated into many different languages and adapted to fit different contexts, always reflecting social discontent. As Money Heist’s creator, Alex Pina, puts it simply, “a song of struggle, which evokes a dream of freedom”.

The power of lyrics

Emotive lyrics and melodies allow individuals to passionately express their convictions with others. It is because of the sense of social well-being that one gets from sharing emotional states that music so frequently accompanies movements that build, and depend upon, solidarity.

“No music alone can organize one’s ability to invest affectively in the world, [but] one can note powerful contributions of music to temporary emotional states” (Rhythm and Resistance, 1990).

One example would be the best-selling single “Imagine”, a joint composition by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, written during the tumultuous period of the Vietnam War. Despite not containing an overt political message, as Lennon described it, “an ad campaign for peace”, it embodies the vision of those who long for global harmony. Decades after its original release, this popular masterpiece, continues to inspire people and has since become a permanent peace protest song and a lasting emblem of hope.

A powerful tool for social justice and freedom

Although social justice is typically thought of as a political agenda, many movements have used music as a way of inviting and maintaining broad-based participation in their initiatives. The paradigm of musical expression’s commitment to social justice was the political protest culture in the 60s of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. “We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger is the classical example. It started as an old hymn sung by striking members of a union, when folk singer Pete Seeger learned the song and changed the “will” to “shall”. It became the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights movement, becoming one of the most striking examples of music transcending mere entertainment and becoming the voice of the oppressed and the catalyst for societal transformation. The song has since appeared in diverse protests around the world.

In the context of Portuguese history, the song “Grândola, Vila Morena”, performed by Zeca Afonso, represents yet another proof of the power music holds to inspire societal and political transformation. The song became an iconic anthem of the Portuguese democratic establishment. It held a crucial role in the events that unfolded on April 25, 1974, a peaceful military coup that overthrew Portugal’s authoritarian regime. The song was broadcasted on a radio station that day, setting the official start of the nonviolent uprising. The choice of this song was symbolic, as it conveys a message of hope, unity, and freedom.

Throughout history, music has often also replaced speeches of hate, efficiently breaking cycles of indifference and oppression brought about by lack of social change. As an example, comes the song “Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, promoting marriage equality, which became the first Top 40 song in the United States to explicitly support same-sex marriage.

The impact nowadays

Music has been a peaceful vehicle for voicing public opinion and each era has had its unique features, players, and tools. We can observe a new era of protest music emerging, where rappers serve as not just artists but also as political voices. On March 6^th, 2021, rapper Dip Doundou Guiss, a Senegalese hip-hop musician, posted a music video entitled #FreeSenegal, the slogan of a wave of demonstrations that had shaken the country during previous days. Explicitly supporting the protests and revolt, the video clip was played one million times just in the first day after being released.

Artists are increasingly embracing their role as activists, using social media platforms to amplify their messages. This fusion of music and the internet has led to the development of a unique framework that transcends physical borders, enabling artists to inspire change and confront oppressive systems in a more lasting widespread way.

In conclusion, as the world grapples with conflicts and social injustices, music stands tall as a universal language of resistance, resilience, and hope. Its melodies echo the cries for social change, reminding us of the power of the human connection. Through the harmonies of music, societies find the strength to resist, the courage to fight, and the inspiration to dream of a more just and equitable world.

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