• Artistes need to realise their work is what earns them staying power
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It’s expected for artistes to push the envelope to the best of their abilities. When they first start out, there’s an undying passion to rise to the top and be the best. Most times there’s zero interest in the distracting sideshows, and all focus is on the price. Hardly do they want to pass up the chance to grow and they will grind so hard to make their mark.
However, for some, both upcoming and established, there seems to be an easy way out. Why create a bombastic situation simply to push your music? Well, why not? Artistes have now developed the knack for commanding and courting controversy to keep their releases at the forefront. They make headlines for some of the most preposterous doings simply to earn views for their releases.
One such artiste who can’t help it is Willy Paul. He probably had the most promising career when he started out. He offered a steady streak of Christian hits, which the mainstream media couldn’t have enough of. Now he has defected and exists on a different trajectory, marred with vexed moments. Recently, in the days leading to the release of his latest tune “Shado Mado,” he ensured he remained a key topic through his social media posts, staging a saga with Jamaican star Alaine.
Willy Paul turned his resolve of making impactful music into an organised performance long ago. He’s a constant reminder of why he is the king of controversy. This direction seems to be an accepted route by many other acts who, instead of focusing on making quality projects, end up spending up their energies scheming their next moves.
We never thought there’d ever been another release gimmick as strange, and exhaustingly absurd, as Khaligraph Jones’ skin-lightening moment, which led up to his hit “Toa Tint (Mask Off)”. Vera Sidika, too, thought it was the best way to promote her new track “Mimi”, only that this time she decided to restore her dark complexion, which only lasted a couple of Instagram posts.
In this case, most attention was focused on her transformation. Before people knew about the song, they had already engaged in an endless furore over the change on social media. Varying opinions were shared, but in the end, at least there was a new Vera Sidika song — well, sort of.
Amid all this noise, artistes need to realise their work is what earns them the staying power. All this attention brought about by controversial moments only exists when the matter is still hot. As soon as it fizzles out, the track you were promoting better be good enough to stay on the airwaves. Not many can achieve that in the industry.
It’s important to note that when an artiste decides to explore the option of being a fixture of gossip blogs because of their almost daily absurd moments, then that’s where they will be placed. The truth is good music earns you longevity.