The ephemeral nature of modern music: “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
“In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes” is a quote that has been endlessly referenced and revisited since its origins in the late 1960s. The phrase has often been traced back to Andy Warhol, but some doubt that he ever really said it. It doesn’t really matter whether they were Warhol’s words or someone else’s – the prediction they hold rings true either way.
The idea that everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame has become all the more pertinent in the age of the internet. Social media has allowed people to go viral for anything and everything – from wearing white Vans to yodelling in Walmart – but the timespan of their fame is often short. As TikTok has emerged as a leading player in the discovery and development of new stars, music has begun to follow the same trend.
Those who gain their first glimpses at sonic success on the platform are often doomed to lose it just as quickly as they found. Attention spans and trend cycles are far too quick for them to keep up with. Viral songs are in playlists one week and out the next, rarely maintaining people’s interest long enough to earn some staying power or progress past one snippet wonder. Even the songs themselves are becoming shorter and tailored to TikTok.
Take Scottish artist Katie Gregson-MacLeod, for example. A couple of summers ago, the singer-songwriter shared a snippet of her track ‘Complex’ on Tiktok, which immediately won over those invested in the so-called sad girl indie scene. With lyrics about being the cool girl while crying in your partner’s bathroom, Gregson-Macleod’s vulnerable and relatable experiences, alongside her gorgeous delivery and sparse keys, had Phoebe Bridgers fans in the palm of her hand.
But the grasp ‘Complex’ had on the masses quickly fizzled. A scramble to make the most of those 15 minutes was lost to short attention spans and over-exposure to the one verse she had unveiled to the world, which soundtracked countless TikToks and spawned innumerable cover versions. By the time Gregson-Macleod released an EP later in the year, her contributions to sad girl balladry were lost to the tide.
Even outside of those who find their start through TikTok, though, artists seem to be burning brighter and faster than ever before. Few bands in modern music have amassed quite as much buzz as British art-rock connoisseurs The Last Dinner Party, who gathered early attention through appearances in the London live circuit. Their commitment to baroque caught the attention of thousands who donned floaty dresses to see them live and anxiously awaited their first studio release.
When they finally put out their debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ last spring, they proved that they were more than worth the hype. The theatrical track quickly gained streams and five-star reviews, but things seemed to quickly dissipate from there. Despite the bubbling excitement about their debut album, each additional single seemed to perform less impressively. Prelude to Ecstasy would receive rave reviews, but just a couple of months on, the buzz that once shrouded The Last Dinner Party seems to have quietened.
Some listeners have even turned against the band, poking holes in the music that once brought them so much excitement. It happened to Wet Leg before them, and it will happen again before we know it. As soon as audiences are afforded the thing they have anticipated for so long, it seems to no longer hold the same shine. Rather than delving into the music, reaffirming its artistic merit, listeners seem more likely to turn on bands once they reach a certain level of hype, deciding that they are no longer cool as a result.
The democratisation of music is a beautiful thing. As the medium has become more accessible with the development of technology, it has allowed budding artists to go from homemade demos to garnering label interest and big bookings from the comfort of their own homes. However, the increasing importance of social media in music has also sped up the cycles of cool and the longevity of artistry.
People no longer need to invest in the material they consume. As soon as ‘Nothing Matters’ hit streaming services, The Last Dinner Party enthusiasts could play it on repeat to their heart’s content and turn on it just as quickly. There is no shortage of other music ready and waiting to replace its place in their playlist. But to put a needle to wax, to take the time to listen to an album and to allow an artist to thrive and develop is just as important as ever before.
Audiences and artists alike need to take a second to slow down and consider how we want the music industry to exist in a modern world.
