Names like Beyonce, Gaga, Bieber and even returning artists like Janet dominate the charts and airwaves making it a challenge for other artists to be heard. When an artist can’t be heard they often have to either take a back seat or settle for a moderate career.
I have my eye on artists like Tinashe because I believe she is an artist to be reckoned with. She is making an impression within the music industry.
The music industry has changed and it’s never going to be the same. It’s a guessing game when it comes to how labels market their artists. It has become a challenge leaving music enthusiasts like myself relying on platforms like Soundcloud, Youtube, and even Mixcloud to discover those under appreciated artists that are not getting heard like they should. I use the term “under appreciated’ because when you turn on the radio all you hear are the same artists over and over. There are plenty of artists not getting equal playtime who are in my opinion “under appreciated.”
Platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, and Mixcloud are without a doubt valuable sources for artists to promote their music. Although that does not fix or help the declining sales in the music industry. Think about it, if you can go to YouTube and press play anytime you want, the incentive is lost to purchase the music.
You might argue with me but Beyonce pushed the envelope by challenging us to think that artists don’t have to do tons of promoting of an album. Yes, Beyonce dropped an entire album with videos at once; an accomplishment that can’t be taken away from her. However, it’s an accomplishment I believe hurt other artists. “Under appreciated” or “underrated” artists are suffering because of the over-saturation of certain artists. When one group of artists dominate and over-saturate the market, media keeps artists like Tinashe struggling in the shadows.
Music executives within my circle can be delusional at times when it comes to marketing, especially when they use Beyonce as a benchmark as to how to market other artists. Rising stars like Tinashe require the same attention and strategies once used when we purchased music from a record store. Grass roots promotion was the key to developing loyal fans. It wasn’t uncommon or unheard of for a rising star or even icons like Madonna or Cher to make a nightclub appearance from time to time to promote their album. Nowadays it happens but not like it used to.
I can recall waiting for hours at the NYC nightclub Roxy. It was a night I will never forget. It was the night Beyonce performed. It’s always the night I believe she gained a loyal fan base that sticks with her. It’s those moments and personal connections with fans that we’re missing today.
When it comes to new artists, creating a sustainable fan base is the pathway to having a massive career, one that comes with longevity.
For example, Tinashe is an artist on the rise. With songs like, Player feat. Chris Brown, All Hands on Deck, and Pretend it’s no wonder she is capturing high YouTube traffic. It’s proof she is an artist we all should be listening to. The comments are mixed, however, such as the negative ones comparing her to Aaliyah. In my opinion there will be only one Aaliyah. I do agree, however, there are similarities but Tinashe has a unique sound of her own.
Nowadays everyone is a music critic but when you really love music, you appreciate all music. You also understand that comparing one artist to another artist blocks you from taking in the artistry and creativity of that artist. There will never be another Aaliyah whose sound is universal and hard to duplicate. You might think of Ciara as an example. She tried and tried but with each attempt her record sales declined.
Tinashe is tapping into the pop side of R&B like Aalyiah once did. It’s a mixture of sounds without losing the elements of R&B and Soul with POP which make the urban sound appealing to the masses. It’s music that comes from a real place. From her interview with FADER Tinashe says, “people have connected with me because I haven’t tried to seem too clean cut and polished. There’s something to be said for being like a real person. I’ve always connected to artists whose music is coming from a legitimate place.”
It’s not everyday that an artist gets my attention so quickly but Tinashe is an artist that I have high hopes for. I’m also looking forwarding to interviewing her in the future.
