The Sound of Music? Or the Sound of “Cha-Ching!”

The Beatles are one of the most significant events which pushed the music industry further towards the ‘industry’ side and away from the ‘music’ side. Let’s be honest here, their music isn’t even that good. They had some sort of flare and charisma about them which was the reason for their popularity. They had a very conspicuous presence, which led to (as the cool kids might say)… “hype”. They started this trend. If I am going to be honest, The Beatles MADE pop music.

Today, no one has used the patents of The Beatles more effectively than Drake and Beyonce. In this article, I will tell you exactly how and why. For any Drake and Beyonce fans, prepared to get (another one from the cool kids)… “triggered”.

Beyonce is a Brand, not an Artist

Beyonce has had some great songs over the years, whether it was solo or when Destiny’s Child were slaying the charts. ‘Say My Name’ is a personal favourite at the Karaoke. However, despite the belters she has under her belt, I would think of Beyonce as a commercial success in the industry before I would think of her as an artist. In fact, I wouldn’t even call her an artist at all. She’s created her own brand, the ‘BeyHive’, and that has been a pinnacle part of her success.

Beyonce does not write her own songs. Therefore, can we even call them her songs? In my eyes, she’s just the ambassador of the Beyonce brand. Just like Taylor Swift and the like have done. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the music industry works today. The quality of the content has spiralled downwards, yet the numbers get greater each time. The true power of branding. Beyonce is branded as “Queen Bee” and she is perceived to really be a Queen; the most powerful of them all too. She could literally breathe into a microphone for a whole concert and the ‘BeyHive’ will still scream her name. They are hypnotized. They have fallen for the commerce.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to call out the ‘BeyHive’. I know they will disagree. They are brainwashed beyond restoration. For anyone apart of this fanbase reading this article, I would like to know why you disagree on Twitter. Click here to tweet me. I will prove you wrong.

Drake is a Genius…

…And I can’t stand his music. I’ll tell you why. Drake is talented, I’ll admit that. For those who know me personally, they will know it pained me to say that. Anyway, with that being said, Drake is still a commercial success.

He knows how to make a hit. Every song created by Drake has the intention of being a hit. He’s the only person in the music industry with the ‘Krabby Patty Secret Formula’, so to speak. He knows what you want to hear and how to create content to gratify your ears.

His talent contributes to his success because of its diversity. The formula for success mixed with the diverse skill set he brings is exactly why he has more hits than the Beatles. He’s dominated Rap, RnB, Pop, Afrobeats and even Reggaeton. You can see why the numbers are as impressive as they are!

But this is exactly the reason I am not a Drake fan. I can admit he’s very successful. But music is an art and he is making a mockery of it. He has no intention of making meaningful, true music. He’s a 32-year-old grown man singing songs about teenage heartbreaks and parties. I could never be a fan. He’s doing exactly what the Beatles did, gathering attention and “hype” and producing a compelling brand image which is guaranteed product sales.