(If you'd rather take this in at your own pace, keep reading. If you want it less tidy, the version where I think out loud, go off script, and probably contradict myself more often — that's the audio above).
In the not-so-distant past, musicians were known for bravery.
It was a thing to count on us for.
We were to be fearless, and uncompromising in our vision, and art was an extension of our soul. Not a product designed to be made palatable to the masses.
We didn't create solely to be liked; we created to express. Challenge.
And sometimes even to provoke discomfort.
Think of Bob Dylan's defiance of genre conventions, Miles Davis's constant reinvention of ‘jazz’, or the raw emotion of Nina Simone.
These artists weren't pandering for approval—they were pushing boundaries, regardless of whether the world was ready to catch up.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the landscape of artistry has drastically shifted since.
There are generations out there to whom these names may not even mean anything anymore.
And the pressure to be ‘liked’ has become an omnipresent force, subtly shaping the decisions of many musicians. And social media, where the currency of success is quantified in likes, shares, and followers, has completely transformed the creative process into a quasi-narcissistic endeavor.
This isn't just a casual observation; it's a reflection of a shift in the way artists perceive themselves and their work.
The history of the "Like"
To understand this shift, it might help to have a look at the history of social media and the advent of the "like" button.
Introduced by Facebook in 2009, the like button was initially conceived as a way to simplify interactions on the platform. Instead of writing a comment, users could simply "like" a post to show their approval. What seemed like a harmless feature soon evolved into a powerful psychological tool. The human brain, which is wired to seek social approval as a survival mechanism, began to equate likes with validation, and the digital feedback loop ended up influencing mass behavior in ways that were previously unimaginable.
For musicians, the implications were enormous.
Social media became not just a platform for promotion but a ‘barometer’ of success. As likes and shares became synonymous with popularity, they also started to dictate the kinds of content that artists created.
Songs were crafted to be "Instagrammable".
Music videos tailored to go viral on TikTok.
And while some countries like India even banned TikTok, both IG and YT followed suit by coming up with their versions of similar formats.
Before we knew it, this environment redirected the artist's mindset subtly but inexorably to shift drastically from creating art to creating ‘content’—a critical distinction that has considerable implications for mental health.
The Mental Health Toll
The pressure to constantly generate content that garners likes can lead to a self-obsessive mindset. This isn't to say that all musicians have become narcissists (a term generally overused by underqualified ), but the constant need for external validation can't help but create unhealthy levels of focus on self-image.
Pursuing likes is an endless chase, and the line between genuine self-expression and 'performance identity' often blurs before we realize it.
Over time, the feelings of inadequacy can accumulate, into patterns of anxiety and depression as the artist's self-worth becomes increasingly tied to online popularity while the relevance of actual art diminishes every day.
Note: Narcissism, a term that is often thrown around loosely, deserves careful consideration here. True narcissism is a clinical condition characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration, often at the expense of empathy for others. However, in the context of social media, many artists develop what could be described as "narcissistic tendencies"—a preoccupation with how they are perceived by others, driven by the algorithms that reward such behavior. This isn't necessarily their fault; it's a byproduct of a system designed to prioritize engagement over well-being.
People-pleasing: An Added Danger
Beyond the dangers of the self-obsessive mindset, the pressure for likes on social media can form a pervasive "people-pleasing" syndrome when musicians begin to prioritize the expectations and preferences of their audience over their own artistic instincts, in their quest for validation. Instead of creating music that reflects their true vision, they might tailor their work to align with popular trends or avoid controversial topics, all in an effort to maintain online popularity.
The risks of falling into this trap are not to be underestimated. When we start to focus more on what we think our audience wants rather than what we genuinely want to express, the work can become diluted.
This not only stifles creativity but creates a vicious cycle where the artist’s self-worth becomes increasingly dependent on external validation, leading to a deeper sense of dissatisfaction and contribute to mental health struggles over time.
In essence, people-pleasing erodes the very core of artistic integrity. Instead of pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo—hallmarks of truly impactful art, artists might find themselves producing safe, unremarkable work that lacks the depth and resonance we seek ourselves.
A Contrast of the Past
Contrast this with the artists of the past, who were far less concerned with being liked and far more focused on their craft.
The music industry was never without its pressures—record labels have long dictated trends and demanded hits, but there was still a sense of artistic integrity that held sway.
Peeps like David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, and Prince made music that was true to themselves, even if it meant alienating some listeners. They weren't chasing likes; they were chasing their own evolving visions, often at the cost of commercial success.
This is a good time to acknowledge that the music industry of the past was not without its own flaws and was far from anything perfect.
Artists were often at the mercy of record labels, who could dictate the direction of their careers in exchange for financial support.The difference, however, was that the feedback loop was slower and less direct.
An artist might face criticism or praise, but it wasn't delivered in the instant, dopamine-fueled way of today. Also, for what it's worth, a lot of the feedback was from 'qualified' sources (journalists, A&R) or atleast commited listeners passionate enough to invest money into artists who they supported by actually buying their music.
Not a subscription to a tech company.
The Effect of Cancel Culture
The rise of cancel culture can add another layer of complexity to this already fraught environment. In an age where online communities can quickly mobilize to silence voices that do not conform to popular opinions, artists face an additional pressure.
Fear of backlash can lead to self-censorship and pushing artists to avoid controversy at all costs.
The result is a landscape where music is increasingly homogenized, and the pursuit of likes and the fear of cancellation combine to create art that can get safe, sterile, and ultimately forgettable.
Cancel culture, in its most dangerous form, can discourage the very kind of fearlessness in artistic pursuits that once defined the music industry. It creates an environment where artists are punished not just for their mistakes, but often for their curiosity and willingness to explore controversial ideas or question events they might be processing on their own terms.
This is not to say that accountability should be discarded.
Everyone fares better by trying to be responsible for their words and actions.
But art is inherently dependent on a certain degree of ‘between the lines’. Ambiguity. Demanding it to adhere instantly to popular opinion or choose sides is an extraordinarily questionable practice that gets normalized as political environments get increasingly volatile and socio-cultural concepts more complex.
Navigating the Social Media Landscape
So, how can modern musicians navigate this new landscape without falling into the dreaded narcissistic trap or being paralyzed by the fear of cancellation?
I think the key lies in intentionality.
Social media, for all its flaws, can be a powerful tool for connection and expression. It allows us to reach audiences that would have been unimaginable in the pre-digital era. However, it's crucial to use these platforms as a means to an end, not as an end in themselves.
We need to strive to maintain a balance between engaging with their audience and staying true to their artistic vision. This might mean setting boundaries on social media use, focusing on the quality of interactions rather than the quantity of likes, and most importantly, remembering why they started making music in the first place.
It's also essential to cultivate relationships both online and offline and build support networks which provide a more grounded sense of direction than the fleeting approval of social media and the likes (pun intd.).
Nurturing environments that encourage fearless artistic pursuit even when the statements made by participants do not align 'perfectly' with all personal beliefs, (a demand that is unrealistic by itself. )
True artistry has always thrived in the tension between different perspectives.
And allowing space for artists to experiment, to fail, and to occasionally misstep, without rushing to silence them doesn’t necessarily equate to endorsing harmful behavior by default as the rhetoric often tends to insinuate.
Needless to say of course, there’s a lot of nuance involved in that last sentence.
Conclusion
Social media has revolutionized the music industry, offering unprecedented opportunities for connection and exposure.
However, the pervasive culture of likes and the looming threat of cancel culture have also introduced new pressures that can distort an creative mindset.
A relentless pursuit of validation and a quasi-narcissistic focus on self-image, coupled with the fear of backlash will hinder creativity and enable self-censorship.
To navigate holistically between these two poles, it is imperative that we develop skills to remain intentional in a message that prioritizes authenticity over approval.
Doing so might be our best chance at reclaiming our artistry and build both inner and outer environment where bold, uncompromising expression finds space to breathe again.
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