The economic climate has forced music stores across the US to shutdown but online outlets have continued to thrive. Not burdened the same hefty overhead costs that negatively affect physical chains, digital retailers remain locked in heated competition to control market share, and the most popular tactics to achieve that goal are price cuts.
Your favourite R&B artist has an album in stores and although you absolutely love the material, nobody else seems to care or even know about it. If the record is so fantastic then why aren’t the copies flying off the shelves? The issue is probably related to poor promotion.
On November 19th, Rihanna will issue her seventh album, ‘Unapologetic’, in as many years. However, this large number of releases by the world’s most prolific and pervasive Pop star doesn’t exemplify a high demand for her music. Rather, it represents an artist eager to remain relevant through clever timeliness and repetition.
During the last two decades, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have been continuously compared by the media as well as their fans, thus causing a seemingly neverending debate. Even today, months after Houston’s sudden passing, parallels are still being drawn between the divas. Yet, are those comparisons justified?
Throughout the years, white artists have abused Urban culture for their own personal gain. Seeking to increase their record sales, access broader markets and keep up with industry trends, these individuals conveniently adopt the styles of their peers without a true appreciation of the music.
During the last four years, the genre of R&B music has rapidly lost its footing as a dominant art form of popular culture and has been marginalised on the charts. Yet, as critics and fans look to men, such as Chris Brown, Usher and Trey Songz, to provide an answer to this crisis, the salvation of the […]
When Ciara burst onto the music scene in 2004, she was heralded as the second coming of Janet Jackson and garnered with several invalid comparisons to Aaliyah. However, her career gradually crumbled and the unfortunate 26-year old has already been labelled as a has-been.
The female Hip-Hop movement reached new heights during the 1990s and for a very brief period in the history of the male-dominated genre, women seemed to rule the world. Yet, despite their numerous commercial achievements, the successes of these women were always connected to a web of manipulation by men that eventually resulted in female […]
Almost every artist, especially those acts who emerged during the last 10 years, seems pitiful when compared to the enormous shadow of Michael Jackson. However, one particular act has become a favourite metaphoric punching bag of the critics who continuously seek ways to slam the younger generation. That artist is Katy Perry.
‘The X Factor (UK)’ came to a shocking conclusion last year when Little Mix took home the gold as the first group to win the competition. However, in addition to the raging debate regarding whether the young ladies were indeed the most deserving of the title, a pressing question was raised: could a girl group […]