Way Back Wednesday: Label Victims

Aug

8

2012

Way Back Wednesday: Label Victims

Written by TriniTrent | Filed under Ameriie,Ashanti,Brandy,Ciara,Janet Jackson,Jojo,Mya,Teairra Mari,Toni Braxton,Way Back Wednesday

Ciara, JoJo and Toni Braxton

Artists can’t achieve success on the strength of just raw talent and they need the support of a properly managed resources to help them climb the charts. However, several acts have suffered major losses because such a necessary foundation was not in place, and they are known as the entertianment industry’s label victims.

What many music fans rarely understand is that the industry is a business and not a land of colourful fairytales, despite what artists’ propaganda machines may propose. That reality only dawns on persons without experience in the field when their favourite acts experience career declines and clash with their record labels.

Hence, this week’s Way Back Wednesday will highlight those acts who lost their footing on the charts because they lacked proper label support. Watch videos by some of those unfortunate artists below:

Ameriie – ’1 Thing’

Ashanti – ‘The Way That I Love You’

Brandy – ‘Right Here (Departed)’

Ciara – ‘Ride (Ft. Ludacris)’

Janet Jackson – ‘Feedback’

JoJo – ‘Disaster’

Mya – ‘Lock You Down (Ft. Lil Wayne)’

Teairra Mari – ‘Make Her Feel Good’

Toni Braxton – ‘Please’

Watching former chart leaders Toni Braxton, Ashanti and Janet Jackson fall to the brink of irrelevancy is a clear sign of how important label support is to the success of artists’ careers. Indeed, dropping from multiplatinum status to less than gold, even with solid material, generally reflects a complete mishandling of promotional efforts and necessary resources.

Of course, there are other factors that affect artists’ success, such as weak relationships with managers – the important middle people between performers and their labels – and circumstances beyond just the music. Surely you remember Jackson’s media backlash following her nipple slip performance at the Super Bowl?

Still, the right synchronisation between artists, labels and managers is crucial for them to achieve lasting success. Without that mix, the acts may face exile in Japan like Mya, consider retirement like Jackson or attempt the near impossible task of launching their own successful labels but spend their days searching for their names on Twitter like Ashanti.

Thoughts?
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Keys: ameriie, ashanti, brandy, ciara, janet jackson, jojo, mya, teairra mari, toni braxton, way back wednesday
- Unbothered
  
  The shade in the last line…
- larry
  
  Amerie and Jojo are SOOOOO UNDERRATED!! They have such great different talent but the labels are just destroying it! i still rock Ameries 2nd album and Jojos debut!!
- Kim
  
  Your a fucking faggot, get off Ashanti dick! you stay riding her pussy but yet your a fucking blogger you fucking cunt! get your coins in order before you come for my bitch!!! you fucking clown!!!…She’s one of the Biggest R&B artist music ever had!! IF not the last BIG one!! all these bitches is pop now! and she had the success before and she’ll have it on her own!! just watch!!! thats all ima say! my bitch got tricks up her sleave boo
- Amber
  
  There’s still hope for JoJo. The last line of the article–Ashanti really does fill her days blocking people on Twitter so no one should be mad at Trent for saying that!
- Sunshine
  
  Good Article! Very true stuff, “Stans” need to understand that the Music Industry is a BUSINESS. There’s a lot that goes into making a successful mainstream Artist. Just because an Artist isnt as commercially successful as current Top 40 Artists DOES NOT mean theyre less talented at all.
- Dani
  
  An artist as BIG as Janet was, could never be irrelevant. That’s the only thing in this article that didn’t make sense to me. There’s one thing to have a 5-year career and then stop selling reords. But she has had a 30-year career in the entertainment world, when her career sort of started to dwindle. I never understood people grouping Janet with other “flops”. There does come a time, I don’t care WHO you are or how BIG you were, when the new kids on the block are younger, more intriguing, and therefore garner more attention from the public. It’s happened to EVERY artist. And if you are a black artist, your lifespan is always shorter.
  
  But this was a good article because it brings light to the issue of labels and how they give up so soon on artists and don’t know how to promote their artists well.
  
  I just had to speak on the Janet thing bc it seemed a bit odd to me…in context to the others. :/
- Topman
  
  Would’ve been nice to see Joss Stone get a mention! I still have hope for Jojo and Brandy.
- frustrated ELLE fan
  
  WOW! So interesting that you would post about this topic….
  
  I was just thinking about if ELLE VARNER would be a victim of this….
  
  Elle Varner is #2 on itunes in the US right now but why has she not been on any of the mornoing shows, etc…
  
  why hasnt her label sent her on TV in the UK like Jools Holland or a UK radio tour???
  
  Now lets look at the difference between RITA ORA and ELLE VARNER’S promo campaigns….
  
  RIta and Elle are both new artists releasing the 1st CD in 2012…. Rita is all over youtube and has played major festivals and was even on the XFACTOR… also opened for COLDPLAY…. she has done a lot of TV shows in the UK and Europe…. etc…
  
  Elle has only been on BET and her label/mgr has not booked her on any other major networks … she hasnt even done Wendy Williams or Ellen or Kimmel… etc….
  
  Elle is a graduate of NYU Clive Davis School of Music,
  
  Elle plays 5 different instruments and has a unique voice …
  
  she is also beautiful and 5 x more talented than RITA ORA …
  
  Why isnt MBK ( she was signed by Alicia Keys mgr/label) and Clive Davis giving her the same promo that Alicia recvd…..
  
  Elle is definately a crossover act…. but she needs to be “cross” promoted like Alicia …..
  
  She can outsell Rita in the US if she is promoted right
- Girrrl
  
  Aww this brings me down the sad memory lane. The last sentence did make me smile though. I think that before these new artists sign these contracts they need to try to find a way to build their own label (ie Cash Money, No Limit, etc). I know the startup cost is high but at least the artist could always have control. Let’s hope that these gals can have comebacks.
- Liberiangirl
  
  @frustrated ELLE fan, I couldn’t agree with you more I love me some Elle Varner. She did a great job on her mixtape “Conversational Lush” and I am loving this new album “Perfectly Imperfect”
- Jeweley girl
  
  Mya and Ciara were trying to take over Aliyah place. You can
  tell that Ciara can’t sing because the rapper did most of
  the song, while she did was bump and grind trough
  whole video. In Toni case people were use to seeing
  the classes Toni and not the sex kitten one.
  We all know what happen to Ashanti and Murder Ink.
  I want Ashanti to do well this time around.
- theman
  
  Janet certainly doesn’t belong here. She’s all good though. Jojo and Brandy will get things together. Mya is cool, she should be having success as well. Other than this aight…
- Robert
  
  @frustrated ELLE fan I totally agree with you, but the difference is Rita Ora has Jay-Z’s managment, and Columbia Records(Beyonce’s label) and they know how to make successful promotions. Look at Rihanna, she was in Rita’s place 7 years ago, and now she has eleven number one hits, and she is everywhere! Plus, Jay-z is married to one of the biggest acts in music which is Beyonce. Rita comes from that foundation, and going off that Jay-Z and his team know how to market an artist very well. Elle is much more talented than Rita, but Elle is with Arista Records which is where Brandy is from. Hopefully that explain’s it.
- legallysane93_s
  
  I think LeToya is a very underrated artist…even Capitol abandoned her basically long before “Lady Love” was released, she was still on her grind landing movie rolls and tv spots…yet she never gets any of the regconition she truly deserves
- HAI_THERE
  
  The article does not factor in the artists connection with the audience and whether the artist have what it takes to maintain interest. It does not take into consideration that many of the examples continued to release sub par music after their initial major hits. I think this in particularly applies to Ashanti, Mya and Brandy. Janet should not be included. She has legendary music status. She may not sell as she did but she will always have an audience. Rolling Stones and even Mick Jaggers solo music some years back flopped majorly. They arguably one of the biggest rock n roll band ever but NO ONE is interested in their attempts at New music. Once again, they will always capture an audience with live shows, just like Janet.
  
  As for Amerie (I love her) but she sexed up her image. Did ‘One Thing’ and struggled to match it. In fact it was like she gave up.
  Jojo, in my opinion who has been treated so incredibly poorly by her label. She has been left to languish for reasons that I don’t know. It is very sad when a great talent is stifled.
- I Stan 4 Instagram
  
  Teirra Marie look too much like ahoodrat to have much mainstream appeal. Mya and Amerie are boring personality wise. Ashanti had her moment and then fell off, like Brandy, though that car accident and fake marriage were probably more responsible for her career taking a downturn.
- http://Thelavalizard Sleazy
  
  How did the rapper do the most of the song? Ciara sings 95% of the song You just a damn hater? Why would she wanna take aaliyah place? She want to be CIARA she Become famous doing crunk? Did aaliyah do that? No honey In fact she is the first female to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just cus they both have soft tone voice and are dancers doesn’t mean she wanna be like her! You can take Janet she has a soft voice and is a dancer. I can say Aaliyah wanted to be her But I’m not as bitter as YOu! Let the girl rest in Peace Seats shall be given!!!! And you in need of a stadium of seats
- http://Thelavalizard Sleazy
  
  @elleFan Rita Just does concerts In fact she only performed ONCE on television in the UK The Xfactor stint is yet Premiere get your facts straight before you come at people!!!!! Rita is A Vocal beast!!!! Her songs hit number 1 on name alone in the UK so don’t please Don’t be mad at her Elle is getting NO promo!
- http://Thelavalizard Sleazy
  
  Jay z knows how to market acts? Alexis jordan? Willow? Bitch please Comparing rita to elle make no sense they on diff labels! Rita has a great voice (live to) elle as well but I prefer rita’s and that My boobs arte to small song of elle is ATROCIOUS
- domo
  
  love love love teairra mari!!! she needs a lable backin and rnb material that is solid. quit the mix tapes
- frustrated ELLE fan
  
  @ SLEAZY
  
  UR THE ONE THAT NEEDS TO GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT…. RITa performed on more than one UK TV show ( Jools & T4 etc…) She also recvd PRESS / PROMOTION FROM HER RED CARPET XFACTOR APPEARANCE… THAT’S THE POINT……
  
  Rita’s promo team is better but Elle is the better artist…. Elle is a singer/songwriter/producer… she still has to grow but she is MUCH more talented than Rita Ora. FACT.
  
  @ Robert – ur analysis makes sense. Thanks for the reply…. I forgot that she was at Columbia… they have done a good job with Adele, Beyonce, Kings of Leon, One Direction, JCole,. etc…. They REALLY invest in cross promoting their artisits…
  
  I guess it also helps having JayZ hustle for her to get on Coldpalys’ tour….. management and label really does matter.
- frustrated ELLE fan
  
  Also, I do not think Rita and Elle are the same types of artist… Rita is in the Rihanna category and Elle is in the Amy Winehouse / Alicia Keys singer/ songwriter category….. I only compared them b/c they are both new artists and Im frustrated with Elle’s marketing/promo campaign…d. Her label has the money to invest more into her….. She is doing well on itunes for a 1st CD so they need to do better.
- Juewelz03
  
  this post is good but i think Trent should go into more detail. Ashanti even tho not as popular now she is successful along with Janet and Toni. I would like Trent to take further on the Amerie’s, Kelly Rowland, Jojo and Mya’s of the world. Maybe break them down individually.
- Jeweley girl
  
  To the fool who calls himself Sleazy, I am not a hater, I am
  just stating a fact. I can’t if your feeling were hurt by the
  comments, I about Ciara. Like Trent said that if her new
  album is push back again, and she is already on shaky
  ground her career might be over. Booty shaking and pussy
  popping can only take you so far. people loose interest in
  you after a while. Why do I have take a seat, you dumb
  when I am already setting.
- http://Thelavalizard Sleazy
  
  @jewel I was not hurt I was just shocked at your delusion and BTW she doesn’t booty shake she does REAL DANCING you must have booty shaking confuse with dancing smh… You said she didn’t sing the whole song Ludacris did more work which is HUGE lie cus any1 with ears would know who did the most work and The dancing in the ride Video Is GREAT there’s just not booty shaking and pussy poppin open up your eyes Don’t judge her abilities on 1 video __/ booty shaking pussy poppin That’s Beyonce and Rihanna….. You HATER cus You make up things To bring her down and half the stuff you say Isn’t even the truth check yo self
- http://Thelavalizard Sleazy
  
  Pfff booty shaking can take you only so far? Does this Hoe know what dancing is? Go watch a rihanna video for booty shaking and pussy poppin (patting as well)
- sPARKd
  
  I think you need to add Letoya Luckett to that list.
- LegallySane93
  
  ^^DITTO!!…As I had aforementioned
- http://www.youtube.com/JonathanGardnerTV Jonathan Gardner
  
  legallysane93_s
  
  YES that’s a great one! LeToya’s done like 3 or 4 movies now, stage plays, writes most of her music and has even been doing a web series following her life and creation of her third album.
  
  She’s clearly putting in the work but a label merge totally messed up the Lady Love era which could have been a breakout crossover for her.
  
  “She Ain’t Got…” has so much crossover potential. That could have been top 10 on Rhythmic easily with the right push!
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