What Makes Music Sell?

~ Rajat Chandra

As a proponent of Capitalism, a system I deeply cherish as it brings everyone an equal opportunity to try their chance at success, equivalent to their skills and intellect, I aim to bridge the gap between the ‘value of art’ and ‘its commercialization’, being a necessary and essential phenomenon and not one that hinders either.

Now that I have set the premise…

… Say a common consumer, working 9 to 5, trading his time and skills in turn of the token of value that we call as ‘Money’, decides to spend it to the consumption of Music.

The question arises, ‘Why Your Music’?

Is it because you are a very talented artist?

… or, because you have a beautiful voice?

… or, because you create great art?

Well ‘my answer’ at least, is a BIG NO!

You may sit back and complain that the audience has not matured enough to deserve consuming your art, or complain that consumers are not listening to your self proclaimed ‘Real’ music, or even complain that the consumers don’t support your Indie Music Scene.

Let us understand,

‘Consumers do not consume out of Pity for how good you are.’

They have no selfless concern about you, or your art. That if they even did, it will only last so long.

A person that trades away his deeply cherished time… the time that he could have put to other usage and leisure activities, however to earn a living will not find justice in consuming art out of pity.

‘He consumes it because he considers it a meaningful deed to his own fulfilment.’

And THAT extends to all art forms, films, dance, painting, but let’s stick to music for now.                                                           

When one listens to music, they imagine their own lives and their own stories.

They recall it like a cinematic depiction inside their minds, and put your music as their background score… Because you create that safe space and evoke emotions in them that they probably would have lost if not kept in conjunction with your Music. That association, that connection is crucial.

Art is important!

Yes, even much important than the Socio-Economic and Political issues of your country.

You as an artist, are at the very frontier of stimulating cultural and social change, you set the trends, you set the ethos, the deepest held ideas of a time, or if not at least mirror it back to that of the given zeitgeist. You stimulate, inspire, express and allow people to find outlets to many abstract phenomenon within their own little universes that they had no liberation or solace in expressing by their own, because you win at the art of expression.

Understand this most importantly as your responsibility and that of the spirit of being an Artist.

There is a reason why Kings in the past hired artistes to their court, the elites, the aristocracy often became patrons of great arts, because art helped in moulding a symbol out of their identity and thus further inspire admiration, devotion, and respect of their people.

Art has often stimulated people to lead revolutions, to represent radical and unpopular ideas and raise questions out of complex problems but in simpler forms that the masses understand better. Think of Bob Dylan’s music being associated with questioning the futility of war and violence, during the era of Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement in the US. Jimi Hendrix, NWA, The Notorious B.I.G., led to the strengthening and empowering of the African American population that was undergoing a lot of harassment from the Police, and had no expression in the media. That is just to cite a few examples.

We are all selfish, and we thrive in our selfishness together, your music is consumed not alone for your greatness, but through your greatness your audiences experience their own beauty, their joy, or how deeply hurt they might be, or well say how much they want to just let go and DANCE!

Artistes who understand their own feelings, their journey and have the wonderful ability to express it with great eloquence and lyricism, bring together everyone to share in the joy of that feeling they experience. That is it!

Being able to Connect is the Core.

So do you have a story?

Does your art make any difference to the intrinsic values of your listeners?

Does your art pushes one to express their fathomless spirituality, to sing, to dance, to just let go… let it overpower their hardbound rational minds?

Or, how about… does the pursuit of your Art do those things to you…?

Well if not, it is time to introspect, rethink, rediscover, recreate, destroy, recreate… FEEL! Let it bleed out of you! Let it make you experience your eccentricity, the madness… If you have not reached there, you do not know what art is, and how deeply it can break you. It’s an equilibrium of chaos to live with it.

Now let us talk about whatever follows, that is the rest… The Not-So-Lively details of what makes your music reach to your audiences, which only has colours if your music is worth it!

·      Aesthetics & Social Currency

People consuming your art because they believe it to represent a higher taste in themselves.

·      Quality Distribution & Marketing

It being a responsibility of your marketers and distributors to reach the right audience segment, put in a concentrated and quality effort, and not alone to reach whatever people one can, not everyone is going to easily mould in an adapt to what you bring, some may be easily susceptible, while the rest shall follow.

·      Your Creativity combined with tasteful Production

People have consumed music regardless of this aspect, if the art is great they would even enjoy listening to it on Mono with tape noise.

However, given the ease of technology today. There is no harm in getting the best you can. Especially when bad production can result in limiting the potential of your art and its impact on listeners.

Yet, nothing can replace the absence of a ‘Connection’.

Closing I would like to share some of my own favourites and why I love to hear them, and that shall explain how in so many wonderful ways we relate with certain works of art.

·      Lithium – NIRVANA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkcJEvMcnEg

During my school days, something was not right. I was awkward, usually quiet but if I did open up I would end up overdoing it… I moved through different cities and could never form lasting friendships. Perhaps it was due to circumstances. I felt lost, and alone, that is when I found NIRVANA (Well Kurt said he likes to spell it in capitals).

I discovered a new kind of rage, an expression of alienation, of not understanding how you fit in the mass puzzle of so much greatness that you just do not seem to understand, and how to contribute anything, or whether if you even wanted it at all.

The first time I understood that music wasn’t just about the right catchy tune, but expressing oneself out, pouring off your lyricism, amplified back by the joy of your audiences!

I could go for days, knowing my life sucked, but as long as I had NIRVANA running on my earplugs, something felt comfortable, a company in misery.

·       Dream On – Aerosmith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZfZ8uWaOFI

Often what I find so misunderstood about artists, and writers to be specific is that people assume that their written experiences come out of positive inspiration, of having actually gone through intense elevations in experience, which they are capable of expressing. Often the truth is quite the opposite, perhaps they did not! The songwriter that sings of a cherished love story, finds peace in writing it down as a fantasy, because he never had one and so longed for it.

Dream On? What do you think? He lost all motivation in life and someone came by and told him to dream on?

No, such depth of expression an exaltation of spirit is often rooted at painful experiences of perhaps having watched your dreams fall apart and everyone telling you that you can’t dream on.

That’s when you got to be your own hero.

You get the story?

·      Middle – DJ Snake feat. Bipolar Sunshine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPT2QuCIOA

You’re drunk, you’re with your friends, the lighting is beautiful in the room… And across the room stands the girl you’re crushing on, but can’t express, but you both dance pretty… and then this music plays and you get together on the floor, arms in arms dancing in pure symmetry… It’s the perfect moment!

Now you’re alone in your room, drinking again, that time is long gone, years ago, she dates someone else now. You both live in different cities. Maybe you don’t miss her, but you like to remember it… You’re drunk, and you play ‘Middle’ even when there’s no more dancing to be done.

·      Feels like we only go backwards – Tame Impala

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycjnCCgUes

let’s cut it short, that video is trippy, added with the music being a perfect ambient pop no., it’s a blend like a melting chocolate inside your mind.

·      Ye Jo Halka Halka – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R1eUfVxOGI

When I think about it, it’s not really about alcohol… It’s purely a metaphor for intoxication and having absolutely delivered yourself to your love, and not wanting anything in return… It’s sacred, special, such devotion that it pacifies your spirit, you can finally find strength to smile through your tears… So much letting go, that even when there’s nothing to let go, the soul craves for it. Take it away, all there is, was and will be...

·      Kuch Toh Hua Hai – Shankar Ehsaan Loy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWDiVU38lKg

Nothing can replace this song as the anthem of ‘falling in love’ to me… Maybe it was the storyline in the film that evoked such associations, and why not? After all, it is so well suited for it, and if you are emotionally bound to the film, the songs just catch on.

Thereby lies one of the many reasons whereby our Non-Film Music industry is falling short, they have great music, though often not a very eloquent enough a story to express, sometimes there is a story just not expressed rightly through the kind of PR and Promotion that is done.