Hey there! I see that you’re about to release a new track, so I thought I’d offer some words of wisdom. Your last song did pretty good numbers-wise, so I bet you’d like this new song to get even more streams, so your career really starts to snowball. Well, I’m here to remind you that it fucking better! Because, if not, you, me, your fans, and the whole of the music industry will all know that your new shit is utter trash and your best days are now behind you.
Your career would basically be like a rollercoaster dropping way too soon. And that’s probably what you’d be remembered as… A now-limp rollercoaster with premature ejaculation. Forever too. Because the number of streams beside your track never goes away. Your fans would see that you fell short right away, but for generations to come, anyone who searches your catalog would know exactly where it all went wrong.
Linear growth is the only way to survive in this business. It’s impossible to come back from a “sophomore slump” because when any new music drops, everyone will be like, “Wait, don’t they suck now?” And they’d be right. Because, yes, you were good. But you suck now. It’s a lot like love from a parent. If you’re good one day, they love you. If you’re bad, you need to work your ass off to get their love back.
The worst part is that this new song can be objectively better than your last one. You’re a bit older, wiser, and more seasoned now, so you’re definitely trending in the right direction talent-wise. It’s just too bad that the numbers don’t account for talent and growth. Your peer group and most loyal fans might appreciate that shit, but if it’s not a commercial success, that’ll all just feel like some participation ribbon.
See, it’s this kind of fear that keeps me from releasing any music of my own. I have 12 tracks ready to drop, but I just keep mulling over which order to release them in, since each one will have to outdo the last. I also don’t want to start with the worst song, since I really want my first release to be a critical and commercial success. This kind of indecision can really eat you alive. And since love is results-based, I’m basically governed by the fear of rejection.
You know what? Props to you for having the balls to leave yourself vulnerable to the numbers. It’s commendable. But man you must be shitting your pants right now! Sitting there, finger on the trigger, knowing that the whole world is watching, and wondering if releasing this one track will end your entire career!