Breaking the Formula

In today's world, everything is optimized for it to reach its maximum potential. The music industry is no stranger to this. Release dates for music are not made on a whim but instead are calculated based on streaming numbers. That is why most artists release music at midnight on Fridays because it gives them the optimal amount of time for sales and streams to be counted. Labels push this idea because they want their artists to make it onto the charts.

You can't blame artists for wanting to reach certain chart-based goals, but sometimes it can start to seem like music and the music industry has become overly formulaic. It can sometimes feel like this competition to top the charts is taking away from the authenticity of the artists and their music.

Some artists, like Tyler the Creator, have openly spoken out against this trend. With his most recent release of Chromakopia, he made it a point to release it on a Monday. He said he chose this release date because he felt like people don't take time to fully listen to music on the weekends. He envisioned people on their commute to work listening to the album for the first time and really soaking it all in. He said he wanted people to listen attentively instead of passively. Despite the release date of Chromakopia being unconventional and not ideal for charts or sales, It still debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it his most successful first week for album releases.

This brings up a very interesting point. Maybe instead of following an algorithm to reach success, artists should just hone in on preserving their art and releasing it based on how they would want it to be received. It seems like if the music appeals to the people, it will rise to the top of the charts naturally, and it usually has a longer-lasting impact than something that was formulated to do well.