ENG4U
At first glance, the music industry seems to be thriving. With viral songs at
record-breaking highs and social media apps popularizing the music further, music is everywhere
now. Artists create music because people connect to it. However, the idea of connection and
creativity is lost nowadays. The music industry is marketing something entirely different than
what they say. When fans have more interest in an artist than the art they create and when artists
loathe their career despite it once being a part of their lives that gave them peace, a problem has
been made clear. The assumption that the music industry exists mainly to benefit consumers and
artists alike may be misleading due to the high demands of fame and the pressures and
exploitation that come with it.
Popular artists find it difficult to live their private life due to their fame. Being in the
spotlight 24/7 comes with its own challenges. People can argue the fact that artists and celebrities
have chosen this life and have to, therefore, lie in the bed they made for themselves. Although,
people cannot deny the fact that celebrities are human, too. Help Musicians UK found that over
60% of musicians have suffered from depression or other psychological issues. This can account
for the multiple deaths of famous artists known as the 27 Club. The clubs name refers to the
tragic coincidences in rock and roll history consisting of the deaths of famous artists at the age of
27. Kurt Cobain was known to be one of the most influential alternative rock musicians.
Happenstance allowed for fans to find this elusive connection between the deaths of Kurt
Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. During the few years before committed
suicide, Cobain struggled with the personal and professional pressures of fame. This, then,
became a path to various health problems including depression and his addiction to heroin.
Nirvana bassist, Krist Novoselic, believed Cobain could have lived a long life had he chosen a
different career path, I wish Kurt woulda lived and then was like a monk somewhere. He
woulda been a great monk. He coulda been a great painter. He coulda been a great sculptor. He
was such a talented artist. He coulda done whatever he wanted to do. He didnt have to do what
he did. In his suicide note, Cobain mentions how fame destroyed his idea of what music looked
like for him, Sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on
stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it (and I...
