Artists are humans too—your selfishness shouldn’t cost them their well-being.
When an artist is building musical momentum, it can be hard to take a break for multiple reasons. Fans can be demanding and seem to have difficulty seeing their favourite artists as regular human beings.
The recent controversy surrounding Chappell Roan highlights these themes of lack of boundaries between fans and artists. Roan recently spoke out about the lack of boundaries between her fans and herself, making clear that she requires boundaries, doesn’t owe any fans anything, and is tired of harassment. Even this statement wasn’t received well by fans as a lot of listeners believe she signed up for this life when she chose to be a famous singer and performer.
These unhealthy, constant demands lead to high expectations for artists and celebrities that result in a lack of empathy when a celebrity decides to take a break. The risk of losing fans on top of production leads to a decrease in financial success. Social media culture can make artists feel as though they’re falling behind if they’re not creating and engaging with fans constantly.
It can be challenging for artists to prioritize creative success over commercial success when the former should be most important to an artist. Time and space are crucial to be happy, healthy, and thriving within any career path.
The privilege to take a break isn’t something everyone has the ability to be able to do. It’s a luxury that Adele can stop making music indefinitely and know that she will continue to be monetarily well-off. If you have the privilege to put the constant stress down for a minute, you should exercise that opportunity.
An effective example of the toxicity of fame and importance of taking a break when you need one can be seen in pop/folk singer Clairo’s musical career. After releasing her debut bedroom pop album, Immunity, in 2019, she almost quit music because she was tired of being anxious and sexualized in the music industry.
However, Clairo took a break from music, retreated to a cabin in the woods, and constantly tried to write and heal, which led her to create her second album, Sling. The album is a beautiful work of art and reflects on almost every aspect of human life. Fans would’ve been deprived of this lovely folk album had Clairo not put herself first and taken a break to reconnect with herself as an artist.
Artists shouldn’t have to cater their careers to their fans. Taking a break is a healthy way to recommit to the creative process and create for yourself. The more music an artist pumps out, the more it begins to resemble a sterile practice of hitting a quota, as opposed to quality art that’s being created from the heart.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].