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The post Lizzo Says Algorithms Have Left Music Industry \u201cIn Shambles,\u201d Killed the \u201cSong of the Summer\u201d<\/a> appeared first on Consequence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Earlier this summer, Lizzo<\/a> unveiled an entertaining enough mixtape titled My Face Hurts from Smiling<\/em><\/a>. Now, the actor-singer isn\u2019t exactly smiling as she\u2019s taken to TikTok<\/a> for a rant against the current state of the music industry.<\/p>\n In the 3.5-minute clip, the multiple Grammy Award winner begins by saying the industry is in \u201ccomplete shambles right now.\u201d Lizzo then goes on to explain that after years of working under an \u201calgorithmic model,\u201d the industry has lost control to a certain extent. As such, \u201cno one can serve the masses anymore,\u201d and that inevitably means something like the much-coveted Song of the Summer (where disparate groups can rally around one artist in a showcase of true cultural significance) is no longer possible.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something to that argument, of course. In a recent Wired<\/em> piece titled \u201cThe Song of the Summer Is Dead,\u201d<\/a> writer Jason Parham argues the media landscape has become fragmented after \u201cmusic streamers replaced radio stations, [and] TikTok killed the music video.\u201d He goes on to describe several reasons why 2025 was an \u201cunpredictable summer for music.\u201d That includes increasingly eclectic musical preferences across streaming platforms like Spotify; an \u201cauthenticity crisis\u201d spurred on by a deluge of \u201cAI slop\u201d; and even Donald Trump, whose \u201cdomineering influence may represent a new version of monoculture that not even the music industry can evade.\u201d<\/p>\n For her part, Lizzo says that the breakdown of the algorithm and loss of creative authorship\/control has altered the way in which artists manage their careers. Whereas musicians were previously \u201cservicing songs out to certain channels and radio stations,\u201d an increasingly congested \u201cinternet space\u201d meant there\u2019s no \u201cclear channel out for people to put their music out and serve the masses.\u201d She points to a platform like TikTok, where even with a follower count well beyond 26 million, Lizzo herself struggles with getting her videos\/content onto people\u2019s screens.<\/p>\n So, then, what\u2019s the solution? Lizzo says that more major artists \u201chave to serve your people,\u201d which means starting private fan pages where you can \u201chave a dialogue with people that actually give a fuck\u2026\u201d In addition to interactions with her own \u201csmall but mighty\u201d army of \u201cLizbians,\u201d Lizzo uplifts Taylor Swift<\/a>, whose own Swifties are \u201clocked the fuck in.\u201d And, to an extent, Swift\u2019s fans are both a path forward and a sign of the times for the music industry. Because as problematic as some of their collective behaviors can be<\/a>, one can\u2019t deny the cultural weight held by this legion of fans. (See the semi-swaying power of Swifties for Kamala<\/a> and how the fandom helped push \u201cThe Eras Tour\u201d toward a record-smashing $2 billion in sales<\/a>.)<\/p>\n But perhaps Lizzo\u2019s most uplifting message is specifically for the young\/up-and-coming artists. She says this moment in time means \u201cyou have an advantage over even major artists,\u201d as independent artists can connect with people at a \u201cway quicker rate.\u201d Lizzo goes on to say that if she were a young artist in 2025, she\u2019d avoid \u201cthe old-school route [of getting] signed\u201d and instead record ample music\/other content and debut it online right away. And it\u2019s hard to argue that point, either. In a recent video with Drowned in Sound<\/em><\/a>, British singer-songwriter Mary Spender called 2025 the year for independent artists, noting that her \u201csmall, not viral\u201d approach has helped her build a fanbase of paying, hugely supportive fans that make her career aspirations possible.<\/p>\n Be you fan, major music star, or indie upstart, Lizzo\u2019s video is certainly worth your time. Because in addition to those other decidedly salient points, she ends the video with one proper gem: \u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible year for music; it just hasn\u2019t been on your algorithm.\u201d Which is to say, great music releases and subsequent consumption mean going beyond the models and other approaches we\u2019ve been presented and doing a little digging. When that happens, industry playing fields are leveled, more artists get fresh opportunities, and we engage with music as people and not mere receptacles for algorithms.<\/p>\n But, no, Lizzo, I still don\u2019t think PLUTO\u2019s \u201cWHIM WHAMIEE\u201d<\/a> is quite song of the summer.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Popular Posts<\/p>\n