Artists and brands, brands and artists

A month ago, Shawn Mendes announced that he was canceling his “Wonder” tour to focus on his mental health. He delivered the news on Instagram and Twitter stating, “I’ve been touring since I was 15 and to be honest it’s always been difficult to be on the road away from friends and family… I felt like I was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature.”

This isn’t the first time we are seeing artists speak out about topics that matter to them besides music. Music is the greatest universal form of emotional transaction; it breaks barriers and disrupts norms. We’ve seen this with Billie Holiday fighting for civil rights with her song “Strange Fruit” and Marvin Gaye advocating for environmental issues with “Mercy Mercy Me”. Evidently, music continues to be a source of escape but also a true inspiration and sense of comfort for listeners.

When connecting with fans on a deeper level, transparency proves to be the common denominator for the success of Mendes and artists like Billie Eilish and Doja Cat. Social media and the internet have made musicians so accessible. Gone are the days where celebrities feel untouchable – their fans want to know more about their creative process and life outside their trade. “Artists are lifestyle brands and [their] music is the product that fits into their fans’ lives” (Burns); therefore, it is important for artists to create authentic and consistent images that stretch from their music to their social media.

In fact, companies have changed their internal structures to have all encompassing mental and physical health benefits for team members. And on the product side, they’re working to ensure they will better their consumers and the planet; start up companies have the opportunity to bake these into their brand DNA from day one. Showing up for the consumers creates a necessary trust factor.

Since the beginning of her stardom, Billie Eilish has been at the forefront of changing the stereotypical pop star mold. Everything about the way she presents herself instantly hooks fans, especially Gen Z’ers. The contrast and addition of inserted voice overs, samples from known TV shows, and her brother’s ability to make everyday sounds into beats for her songs makes Eilish stand out for her complex musicianship, as well as her relatability.

Eilish never strayed from showing the true works of being a teenager from her music to her image. In fact, we see this beautifully through Vanity Fair’s “Same Interview, Fifth Year”. Since 2017, she has been asked the same questions, and listeners get to see her answers evolve over the years to follow her personal growth. She shares about living with Tourette’s Syndrome, discusses depression, and attends the Youth Climate Strike with Greta Thunberg. The image she has created for herself is consistently genuine which is key in resonating with Gen Z’ers who want to connect with the people they follow on a deeper level.

Similarly, brands, now more than ever, can easily engage with their consumers and fans. Social comments offer personality, create brand credibility, and make the experience more intimate. In fact, we’re seeing many DTC brands turn into lifestyle brands in order to speak to their customers on a more personal level beyond the transaction (see Dame, Glossier, Inamorata, Fable, Miss Grass and Solid & Striped). It creates a trusting factor — a devoted fan base such as the one Eilish has built for herself. This puts the product in a more valuable position as the consumers know what comes from engaging with the brand. Brands of tomorrow and artists recognize the power of connecting with their audience outside of transaction. No wonder artist and brand partnerships are becoming so popular, they’re the perfect recipe for the Gen Z consumer.

Speaking of, Doja Cat’s TikToks and her brand partnerships have been generating a lot of hype recently. Instead of discussing hot topics, Doja uses humor to embody the same internet finesse we’ve been accustomed to with Eilish. Doja lets the “cat” out of the bag with her unapologetic content, blunt opinions, and TikTok remixes on videos she loves/hates.

@dojacat All this time being a #TacoBellPartner was worth it for this moment 🥲 Finally got my #mexicanpizza ♬ original sound – Doja Cat

She is on a new level when it comes to connecting with her fans, all while making headway as the music industry’s brand partnership queen. Her Taco Bell campaign started from a tweet she posted begging for Taco Bell to bring their Mexican Pizza back. And it ended with a partnership and a few catchy bars over a playful beat.

Bill Wyman, the VP of Integrated Marketing for JBL expressed that letting Doja pronounce the brand differently instead of correcting her was, in fact, better for their marketing campaign. This sliver of authenticity shined, and fans and consumers got to see that Doja posted the product because she liked it, not because she was forced to.

It’s evident that like us and the founders we invest in, artists and brands are bringing consumer-obsession to a whole new level. What they do is in service to themselves first but their fans second. Many moons ago, artists went through huge makeovers (physically and mentally) to sell the story that record labels wanted to sell more records. Now, artists are pushing back, owning their own voices, personal brands, and doing what they want based on what will help them mentally and what will benefit their fans to see… including brand partnerships that just.make.sense. Now, excuse me while I bedazzle my own jibble.