Today, Explained · Podcast summary
How to survive a flop
In this episode of "Explained to Me," Dan Wilson, the Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, discusses the art of the flop, the changing landscape of music popularity, and how artists can navigate the unpredictable nature of success and failure in the industry.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 📉A flop is defined as the gap between an artist's ambition and the reality of their reception, especially when expectations are high.02:37
- 🕰️The concept of a 'flop' is not new, with examples dating back to silent film stars and the Bee Gees.03:20
- 📱TikTok's rise upended the internet attention economy, making traditional metrics of popularity feel outdated and leading to artists being perceived as less reliable.04:32
- 📊The definition of popularity has shifted from sales to streaming metrics like how often and for how long a song is listened to, creating confusion about what true popularity means.05:46
- phoenixA 'flop era' can be a catalyst for a 'fun redemption arc,' as seen with Madonna's comeback album Confessions 2 and Slayyyter's creatively freeing, noisy album.07:42
- ❌Songs flop due to unmet expectations, poor timing, or misreading the audience, rather than solely being 'bad' music.13:12
Chapters
- 1:51Introduction to the Flop Era
- 3:56The Changing Landscape of Music Popularity
- 7:12The TikTok Effect and New Metrics of Success
- 12:17The Redemption Arc: How Flops Can Lead to Comebacks
- 20:12Why Songs Flop: Expectations, Timing, and Marketing
- 25:55Katy Perry's Flop Era: A Case Study
- 30:12From Annoying to Classic: The Power of Hindsight
- 32:10Reinvention and Resilience: How Artists Respond to Flops
- 39:54Dan Wilson's Journey: From Performer to Songwriter
The digest
In an insightful episode of "Explained to Me," host JQ sits down with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Dan Wilson to delve into the complex and often brutal world of musical success and failure. They explore what constitutes a "flop" in today's ever-evolving music landscape, how artists can recover from setbacks, and the shifting metrics of popularity in the age of streaming.
The Shifting Sands of Stardom: Ambition vs. Reality
Spencer Kornhaber, a music and pop culture writer for The Atlantic, kicks off the discussion by defining a flop as the disconnect between an artist's ambition and the reality of their reception. He explains that when an artist, especially one with grand goals or a track record of hits, fails to meet those expectations, it creates a condition where the public might notice and the term "flop" comes into play. This isn't a new phenomenon; even silent movie stars faced similar challenges when Hollywood transitioned to "talkies," and their careers were deemed "washed up."
JQ questions whether this current focus on "flop eras" is a new phenomenon or if it's simply "stan brain" taking over. Kornhaber clarifies that the idea of a flop is one of the oldest storylines in entertainment history, citing examples from the Bee Gees, whose music suddenly stopped selling after the public turned on disco, to contemporary artists like Lizzo, whose recent album didn't resonate with the "o-so-woke 2010s" audience.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 7-minute article, 7 more sections, and every new episode from Today, Explained and the creators you follow.
- The TikTok Effect: A New Attention Economy
- The Art of the Comeback: Redemption Arcs and Creative Freedom
- Why Songs Flop: Expectations, Timing, and Marketing
- The Intertwined Nature of Art and Persona
- Katy Perry's Flop Era: A Cautionary Tale
- The Power of Hindsight: From Annoying to Classic
- Reinvention and Resilience: How Artists Respond to Flops
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