If artists are unhappy with their label/mangers why don't they just quit?

[Katie14 4,828]

I brought this up in the Katy Perry thread and I wanted to relate this back to Gaga. We all know Gaga revealed that she suffers from PTSD, which stemmed from her being overworked on the BTWB tour, not being taken seriously when she said she was sad and in pain, and from having aspects of her creativity controlled/being booked for things that went against her values/interests ie perfume.

Gaga has a lot of money and money equals freedom. She could easily have gotten a new manager earlier and stayed with her label (im assuming Troy was most of the problem) or quit her label (or joined another one), hired her own creative team, and made music, art and performances her way. Working for a label usually means making creative compromises and being "milked" for your talents because at the end of the day, labels run on money. 

I just get this feeling that Gaga has this self destructive personality and she keeps putting herself in situations that make her unhappy because she is either trying to satisfy someone else or because she thinks it will benefit her in the future. And I also think that she thought she was friends with a lot of the people who she worked with, like her manager, then she realized they were her business partners and not actually her friends. Its always important to not blur the line between people who work for you and friends. Being friends with co workers on the same level as you is healthy but once there is a power dynamic, things get weird. 

Anyway, obviously being signed to a big label has its perks, like huge performance opportunities, promo, reach, connections, ect but if artists like Gaga are so unhappy that it causes them to become mentally ill, why don't they leave?

And I know there are contracts but im sure artists can pay their way out of those. 

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

I would think it's not as easy as just buying their way out. Look at the Kesha situation, she fought her ass off to get out of hers for almost two and a half years. 

[Edonis 28,950]

You're often on a contract, like most jobs, and if you leave early/terminate or breach your contract, you could run the risk for being sued. 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Contract based on albums released through label...

Large amount of money to "bail" as a fine for leaving out of contract

Either creating your own label or having to find another one right away

Rights and ownership of music catalog gets messy...

Etc, etc, etc...

[REALITY 76,377]

I"m sure it's not as easy as just "leaving their label". As others have mentioned, there are contracts (often based on album releases) and even if she has a ton of money, it'll take a lot of just straight up leave a company/label and start a new one.

 

[Seeka 12,372]

yeah you're trying to make it sound so simple, when working with humanity and Hollywood, such issues are not so simple.

They're other issues we are very simply missing. Timisia noted some of them.

I actually remember Adam Lambert being very unhappy when some of his pre-idol stuff was released but he had no control over it.

[Katie14 4,828]

So contracts can force artists to be stuck in borderline abusive situations?

[RonnieGagz 4,300]

17 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

So contracts can force artists to be stuck in borderline abusive situations?

That's the price of fame and money I believe 

[Whispering 18,865]

33 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

So contracts can force artists to be stuck in borderline abusive situations?

As you can see with Kesha, it's hard to prove. The labels put millions of dollars upfront for some artists, so they hold them to a contract for a certain amount of albums to get their money back and hopefully make money. 

Managers work for the artists. Artists can fire them. There might be some type of agreement in a contract where an artist has to pay severance for the year or something, but nothing like a contract with a major record label. 

[manicholic 3,694]

Another thing is that it's actually very very difficult to find new people for your team in the industry that you like/trust/respect, who'll treat you BETTER than the current team (should they be shitty). Even with Gaga, see how Bobby and Richy both worked for their predecessors, on the same team from beginning. There's a reason she didn't call up Scooter Braun / Guy Oseary types.

Pop artists have such temporary, constantly shifting windows to sustain/grow their career and such a huge change in your team can really kill a career for good, because of the time it takes to find the right new team, which might never come.

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

50 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

So contracts can force artists to be stuck in borderline abusive situations?

Again, look at the Kesha situation. 

[Katie14 4,828]

15 minutes ago, Whispering said:

As you can see with Kesha, it's hard to prove. The labels put millions of dollars upfront for some artists, so they hold them to a contract for a certain amount of albums to get their money back and hopefully make money. 

Managers work for the artists. Artists can fire them. There might be some type of agreement in a contract where an artist has to pay severance for the year or something, but nothing like a contract with a major record label. 

I don't think Gaga ever had any issues with her label. She has said many times that she is thankful to her label. All her issues stemmed from Troy and maybe some others who worked with him. I don't understand why Gaga didn't get rid of him sooner. And I don't think Gaga even fired him in the end. Didn't he quit? 

[manicholic 3,694]

52 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

So contracts can force artists to be stuck in borderline abusive situations?

Most artists do what Kesha did and sign horrifyingly degrading record deals, because of being young, desperate to "make it", unaware of contracts, and unlucky with industry connections. And they don't have parents and family friends who helped with negotiating deals like Gaga and Taylor Swift did. Then it's only if you become a huge A-list star generating tens of millions for a corporation and at peak of your game, that you have any leverage in renegotiating those shitty contracts

[Katie14 4,828]

1 minute ago, manicholic said:

Most artists do what Kesha did and sign horrifyingly degrading record deals, because of being young, desperate to "make it", unaware of contracts, and unlucky with industry connections. And they don't have parents and family friends who helped with negotiating deals like Gaga and Taylor Swift did. Then it's only if you become a huge A-list star generating tens of millions for a corporation and at peak of your game, that you have any leverage in renegotiating those shitty contracts

What was in kesha's contract that was so bad/degrading? Im not really familiar with her case. i just know she claimed her manager? abused her sexually and emotionally but its in her contract to create more albums with him and until she fulfills that she can't work with other people (something like that). 

[Adakam 2]

8 minutes ago, manicholic said:

Most artists do what Kesha did and sign horrifyingly degrading record deals, because of being young, desperate to "make it", unaware of contracts, and unlucky with industry connections. And they don't have parents and family friends who helped with negotiating deals like Gaga and Taylor Swift did. Then it's only if you become a huge A-list star generating tens of millions for a corporation and at peak of your game, that you have any leverage in renegotiating those shitty contracts

Exactly, labels take advantage of you when you are a noob, its basically a "wanna be famous? do as we say, or you can go back to not being famous" or even have your name blacklisted if you dont agree at the first moment.

They pick your image, your songs, your visuals, everything...