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

[boyfromvenus 14]

I think it's kind of sad to see this kind of power and control in some situations when it comes to artists and their labels. I think the artist should always be the ruler of their music and the art they create. However, most artists, I'd say like 99% of all artists are pretty much locked up and forced to negotiate with their labels, with the labels pretty much having the final say in many cases. There are good labels with good managers who allow their artists to be as creative as possible while still making as much of an income as they see appropriate. Such as Interscope I think (Gaga's label). Interscope is good imo compared to many other labels, say Kesha's. If you think about it, Gaga's been very creative and experimental with her work and the songs she's released. You can tell she's been very proud of her former work as well as with Joanne now. It's not ever basic or something to fit the mold. The record label trust Gaga like that. Which is good. It really isn't as easy as just leaving the label tho. The record label has ownership to pretty much all songs released with it and the artist can possibly find herself in a situation where she's not allowed to release a song again. At least not under their original artist name. There are a few artists such as queen Beyoncé for example, who're in control of their music pretty much entirely, bc they own their own label.

I haven't read the responses so I might've just written things already stated. Anyway

xoxo

[StJames 376]

10 hours ago, Katie14 said:

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. 

Her PTSD was a result of being raped not over worked. There are so many clauses in a contract that limit her just quitting without extenuating circumstances plus she might not even want to leave interscope. It's never as easy as just quitting a job. Artist sign a legally binding document to comeplete X amount of albums. I believe she's eluded in the past that Interscope have always been very supportive of her but her direct management have mismanaged her time and health. It also seemed to have come as a shock to her when no one came to visit her in hospital etc which broke her relationship with Troy but bobby came to the rescue.

[SlaeUrAnus 15,958]

Contract.

[Katie14 4,828]

9 minutes ago, StJames said:

Her PTSD was a result of being raped not over worked. There are so many clauses in a contract that limit her just quitting without extenuating circumstances plus she might not even want to leave interscope. It's never as easy as just quitting a job. Artist sign a legally binding document to comeplete X amount of albums. I believe she's eluded in the past that Interscope have always been very supportive of her but her direct management have mismanaged her time and health. It also seemed to have come as a shock to her when no one came to visit her in hospital etc which broke her relationship with Troy but bobby came to the rescue.

thats what i thought initially but in her letter she didnt mention rape as a cause, though im sure it was a contributing factor.

[HausOfMiklaus 1,803]

One word: contracts.

[Saint Laurent 4,862]

She probably could have bought herself out, but because she has a 360 deal she would basically have to pay speculative profits for another 2 album cycles (since her contract was for 5 albums).

That would turn out to be quite an expensive bill. She'd have to pay label profits on speculative album and single releases, two tours, merchandise etc.

I'd imagine the bill for her would have been about 40-60 million dollars.

For other artists smaller than Gaga it would obviously be less, but they earn less so.

Then she would probably be weary about what she would do next. She absolutely needs a record label for budgets, but most other labels would be worse than Interscope in terms of creative freedom.

[StJames 376]

27 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

thats what i thought initially but in her letter she didnt mention rape as a cause, though im sure it was a contributing factor.

PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder which is caused 99% of the time by a single event. Remember she had those tweets with piers Morgan who wanted to discuss her ptsd due to rape

[Katie14 4,828]

6 minutes ago, StJames said:

PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder which is caused 99% of the time by a single event. Remember she had those tweets with piers Morgan who wanted to discuss her ptsd due to rape

I don't want to argue about this. I am literally just going off of what she said. She tweeted about her PTSD being due to "multiple prolonged traumas over the course of my career" and based on everything she has said recently, I don't think she considers being raped the primary cause of it, because like I said, in her letter, she explains whats she thinks the primary causes are and rape isn't mentioned at all. 

[Boyboi12 2,125]

Lady Gaga doesn't own her masters or the name lady Gaga if I'm not mistaking. So that wouldn't have been a good move for her! 

[StJames 376]

17 minutes ago, Katie14 said:

I don't want to argue about this. I am literally just going off of what she said. She tweeted about her PTSD being due to "multiple prolonged traumas over the course of my career" and based on everything she has said recently, I don't think she considers being raped the primary cause of it, because like I said, in her letter, she explains whats she thinks the primary causes are and rape isn't mentioned at all. 

Youv misenterpreted my tone I'm not arguing at all. I was explaining it for the benefit of those that didn't understand ptsd etc

[Katie14 4,828]

1 minute ago, StJames said:

Youv misenterpreted my tone I'm not arguing at all. I was explaining it for the benefit of those that didn't understand ptsd etc

I didn't think you were arguing. I said that because I didn't want you to think i was trying to pick a fight with you 

[Economy 49,703]

Money,

Contracts,

Selling Out For Success,

Pressure,

Legalities Labels Force on you,

Not many other options for career

 

Take your pick 

[Killa 17,464]

Look, its not just money. Yes gaga is very influential in the Bizz. Its been proved that she can make things happen and is friends with powerful people

But this can mean nothing if a business of hers crosses paths with interests of previous management and interscope directly. No one will fund her. If even like this many people turned their back on her cause the ship was sinking... 

If there's no guarantees she loses conectts

Thats why she bought mj clothes. An investment that makes sense is true to her and can be useful. Shell buy rights for some music in the future like mj did with Beatles. I'm sure. 

Its good she's expanding in Hollywood. More connects but only business of her own will make people invest in her.

Also BTW foundation was very clever. It also gives her security. A project she both believes and will always make companies work with her. 

She has planned being independent. No doubt

Happy with label my ass. I might like my bosses but I have manyproblems at work. Simple as that. 

[SilkSpectre0 547]

15 hours ago, Killa said:

Thats why she bought mj clothes. An investment that makes sense is true to her and can be useful. Shell buy rights for some music in the future like mj did with Beatles. I'm sure. 

Didn't she buy the rights to Edith Piafs songs? I wonder what else she's has invested in 

[Killa 17,464]

16 hours ago, SilkSpectre0 said:

Didn't she buy the rights to Edith Piafs songs? I wonder what else she's has invested in 

oh i think i read something like that last year