Do Albums Matter Anymore?

[LUO YI 6,089]

4 hours ago, KNJ said:

that's interesting ...but the pendulum definitely swinging back to analog. LP and cassette sales have risen significantly year over year. i think its a combo of people wising up to the fact that their digital catalogs are impermanent and a contract dispute away from deletion, even though they paid for it. Which in turn creates a nostalgia for tactile "real" things and the prearranged cohesion, flow and artistry of a well produced album. Inside and out

OT: I miss hidden tracks (how can you even do that digitally?) I miss liner notes (have you ever tried looking for liner notes online???)

I MISS (good) COVER ART

Idk but what I see is fans buying multiple copies as collection items  I mean, look at the kpop industry, albums sell pretty good numbers because of the packaging and the many versions there are for a single project. I wish this side of the world put some effort into album packaging. I don’t buy jewel cases anymore, with a few exceptions. 

Of course there’s a small percentage of the GP actually buying them but I think is mostly fans. We only see artists like Adele selling big.

[Epione 10,896]

No, we want a new palette.

[Sechito 490]

I think EPs would work better in the industry now, tbh. Peoples attention spans are short lol

[Sechito 490]

5 hours ago, SimonSays said:

Idk but what I see is fans buying multiple copies as collection items  I mean, look at the kpop industry, albums sell pretty good numbers because of the packaging and the many versions there are for a single project. I wish this side of the world put some effort into album packaging. I don’t buy jewel cases anymore, with a few exceptions. 

Of course there’s a small percentage of the GP actually buying them but I think is mostly fans. We only see artists like Adele selling big.

The thing with kpop albums is that its not an album, theres posters, photobook etc and it gives it value to consumers. Im not saying western artists should do it but it seems to work for korean artists

[PartySick 134,744]

For an artist like Gaga, definitely yes.

Her music works so much better when it's within the context of a larger work like an album and people appreciate it more when they take the time to think about the album's themes.

Born This Way's society message, ARTPOP's personal expression/pain message, Joanne's familial connection and sincerity, the songs all work like puzzle pieces to connect those themes.

Without an album, you just have a bunch of pieces

[Helxig 39,641]

I like the format of receiving 12-18 songs all at once with a cohesive theme and flow to it. Don't drip feed me one song at a time randomly, that sucks.

Where's the fun? The anticipation? The excitement of release date and receiving a whole body of work? Why would I even pay attention for a one song release?

[MetalGaga 353]

If the artist has a lot to say and the themes all mesh together, it should be an album. It should also all release at once. 

I really don't think people's attention spans are short. The market is saturated like crazy and the internet has made everything absurd when it comes to content consumption. 

Make an album > promote it with touring > usually get ideas for next album on the road > make a new album after a couple of years > get older, start with the 3 to 4 years cycle, fall off the charts and release whatever you want until you're done. This is all with label support, usually. 

Katy Perry can drop singles every three months because she has a back catalog. Gaga won't go for this, I just feel that in my bones. 

Let's say you're brand new. Release a single every three months. Get some followers. It's poppin' off, but you don't get signed. You're probably still broke. Now what? You're getting likes and stuff? This is essentially soundcloud. You can't possibly tour with one or two songs in your arsenal. You going to do cover songs to wrap up your set? What's the end game here? You're now making music as a hobby, instead of what it could be: World changing. For you and others. You need to make an album and go tour. Otherwise...why. What is the point? 

A fully fledged, well thought out and executed album from a passionate artist wanting to say something will leave a bigger legacy than any artist dropping singles every few months on Spotify. 

We are in a world of creative hurt if it goes the digital singles route. 

7 minutes ago, PartySick said:

For an artist like Gaga, definitely yes.

Her music works so much better when it's within the context of a larger work like an album and people appreciate it more when they take the time to think about the album's themes.

Born This Way's society message, ARTPOP's personal expression/pain message, Joanne's familial connection and sincerity, the songs all work like puzzle pieces to connect those themes.

Without an album, you just have a bunch of pieces

I'd also like to point out that, using Gaga as an example thanks to PartySick, someone as powerful as Gaga wrote these songs FAST. In the moment. Lots of tweaking to get the final result, but she blasted songs out like crazy. As a song writer myself(failing to get past hobby stage), I do not like sitting on content. I want people to hear it all. You're in the moment and Gaga was writing ARTPOP(A completely different genre and aesthetic) before BTWB was even over! Imagine trying to just drip feed that to people while you're getting older and your mind is racing and making music. It would be a nightmare. 

To sit back and take in an hour of someone's audio journey over 2-3-4 years of their life is really something. It has to be good, though. 

[Red Velvet 10,973]

While it does matter more in genres such as rap, rock, r&b and k-pop, yes. 

Releasing such a cohesive work takes such brilliance to come form and I believe in arrists. We have albums such as DAMN, Melodrama, Lemonade, 21, Map of the Soul: Persona and The Fame Monster, which comes in dorm and with different ways of expressing their initial concept of the albums. 

[LUO YI 6,089]

35 minutes ago, Sechito said:

The thing with kpop albums is that its not an album, theres posters, photobook etc and it gives it value to consumers. Im not saying western artists should do it but it seems to work for korean artists

That’s why they are worth it. If I want the album I can buy it on itunes. I liked when Taylor did the magazine with Reputation, that was so cool.

[whateveradore 823]

yes and no at the same time, sadly.
For fans, and music lovers, yes ... as 1. we love to have full projects 2. we love to analyze its cohesiveness
For the General Public, no ... they will listen to whatever is on the radio as is popular and they can chill with each other to it OR they'll listen to 80 different SoundCloud rappers that will never make it

[Sechito 490]

6 hours ago, PartySick said:

For an artist like Gaga, definitely yes.

Her music works so much better when it's within the context of a larger work like an album and people appreciate it more when they take the time to think about the album's themes.

Born This Way's society message, ARTPOP's personal expression/pain message, Joanne's familial connection and sincerity, the songs all work like puzzle pieces to connect those themes.

Without an album, you just have a bunch of pieces

gagas way of doing things definitely work but other artists dont really need to do it

[Sechito 490]

6 hours ago, MetalGaga said:

Gaga was writing ARTPOP(A completely different genre and aesthetic) before BTWB was even over! Imagine trying to just drip feed that to people while you're getting older and your mind is racing and making music. It would be a nightmare. 

To sit back and take in an hour of someone's audio journey over 2-3-4 years of their life is really something. It has to be good, though. 

This.

[Alfonso 1,203]

Yup, I don't really like the singles only trend 

[Doot 2]

On 12/11/2019 at 11:48 AM, Glamourpuss said:

Taylor sold 1 million pure copies of Lover this year. 

This isn't discrediting her, but we can't ignore the multiple editions she dropped, the extensive promo and the placement of her albums literally everywhere. She has her album mixed into the single aisle Christmas section at Walgreens. 

It's to the point where I wouldn't put it past her to replace toilet paper in public restrooms with her album just to ensure she can snag a few more sales. 

[whore 11,441]

I’m not reading the thread so I don’t know if this has been said but solid bodies of work are definitely favorable over a compilation of singles. Every (good, well made) album has songs known as “deep cuts” that would never stand a chance as a single but can often be the best songs on the album. It could be the perfect song but it just has a different feel to it than the singles.