Artists Who Abandoned Their Fanbases

[Bonkers 26,844]

2 hours ago, holy scheisse said:

gaga would never abandon her little customers

omg that's funny.

That's the best one since "little managers" debuted 

[27monster27 9,619]

In music business classes I've taken this is sometimes called "emptying the bucket". You have a bucket of water that us your fan base, and there is a hole in it that symbolizes the need to retain interest. If you make a more major music change, then you empty the bucket. Obviously the core fan base will stay because they support the artist, but a lot of lesser fans may leave because they won't be as interested.

[monstertoronto 7,871]

2 hours ago, OMonster said:

Well, I did say "abandoned" is an overly emotional word. But I disagree that she just happens to have more things on her plate. That's a conscious decision from her to have more things on her plate that aren't designed to please her core fan base. She knows that; her team knows that. She and her team made a conscious decision post-AP to grow her fanbase and stop serving the same core segment of it. I would say the fact that "little monsters have to be more patient for what they want most want from her" is a symptom of this. The fan base wouldn't have to "wait longer" if they were "her" priority... but we are waiting and that's because the core LM community is no longer "her" priority. Partly because of her own desire for artistic development and expansion but also (I think undeniably) because her core fan base is no longer as lucratively monetisable. As in, pop music no longer sells as well as it once did. Hence why Haus Labs is a thing. Although I recognise those projects are also the result of Gaga wanting to do more (and not just for the sake of money) but I have no doubt that the commercial decline of her pop music has contributed to those projects being green-lit in the first place.

I’m sorry but I think this is a very selfish, selfcentred take. Your personal interests do not represent “her core fanbase”. You do not get to speak for her core fanbase and determine when some things she has made “aren’t designed to please her core fanbase”.  These statements are so entitled.  “How dare she not create something that’s “designed” specifically to “please my expectations”.  Also, who are you to say that everybody project that your personally did not enjoy means she’s “abandoned” her fanbase because you feel it didn’t cater to you.  I am def one of her core fanbase, been stanning her since the verb beginning, and part of what I love about her is seeing her range and supporting all her different endeavours.  I was thrilled she did ASIB and could expland her fanbase, and I loved seeing her blossom into an acclaimed actesss as well as out out the biggest hit of her career as well as an amazing album. Your inclusion of that era as evidence that she abandoned her fanbase is absurd. And tons of people likes Joanne. Artists are free to explore different sounds and projects. It’s ridiculous to claim she abandoned anyone just because you want to put her in a single box of things you personally like and expect her to stay there. 

[OMonster 14,222]

4 minutes ago, monstertoronto said:

I’m sorry but I think this is a very selfish, selfcentred take. Your personal interests do not represent “her core fanbase”. You do not get to speak for her core fanbase and determine when some things she has made “aren’t designed to please her core fanbase”.  These statements are so entitled.  “How dare she not create something that’s “designed” specifically to “please my expectations”.  Also, who are you to say that everybody project that your personally did not enjoy means she’s “abandoned” her fanbase because you feel it didn’t cater to you.  I am def one of her core fanbase, been stanning her since the verb beginning, and part of what I love about her is seeing her range and supporting all her different endeavours.  I was thrilled she did ASIB and could expland her fanbase, and I loved seeing her blossom into an acclaimed actesss as well as out out the biggest hit of her career as well as an amazing album. Your inclusion of that era as evidence that she abandoned her fanbase is absurd. And tons of people likes Joanne. Artists are free to explore different sounds and projects. It’s ridiculous to claim she abandoned anyone just because you want to put her in a single box of things you personally like and expect her to stay there. 

I think you've either misread my post(s) or are just looking to be offended for whatever reason. You're talking as though I dared to criticise Gaga. Where? Because most of the 'quotes' you attribute to me in this comment were never written by me, so I'm not sure where they came from.

I literally never said she "abandoned" her fanbase. I very intentionally didn't use that word because... I don't think she did. I said she deprioritised her core fanbase, which she objectively has. I also never said I didn't/don't enjoy her non-pop music projects. I do. I loved Joanne, ASIB and HOG. But all three of these 'projects' are objectively evidence of her switching things up and not following what her core fan base wanted to see (ie: pop music). 

"It’s ridiculous to claim she abandoned anyone just because you want to put her in a single box of things you personally like and expect her to stay there." - I mean, where did I say that? I don't want her to be put in any box. In fact, all I've done is recognise that she no longer (and not for a long time) has sat in any one box... and in her doing so, she's actively listened less and less to what her fans want, by design. 

And you can call me entitled (which I think is pretty personal) for 'talking on behalf of her core fan base' but, ultimately, it's a fact that Gaga's core fan base didn't ask for the majority of her work since AP (minus Chromatica). Her fanbase has since evolved and lots of fans have dropped off along the way... as demonstrated by her objectively declining (in no way declined) commercial success as a pop artist... but new fans have also come along for the ride too... all as a direct result of - to bring this argument full circle - her deprioritising the demands of her fans. I fail to see how there's anything shocking or negative in that statement. It's just... a fact?

Taylor Swift is an artist who pretty much only does what her fans want. And as a result of that, she has a huge fan base that's not only grown but grown consistently in the same direction. Gaga is an artist who will (mostly) do whatever she wants, regardless of what her fans want. She is, I think, one of the least fan-centred pop artists in the mainstream market today... which is ironic, given how she started out. But ultimately, I think her being less and less focused on delivering fan service is what saved her career after AP. Strategically, her decision to expand her fan base, and deprioritise the demands of a very large (and original) segment of it, was a very good one. I don't think she'd be where she is now - one of the most respected and acclaimed talents in history - without doing that.

[nodandsmile 9,134]

1 hour ago, monstertoronto said:

I’m sorry but I think this is a very selfish, selfcentred take. Your personal interests do not represent “her core fanbase”. You do not get to speak for her core fanbase and determine when some things she has made “aren’t designed to please her core fanbase”.  These statements are so entitled.  “How dare she not create something that’s “designed” specifically to “please my expectations”.  Also, who are you to say that everybody project that your personally did not enjoy means she’s “abandoned” her fanbase because you feel it didn’t cater to you.  I am def one of her core fanbase, been stanning her since the verb beginning, and part of what I love about her is seeing her range and supporting all her different endeavours.  I was thrilled she did ASIB and could expland her fanbase, and I loved seeing her blossom into an acclaimed actesss as well as out out the biggest hit of her career as well as an amazing album. Your inclusion of that era as evidence that she abandoned her fanbase is absurd. And tons of people likes Joanne. Artists are free to explore different sounds and projects. It’s ridiculous to claim she abandoned anyone just because you want to put her in a single box of things you personally like and expect her to stay there. 

you perfectly described a part of this fanbase but boy did you quote the wrong person... they did not say any of that!

[GagasEnigma4 721]

1 hour ago, monstertoronto said:

I’m sorry but I think this is a very selfish, selfcentred take. Your personal interests do not represent “her core fanbase”. You do not get to speak for her core fanbase and determine when some things she has made “aren’t designed to please her core fanbase”.  These statements are so entitled.  “How dare she not create something that’s “designed” specifically to “please my expectations”.  Also, who are you to say that everybody project that your personally did not enjoy means she’s “abandoned” her fanbase because you feel it didn’t cater to you.  I am def one of her core fanbase, been stanning her since the verb beginning, and part of what I love about her is seeing her range and supporting all her different endeavours.  I was thrilled she did ASIB and could expland her fanbase, and I loved seeing her blossom into an acclaimed actesss as well as out out the biggest hit of her career as well as an amazing album. Your inclusion of that era as evidence that she abandoned her fanbase is absurd. And tons of people likes Joanne. Artists are free to explore different sounds and projects. It’s ridiculous to claim she abandoned anyone just because you want to put her in a single box of things you personally like and expect her to stay there. 

This. Totally agree! She doesnt need to do stuff to please everyone, she just needs to do what makes her happy. I personally love her range, and dont see it as abandoning her fanbase at all. Artists are allowed to evolve and change. Literally Plastic Doll is about not wanting to be put in a box. She is a human being, she cannot live to serve others. Without her happiness or mental health she would not even be able to do any of this. She has to do what makes her happy and I think she is doing just that. For example, lots of LMs here hate the jazz eras. But she LOVES to perform jazz! I have seen her jazz show a few times and she just lights up and is so happy to perform jazz. And she needs to do what she wants to do. Her mental health and happiness is above everything else

Edited June 2, 2023 by GagasEnigma4

[GagasEnigma4 721]

I also think Taylor wants to be more of a brand. And thats okay. Gaga has earned the right to do whatever she wants, and I am glad she does what she truly wants and not just to please the fanbase. Gaga does what she does to make her happy and thats okay too! Even if it upsets some of her fans, she us being true to herself

[Naak Le Vaar 1,008]

5 hours ago, Bronco said:

I think the issue with comparing Pre & Post ARTPOP Gaga is people don't always recognise the amount of label pressure she was under particularly between the Fame's success & her injury in the BTW Ball. 

If you actually look at her release cadence from Just Dance through to the injury in the BTW Ball I don't think the label ever let her breathe. And as fans we all got used to the speed so any departure from that seems like being ignored or deprioritised. 
But realistically in the modern pop industry it's not normal to have the back to back constant release schedule unless the artists are being drained for every penny possible before being dispossed of by the label (like the Kpop model). And you do see in any artist like Ed or Ari where releases are near back to back that quality and engagement dips over time. 

I think the idea is if Gaga wanted to interact with her fan base more she would do it. I appreciate Gaga for everything's she's done and if she wanted to leave Hollywood and live the rest of her days in peace then so be it. I get she's busy and was overworked, yes, but I swear there are stretches of time where she'll disappear then just come back to sell her makeup and act like nothings changed. It's clear we aren't her priority anymore. And that's fine, at this point in her life she has other things she wants to accomplish, good on her. Doesn't make it any less true she sorta kinda leaves her fanbase in the dust most of the time

[BlingNotTheMusic 27,284]

4 hours ago, Roronoa said:

the exception being HMH cuz that song is republican

[Edonis 26,544]

Bowie did this several times starting in the late 70s and early 80s. Despite the retrospective articles praising them now, his initial transformations and attempts to branch out into different genres were not received well with his original fan base. 
 

This also kind of happened with Madonna to an extent. Outside of her core fan base made up of the girls and gays, the fans who were living for Ray of Light and Music-era Madge were not the same fans that were into her Like a Virgin/True Blue-era hits. 
 

For more modern examples, The Weeknd comes to mind. I think it’s less noticeable because his visual aesthetic has stayed fairly consistent since his House of Balloons days, but his PRNB fan base has pretty much disappeared since he entered the mainstream music industry in 2014/2015. 

[skaxboy 3,647]

Not me dragging my other fave, but Gwen Stefani. 
 

Gwen has been a favorite of mine since elementary school. No Doubt was gateway to other rock bands in the mid/late 90s for me. Plus had me exploring Ska and then Reggae with Rocksteady. Gwen’s solo eras were an awesome transition and her more recent flops are bops but not with the same resonance as earlier solo stuff. 

I liked that she didn’t perform ND songs on solo shows but now that she does it feels odd. 
 

The Voice and her current spouse kinda changed it all. She still is charming and dorky and a fantastic performer but I feel her new music isn’t really catered to anyone specifically. 

“Don’t Speak” just hit 1 Billion views on YouTube. Gwen posted a performance of her and Blake. The video came to fruition. The boys still posted about it with all ND members. I am so happy she and her man are in love but it’s kinda changed her a bit. The Blake fans are annoying tbh, a completely different dynamic than the No Doubters and Gwenabee fans. 
 

 

 I adore this song but it kinda bothers me there was absolutely no audience engagement. I get it goes with the song but it’s kinda symbolic to her career atm, Blake is the focus.  

 

[dubstep111 527]

Gaga for sure! I mean she literally laughs at her previous work

[Future Lovers 5,676]

As a Shawn stan, I don’t feel like he abandoned us by any stretch. He’s definitely in the middle of some personal changes in his life, and with that has come some distance absolutely but that’s to be expected. He’s been famous since he was 15 and spent the most formative years of his life in the public eye. It makes sense that he’s playing a bit of catch up now. 

Wonder wasn’t a smash no but the tour was selling very well before he decided to pull the plug. His audience is still there, it’s just a matter of whether or not he’s going to dive in full force again like he did for the first three eras or if his preference has grown into release an album -> tour with little in between. 

And if it’s the latter, then honestly most of his core fanbase is fine with that I feel. We’ve never been particularly demanding and have known he’s never really aspired to being a Bieber clone so if he chooses to stay more lowkey and downgrade from stadium headliner, I don’t foresee that mattering much to his core fanbase. He’ll just settle into a smaller niche. 

[Delulu Rogers 6,408]

It’s great if gaga wants to venture in other areas but she has ditched her fans to some extent. It has nothing to do with her meeting the demands of fans, but when was the last time she even referred to us or surprised us with something? Especially when you think about certain fans around the world. For fans in Brazil, I bet for sure they feel like she abandoned them. 

[Onlygaga 577]

13 hours ago, NATAH said:

and for good reason, this fanbase was nasty to her in 2013

Not just 2013. It was 2014-15 and definitely 2016 with Joanne. No wonder that poor poor woman doesn’t interact with us any more I don’t blame her one bit.