The 1960’s and 70’s brought us great protest songs. The Vietnam War was a dominant musical theme in the ’60s and ’70s. Antiwar songs was the centerpiece at the Woodstock festival in 1969. Music can change the world and it did. Music was the most powerful means of voicing opposition. Artists were protesting against a war and rallied for international peace.

But with all the divisiness today, where are the protest songs? Today, a protest more or less looks like a cringeworthy rant on social media from laymen.
In 60’s and 70’s there was a red line between the artist class and the ruling class. Today, the creative community have aligned themselves with the political class which also includes the big tech billionaires who run Facebook, Google, Twitter and Youtube.
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins notes, “I mean, there’s friction against one political party, but there doesn’t really seem to be a counterculture, which is kind of strange.”
Where is the friction and the divide? Nobody is raging against the machine. Has the machine become too powerful to rage against? I don’t know, but let it face the music – a proven enemy!

Check out Fire To My Brain by Nashville based Renn. He has a collection of indie folk songs that landed on Spotify’s Cinematic Indie Folk playlist, but his latest track is straight up commercial electro pop. Think of an updated version of Imagine Dragons. Before heading to Nashville, RENN resided in Wilmington, NC and immersed himself with poets and songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, David Gray, and Ray LaMontagne. Give it a stream. Give it a listen.

Why are artists selling off song catalogues? For a few reasons. Global music sales hit an all time low in 2013. Then Spotify arrived on the scene that catapulted classic songs to almost a 153% increase. Streaming has accounted for nearly 80% of the music market.

Right now, music publishing is at its peak. It’s the right time for well known established artists to sell their rights when deals are being doing at 20 times value. Also, deals are being done quickly with Joe Biden aiming to significantly raise capital gains tax for composers whose songs sell for more than $1m.
Stevie Nicks, Barry Manilow, Blondie, Chrissie Hynde, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, the Killers and Imagine Dragons have sold their rights. Everyone knows that Bob Dylan sold his songs for hundreds of millions.

It’s also worth mentioning that the pandemic has fueled these deals as live gigs and tours have come to a halt. This is a billion-dollar market that is off the table.
Entertainment is a winner takes all market and the legendary artists are seeing the highest deals.

Other songwriters have a different perspective. Legendary songwriter Diane Warren says she would never sell off her catalogue. She said it would be like selling her soul which is not for sale. Warren notes, “The money being offered is insane but there is no amount of money that could ever make me do that. It’s like selling your kids or something. It’s so weird since someone like Dylan doesn’t need the money.”
Will artist regret selling off their most prized possession? That’s the big unknown.

Check out Broke by Mia Vaile. It’s different, but a cool track. She comes from the Florida-based band Veorra, an electronic duo. After the duo broke up she immediately started a solo career. She made noise with Wildfire that garnered 7 million streams, receiving support from EDM tastemakers including Mr SuicideSheep and Trap Nation. Mia notes, “Everything I right has a piece of me in it.” The new ‘Broke’ is about money vs. love. In recent interview Mia says, “I listen to singers like Sia and Adele. They really inspire me to write songs that are raw and tell a resonating story. I also listen to artists such as Unlike Pluto, AJR, and Twenty One Pilots who are all so different, yet inspire me in a similar way. They have influenced me to bring my songs to life in a unique and refreshing way. I really appreciate that they aren’t restricted by rules and current trends”. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders.

While artists were holding back releasing albums until touring could resume, that seems to be no longer the case. With no end sight of the pandemic, artists have no choice but to release albums. Taylor Swift just dropped another surprise album Evermore. It’s an extension of her previous release Folkore. Like her last album, Evermore had no promotion. But what is promotion nowadays if you can’t tour?

It’s a far cry when Taylor partnered with UPS and had delivery vans drive through the streets of New York, Atlanta and Nashville plastered with posters advertising her new album. She spent months promoting 1989 prior to the release doing multiple interviews, performances and discussing her album on TV shows.
Tay has left a profound message to her Swifties, “I have no idea what will come next. I have no idea about a lot of things these days and so I’ve clung to the one thing that keeps me connected to you all. That thing always has and always will be music. And may it continue, evermore. My new album evermore is out now.
And may I leave with you this: I say truly, through tough times, music shall prevail and ’tis the ultimate connection ‘twixt thyself and the audience.