Sia's recent collaborations have made me think: is it better for an artist to do what they like and have minimal success, or should they take a chance to make more money and get more well-known if they can, even if that means going against what they'd normally do?

I don't normally consider myself a music snob, but I do cringe when I hear Sia's track with Flo Rida. She's always seemed a really original and creative artist, and yet here she is on a generic club record from one of the most commercial rappers around. I quite like her song 'Titanium' with David Guetta as it's got some of the vibe that she had when she worked with Zero 7, but Flo Rida!? Really!?

I think I'd rather artists I like stay small and didn't get any mainstream recognition than did trashy collabs, but I guess it pays the bills! I'm quite happy to see artists get success, but not at the risk of their integrity, but I guess it's a personal opinion.

Why not start out very commercial and all publicised and stuff, then when you've got an established fanbase and name, do what you want to do with your music after you've earned that right? All the greats did it pretty much that way. Very few of them are making music similar to their first record.

Selling out before you've sold anything.If there's no substance / personality to your music to start with where the substance going to come from.Aren't they vertially starting again - in the scenario you outlay above.How do you know the fanbase you have established like this new direction.

Assume you are talking about artist's who actively go after signing to a Major label & achieve that goal & become the 1 in 10 who achieve commercial success (it has often been stated that that only a 10% success rate for Major label signed artists was acieved in mid o'ties,anyway).


Could you give me some examples of that happening.It's not something I recognise at all.Yes, the most successful artist develope their sounds & adapt to change with the help of production staff that their Major label agree seem to be a good way forward (good fit).Once an artist achieves commercial success with a distictively commercially based pop based format, think you will find it hard to find an artist who has created music of a lesser commercially / pop bias.Unless they have had a sharp decline in sales from a previous release perhaps - a commercially successful artist would try to avoid any sort a commercial failure at all costs (it happens of course).

Think you are a little nieve on how the relationship between Major label & artist works - especially these days.Think you need to read up on how recording contracts work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_contract
extracts from above
'hit albums meeting or exceeding their previous sales figures must follow. Recording contracts may include opt-out clauses for the label in the event an act's popularity dips or the act releases non-hit albums under the deal'

'Record companies put forth huge sums of money to produce, release, and promote an album. Recording time, manufacturing, packaging, photos, distribution, marketing, and music videos are just some of the areas where the label must spend money on an act it has signed. The label usually absorbs these expenses [means they will work out another way to get their money back without being exposed to the risk of not getting a return on their investment], but in some artists contracts, some of this money may be due back to the label, unless otherwise worded [another way of wording it to what I put in bold above]. Advances (upfront money that is paid directly to a recording artist) are normally always owed back to the label. Once (and if) the advance has been paid back from record sales, the artist then begins to see royalty payments for additional sales. Advancing an act money is a risk the label endures as it does not know how well the act's album will sell'.

Sia has been around for years and never had major success so yeah shes selling out to get some glory i think.

Shes earned it but she has succomed to singing the David Guetta shite which is taking over the world at the moment.

Can't she be enjoying it? Just because she's never released records like these herself, it may have been because she'd never had the opportunity.

I think she still wrote her lyrics so she's not exactly just decided "i want to be famous, give me any song" and I think Titanium was actually written for someone else to sing (I want to say Mary J Blige but I may be making that up completely) so in that instance she's not gone out of her way for attention. It's not like she's promoted the tracks, they've been selected as singles by the main artist('s record labels)

I always think it's unfair when music snobbery makes people turn on acts because they don't see them as cult or cool anymore because more people have heard of them. If you still like the music, who cares if 100 people here or 100 million, and noone can like every song an artist produces, "sold out" or not "sold out"

Just because you write your own stuff doesn't make it 'genuine' though.Alot of artists write / create music they think is commercially marketable, not because they genuinely love the music they are creating.If an artists music is both genuine & commercially successful - there is no problem with that of course.To my ears there seems to be alot of chart music , around these days, that isn't very genuine.Alot of artists, that are successful, don't seem to have any genuineness, or any redeemable talent to start with even IMO.This has led to the downward spiral in the quality of 'pop / chart' music, again IMO.

No you've missed the point completely! I'm not saying Sia isn't as good because people have heard of her now, but because doing a song with a rent-a-rapper is a major downturn in what she's doing. It has little artistic merit, it just feels like a product that's been made to make money for Flo Rida (and Sia, and whoever else made it). If someone I liked stopped making the music they want to and worked with Flo Rida or Pitbull to make more money, I'd be gutted!

I heard that 'Titanium' was intended for Mary J as well BTW.

Wow, that was brilliantly worded - you've understood exactly what I was trying to say to begin with, and said more besides. I totally agree about music that has no genuine emotion behind it, IMO even Coldplay have succumbed to this recently, presumably to try and stay relevant. Chris Martin said this stuff is 'the future of music' but there are still plenty of people doing more meaninful songs AND having commercial success.

Thanks.Alot of people on this site put it down tp music snobbery.Some people aren't looking for emotion or belief though.If it's got a catchy tune to it - that satisfies alot.Many would say if music hasn't got a hook to it - it's boring.Coldplay have seemingly pandered to this audience recently.It's increased their short term popularity but made them less relevent IMO.

you are right, Titanium was written for Mary J Blige and Sia recorded a version almost as a session singer to showcase the song to other artists (as is common practise) David Guetta then liked her version so much he released it.

I don't think she's 'sold out' she is merely releasing records that sells, there is a big difference between that and doing big promotional stunts to get yourself on the front of the newspapers. Like the way that Geri Halliwell always used to enter a new relationship when she had a song out!

I'd rather I enjoy the music, so if it doesn't sell well then so be it.

Glad you agree with me about Coldplay, they used to be my favourite band but I've barely listened to 'Mylo Xyltoto', as an album it leaves me rather cold. I love it when the bands and artists I like get huge success, but not if it means changing who they are!

Don't get me wrong, I do like some catchy pop music - it definitely has a place and I'd rather hear say LMFAO than Arcade Fire in a nightclub, but overall the emotion wins for me.