MAINTAINING A FAN-FRIENDLY IMAGE

“Be humble” seems to me to be the most overused anecdote for up-and-coming artists. Of course there is truth behind the staple saying, but being too humble can also limit the power of your image as an artist.

Image can go a long way for some artists in getting more fans. The rockstar, heartthrob, or thug image has overwhelmed the entertainment industry, especially among young fans. Image-heavy artists and bands like New Kids on the Block, N’Sync, and Lil’ Bow Wow had the look of stars, but who really listens to their songs as quality music?

Labels place image highly when looking for the next big artist. Sex sells and having a less-talented bombshell is often more marketable than a plain-looking musical genious.


Prime example: Britney Spears. Her vocals were never a strongpoint, but with cheesy, uniform-sounding songs, she used her image to stay in the spotlight. Of course there are some exceptions, but having a weak image only made it harder for them to gain success.

Without a strong image, artists struggle to build a fanbase. For example, out of all the Bad Boy “Making the Band” artists to come out in 2008, Donnie Klang’s album sold the least at 22,000 copies which was #19 in Billboard. Dannity Kane went #1 on Billboard at 283,000 units sold while Day 26 also went #1 on Billboard at 170,000 units sold.

Why the big drop? Donnie didn’t sell because he was TOO humble. On the show and during his MTV premiere of his video he had no swagger. It’s good sometimes for artists to show fans you are down-to-earth, but you also have to show confidence and have star swagger.

On “Making the Band,” it seemed like Diddy sensed the lack of swag in Donnie’s performance saying that Donnie dances like a stiff white guy and that he should take off his shirt during shows to get the girls’ attention. Day26 was also dropping their first album, but having a strong image came more natural for them.


Another knock on Donnie’s swag level was his uncanny similarities to Justin Timberlake. I’m not saying Donnie intentionally makes similar music and dresses like Justin, but he does come off as a poor man’s JT.

Having a unique style is crucial for reaching star status and starting trends is what real stars do instead of jumping in with the bunch. The latest image icon in the hip-hop world is Lil’ Wayne. It’s ridiculous how many people are emulating his style of sagging, tight jeans, punk rock belts, and even his playful style of rapping.

Wayne started his style and has everyone else following. Wayne is a master of image and shame on you followers!
Where does unique image come from? For artists, the best way to have a strong image is to be yourself. Changing your style when you get into the limelight is a no-no and fans will turn on you if they see things that will cause them to doubt your realness.

Believe it or not, William Hung, the horrible Asian singer from American Idol had an image that America fell in love with. His off-key singing, infectious smile and down-syndrome was uniquely powerful and he received more hype than more talented singers. Even though he lacked the qualities of most stars, his image of realness is what got America’s attention.

How humble? A balance of high self-esteem and humility is needed. You don’t want to come off as “not ready” to be a star, but you also don’t want to come off as too cocky. For every Kanye West, there are a thousand artists who jumped the gun and got cocky before they were in the position which can afford some cockiness.

Being humble, you want to exhibit hunger for success. If fans see that you are working hard, they will respect what you do more.

Your music represents yourself as a person, so don’t feel too restricted to one genre. It’s refreshing for fans to hear something new and it’s definitely a turn off to hear a new artist with an old, regurgitated style.

A balance of setting yourself apart from the rest while also staying within the boundaries of what is popular is crucial for artists in maintaining a strong image.