Written By: Jon Gauster
Juice WRLD recently released two new singles “World Tour” featuring Aquafina and “Lightyears” featuring Young Thug, but did he though?
Juice WRLD’s natural talent for music is demonstrated once again, reminding us of his addictive pop melodies wrapped in lovelorn lyricism. It’s been almost 5 years since the artist’s untimely passing, but his music still resonates, touching old and new fans alike.
While some fans are grateful for still receiving new music from Juice, others aren’t as thrilled. A number believe the distribution of Juice’s unreleased music is merely a cash grab, and an insult to the artist. A number of devotees believe if Juice didn’t release the music himself, no one has the right.
This begs the question;
Is it cool to release an artist’s music after they’ve died?
There’s no shortage of deceased artist’s still releasing new music in today’s landscape. A variety of different actions have taken place by labels and their response to an artist’s early demise.
Some labels’ release posthumous work with the family and fans in mind. Distributing their music can keep an artist’s legacy alive and help revive their sound. Lil Peep’s “Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2” is a great example. Fan’s were adamant about the album’s release knowing it was nearly finished. Peep’s mom, Liza Womack, was also involved in the production process, and spoke at a Columbia-hosted listening party to promote the album.
Other companies haven’t shown as much sincerity. For example, when Whitney Houston passed, David Joseph, CEO of Universal Music UK, stated he had destroyed demos for Houston’s 3rd album so they wouldn’t be “Frankensteined”. Houston was apparently hesitant and uneasy about releasing them before she passed.
Joseph claimed he wanted to respect Whitney’s reservations about dropping the tracks, yet the album was still pieced together and eventually released as “Lioness: Hidden Treasures”. This was done despite the reluctance Houston felt about her music, and it surely isn’t the decision she would’ve made.
I can’t pass judgment on something this personal, but we can create a pros and cons list weighing the facts.
Pros
- Aeron Davies of Medium conducted great research into artist’s album sales after they’ve died. Researchers concluded “Album sales increased on average by 54.1% after death” (this could be for or against depending on where the money goes).
- It can carry on an artist’s legacy. Computer science major Quinn Correll (big Mac Miller fan) said it best in an interview with The Crimson White, “I’m a fan of it as a way to continue someone’s legacy, to remember their contributions to the music industry.”
- Some artists want to keep going, even after death. Freddy Mercury of Queen reportedly insisted on recording as many vocals as possible, and told the rest of the band that he wanted them to complete and release the songs once he was gone. Sounds like Freddy.
- It can’t hurt them. Though vain, the fact that the artist has passed on means they can’t worry over how the fans will take to the posthumous music.
- It’s good for society. Going back to Prince, when his vault was finally opened, folks were torn. Ultimately it would’ve been a waste to let years of work done by such a prolific player go unpublished.
CONS
- Unreleased music the artist never signed off on. Not only is it seen as disrespectful to the artist, but this can lead to quality control issues, creating possibilities of the music containing outdated references, unwanted lyrics, and unfinished melodies, amongst other undesirables. Being known for perfectionism and meticulousness in his sound, artists like Prince would’ve never allowed any music to be shared without his say so.
- Many posthumous songs and albums lack quality. John Trammel of Oz Records said in an interview “There’s a fine line between pleasing the fans, and scraping the bottom of the barrel”. Some labels pay no regard to a piece’s state or quality, hoping only to reap its rewards.
- It’s just a cash grab conducted by labels. After reading responses on Reddit’s subreddit r/LetsTalkMusic, a number of Pop Smoke and XXX fans state that multiple tracks released by the artists posthumously were “embarrassing” and “disingenuous” to their legacy and art. They believe they were released with the sole purpose of profit, with no regard for the artist or their work.
- Producers and other creators that an artist would’ve never wanted to work with could potentially gain access and control over the pieces.
- The family of the artist not receiving money for an artist’s work. There have been instances where labels will continue to release a creator’s work without compensating their family. Although legally doable, morally we can all agree this isn’t right.
Verdict
So, is it cool to release an artist’s work after they’ve died?
After reviewing, it really seems to be a case-by-case situation. It depends on the artists and family’s consent, who the money goes to, how completed the work is, its significance, why its being released, and who truly owns it. Some fans can’t get enough of an artist and are thrilled whenever any piece of material is shared, no matter the quality. Other fans would rather let the artist’s legacy be solidified with their passing. It really boils down to the specific case. So far, most of Juice WRLD’s posthumous music has been of quality and completion. What do you think?
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