The Music Industry’s Identity Crisis: More Headlines, Fewer Hits
(May 4, 2025). Once upon a time, the biggest headlines in music were about music. An artist dropped a surprise album. A song soared to No. 1. A band reunited. A performance left jaws on the floor. Now? The news cycle seems to be clogged with everything but the music.
While Beyoncé is on tour promoting her record-breaking album, Cowboy Carter, all eyes have turned from the apparent snubbing by country music’s biggest institutions to the spectacle created by her daughters’ guest appearances on tour.
Meanwhile, Kanye West is ranting in ways that make Donald Trump look cogent. Diddy is on trial for his life. Cardi B is explaining why her sophomore album is still MIA. Lizzo is trending for losing weight and her mental health. Ne-Yo is explaining and defending his polyamorous relationship with four women. 50 Cent is trolling daily. Rappers are beefing over podcasts. And Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce has probably gotten more press than her last two albums combined.
All of these things garner headlines while the music feels stuck in a loop. Pop songs are lingering on the charts for over a year: Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” have all been on the Hot 100 for more than 52 weeks and still rank in the top 20! Even “Not Like Us,” Kendrick’s scorched-earth diss track aimed at Drake, has outlasted the beef that birthed it. Everything sounds like it’s just holding space. Nothing feels new or urgent. At least nothing that’s generating headlines.
Today’s music scene is fueled less by albums and artistry, and more by algorithms and attention spans. In an era where an artist can stay relevant without releasing a single track, many have opted not to release anything at all. Rihanna’s Anti will be a decade old next January (although she did contribute a single to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack in 2022). Jay-Z’s last album is as old as his twins Sir and Rumi, the latter of whom took the stage with mom Beyoncé last week. Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, ironically titled given how public her relationship with ex-hubby Offset has been, turns eight in 2026. We know more about when the couple last had sex — thanks to posts by the rapper herself — than we do about when Cardi will release her next LP.
Even Taylor Swift is in the midst of her longest “break” from releasing new music in over six years. It’s been nearly 13 months since The Tortured Poets Department came out in April 2024. That’s the longest Swifties have gone without new music from their queen since the nearly 22 months that separated Reputation from Lover in 2019. Her last biggest headlines: her appearance at this year’s Super Bowl in support of Travis Kelce’s losing Kansas City Chiefs team, her Album of the Year loss the week prior at this year’s Grammys, and her endorsement of losing presidential candidate Kamala Harris last fall.
Trending: Did Kanye Perfectly Setup Taylor Swift’s Re-Recording of Reputation (Taylor’s Version)?
Then there are those who have tried to stay relevant. Soulja Boy hasn’t had a real hit since George W. Bush was in office. But the “Crank Dat” rapper remains a recurring headline thanks to social media beefs with other rappers and his recent courtroom drama. He’s arguably more visible than Ken Carson, a rapper who just had the No. 1 album (More Chaos) two weeks ago. That album debuted at the top — and dropped like a rock the next week to No. 38. No chaos, no clicks.
Speaking of chaos, Kanye (now Ye) might end up being remembered more for his unfiltered social media spirals and relationship sagas than for anything he’s recorded since The Life of Pablo. And then there’s Diddy, who once defined the hip-hop era of shiny suits and platinum plaques. He recently sought a comeback with the R&B-flavored Love Album. Now he’s staring down charges that echo those brought against R. Kelly — the R&B icon whose legacy has been permanently tarnished by his felony convictions.
Sure, there are still musical moments that feel like the good old days. SZA and Kendrick Lamar’s “Luther” is a true hit — an actual event song that is approaching its third uninterrupted month at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Their co-headlining tour feels like a throwback to when music mattered. But even that moment might not exist without the spectacle of the Kendrick vs. Drake feud — the internet-fueled drama of a year ago that birthed “Not Like Us,” which led to K.Dot’s current victory-lap album (GNX) containing “Luther,” and a Super Bowl performance that is now itself the subject of litigation by Drake.
Even pop royalty isn’t immune to the mess. Katy Perry’s long-awaited return to music crashed hard. Her new album 143 tanked on the Billboard 200, vanishing after just two weeks. Critics and fans panned the music, but the backlash was louder over her choice to collaborate with Dr. Luke, the producer still dogged by years-old sexual assault allegations from pop peer Kesha. Meanwhile, her tour is being ruthlessly mocked online, as clips circulate that are more like parody than pop spectacle. This, after the “Firework” singer literally launched herself into space in what was supposed to be one small step for Katy, one large step for womankind. It was ultimately just another case of the music being drowned out by the noise.
Then there’s Justin Bieber, whose music career has slowed to a near stop while fans speculate over his rumored health issues and increasingly cryptic social media posts. From unsettling selfies to religious musings, Bieber’s online presence has become more mystifying than musical. His last album came out in 2021, and while he’s popped up on a few features since, it’s clear the music has taken a backseat to whatever personal journey he’s navigating — largely in public view.
And finally there’s Morgan Wallen, arguably the biggest success story of the decade. His albums from 2021 and 2023 are still in the Billboard 200 top ten — both now residing there longer than any other non-soundtrack album in history. But is that success about the songs — or the culture war he’s come to symbolize? Wallen’s music is formulaic: whiskey, women, and regrets. But that formula is working, so he’s doubling (no, tripling) down with a new 37-track album later this month titled I’m the Problem. Spoiler alert: the problem isn’t the artist or his music. It’s just that controversy sells better, and he and his label know it.
Related Reading: Morgan Wallen’s Latest “Own the Libs” Antic Will Likely (Again) Sell More Albums
What’s missing in today’s music conversation is, well… music. It’s no longer about sonic innovation, emotional resonance, or cultural impact — it’s about clout, controversy, and content creation. Music is no longer the product. It’s just the background noise to the drama.
And that sucks.
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
You can also register for free (select the menu bars above) to receive notifications of future articles.
No one has tried this. Even Taylor tried but she pulled back. Why doesn’t -any- current clout-heavy star try this?
“Outside of my singles, my upcoming album will be available only physically for the first nine months. You want to buy the whole package? You’ll have to find your way to a local (deep breath) record store to buy it.”
The -first- artist who declares this could save the malls. And possibly the entire U.S. economy over the next year.
I’m sure some of that was meant to be tongue in cheek, but I like the idea of an album being released vinyl-only and available either on the artist’s website or in big box stores like Target and Walmart, or in vinyl specialty stores.