We often hear about how the stars of today began releasing music when they were younger. Some artists blew up at the age of 18, or even younger. With the rise of social media, the quality of a song has been left to be judged by the algorithm. Talent is slowly becoming disregarded and music has begun riding trends to success. The musical algorithm is not negative, it has helped boost many small artists into the world of virality. However, most times, they’re only able to get one of their songs to catch people’s attention, because by the time they release, people have scrolled to a new artist.

So the question arises, how do you make music that catches eyes and stays relevant? I have always wanted to make music, but the daunting pressure of people liking it– or people even hearing it–compels me to just turn my head and forget I even wanted to make music at all. But like most aspects of life, consistency is key. The goal should not to make one good song that follows trends, it should be to find your own personal sound and just keep creating. 

A problem I tend to face is that when I do end up making something, I can’t help but have expectations for it to be a masterpiece. This especially applies to pieces inspired by another artist’s songs. I expect myself to be just as good as they are. Obviously, this expectation is flawed, but even more so, it constantly causes me to lose my determination as I would assume it does to others. Perfection is a curse to creativity. As I mentioned earlier, you should always be consistent and make something you love. It won’t be perfect, it may never be, but that’s not the point. Music is about expressing yourself– not about following an algorithm, or creating perfection. We should all live with the expectation of mistakes. Whether you make music or you have other interests, giving up should never be an option.

If I get famous, just know it’s because I followed those steps. But don’t worry, I’ll remember all my loyal readers when I’m on stages in front of millions.