The end of pre-packaged acts?

[xenexian 2]

This is a question that's been floating around my studio since new years day and I'm curious to get the opinions of those not directly related to the industry, namely the average music lover and buyer of cds. It seems that since the beginning of the 90's we have been exposed to more and more music acts of individuals or groups that have seemingly sprung up out of nowhere to become national acts. Some are still around and some have seemed to disappeared. NKOTB, 98 degrees, Backstreet Boys, the infamous Milli Vanilli, Brittany Spears and so on. And now, in the course of the past three months, we have been witness to the exposure of Ashley Simpson revealing that her live performances have been enhanced with pre-recorded vocals of her voice that have been auto-tuned in the studio to be played back during her performances to reinforce her so called singing. To anyone who witnessed the debacle of her Orange Bowl halftime performance knows what I'm talking about. These acts all originated by some producer who takes some unknowns off the street with little or no background in performing, brings them into the studio to record and does the old studio magic trick on them, trains them to do a few dance steps and voila, we have a music act that the producer sells to the unsuspecting public as talent. Since then, I have heard through the industry scuttlebutt that these types of acts may finally be on the way out as the core groups of original fans have, for the most part, grown up and have begun to realize that most of these people really have no talent at all. Most of them don't write their own music, can't play an instrument, can't really hold a tune and only do what their managers and producers tell them to do. If you've ever been to one of the above mentioned concerts, have you ever wondered how the people can jump all over the stage doing these elaborate dance steps, sing into a mic with the passion that you hear coming out of the speakers and yet, at the end of the song, talk to the audience without once sounding like they're out of breath? Have we all become so jaded to performers that all we require of them is to look good? Here, at the studio, we feel that yes, this could be the beginnings of the end of these pre-packaged acts and that we are going to be seeing a return to people who actually have talent and can write songs and play an instrument. What happened to Ashley underscored our feelings that these types of acts are really nothing more than con jobs forced on, for the most part, a gullible public. The ones that feel that if the song has a good beat and you can dance to it makes it a hit no matter who actually is doing the singing and playing. I would like to know if the members of this site feel the same way and that we will be seeing a return to acts that are really worth our time, attention and money. This is not a scientific poll or anything, I'm just really curious as to what most others, who live their lives outside of the media and entertainment industry, think.

[Odie 0]

I am on the whole very disappointed in the media and entertainment industry. There are many times they have failed to take advantage of the internet through marketing and selling. I am not talking about selling DVDs and CDs. I am talking about down loading them from internet. Yes, there has been some improvement in recording interesting, but it was way to late to stop the illegal down loading.

 

I am very tried of the pre-packaged acts. It just cheapens the experence. I am tried of hearing singers that never had vocial leasons. More the person moves around the stage the more I think its just a not real.