Music or Manipulation?

Music is an essential part of my existence. At 14, I moved to the United States for high school and immersed myself in English pop, Rap, and EDM to understand the culture and lift my spirits during memorable times.

However, as my affinity for music grew, I observed a peculiar pattern among several top-charting pop stars. They tend to drastically alter their music style upon reaching immense fame, often adopting dark, depressive, and demon-like tones. It raises the question, is someone compelling them to exchange their original musical ethos for fame, damning those who resist?

This realization prompted me to analyze some contemporary artists like Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, and Sam Smith. It appears that they might have made a "deal with the devils." Their transformations are noteworthy.

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X gained his initial acclaim with "Old Town Road," a revolutionary blend of pop and country music, symbolizing his original musical intention. The song quickly catapulted to viral status, especially after his collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus.

However, his subsequent album, "Montero," manifested a pronounced departure from his initial style. The new music navigated through themes of obsession, intricate relationships, and demonic temptation. In the MV, he played as someone who seduces Satan and gives the devil a sexual pole dance. While Nas X contends this transformation is a stance to normalize queerness, the incorporation of devil-worshiping elements paints a contrasting picture.

Sam Smith

Sam Smith, another artist whose initial music portrayed love, loneliness, and minority experiences, witnessed a significant transformation. He rose to popularity around 2013 with hits such as "Money On My Mind", "I'm Not the Only One", and "Stay with Me". These songs became so popular that they supported his popularity until 2019, right before COVID.

Everything changed when he released his comeback music "Unholy." It is about a man's infidelity as he goes to a strip club and enjoys the sexual service. The lyric does not comment on such action but instead depicts the process vividly and invites every listener to imagine alone. In the 2023 GRAMMYs awards, he put on a red devil hat and performed a devil-worshipping ritual live on TV for millions of audiences.

You see the common thing here: devil, red, and unholy.

Doja Cat

Doja Cat’s evolution is equally startling. The artist, once renowned for her playful, amusing, and fan-friendly creations, has recently gravitated towards a more aggressive and confrontational style, marked by darker, demonic imagery.

For example, her YouTube video of "I Am a Cow" was a funny and self-mocking song. As she gets famous, she treats her fans nicely and often gives them encouragement when she is live on Instagram. Songs like "Say So" are catchy and make her a top artist in the US and around the world.

However, things go south as she releases her recent singles such as "Attention," "Paint the Town Red," and "Demons." She starts to talk negatively to her fans and says she does not care about them at all. In her music video of "Paint the Town Red," Doja stands on a devil's head between the two gigantic horns, and waves her body as the demon stumbles on earth.

Her transformation has not only affected her musical style but also her interaction with fans, evolving from a supportive and appreciative stance to one marked by dismissiveness and confrontation.

These transformations are not random but appear to be a coordinated effort, subtly manipulating artists into propagating certain themes and elements associated with cults. The lingering questions remain: who orchestrates these alterations in music, what are the underlying motives, and what implications do they have on the consumers of music?