The term “industry plant” is often used in the music industry to describe an artist who appears to have been artificially promoted or supported by major record labels or influential figures, often with the implication that their success is not solely due to their talent or organic growth. I’ve seen a plethora of people across the internet (globally) call Tyla an industry plant over the past couple months. It’s grinding my gears.
People think Tyla is an industry plant because they don’t know what it looks like when an artist has a competent team with tunnel vision. Tyla’s people / team understood they had a hit and created a plan to get it and her out there. They knew they had a sound that Americans want to hear and a woman that looks like the type of women they normally gravitate towards, so they sold it to them in a way that resonates. In an era where artists are just posting artwork and paying for Billboards, her team quite literally put her in front of her audience. ‘Water’ was good, but here’s the thing, songs don’t sell themselves! They had her performing EVERYWHERE. Fans love the art, but they often love the artist more, so they worked on introducing her to the people they are selling to.
Tyla Performing On The Voice Live Finale 2023
They created a connection with her target audience. They used America’s obsession with Africanism to their advantage. Her demeanor and accent generated a lot of interest. She is the most “exotic” South African woman they were exposed to. She does not act or speak like any of the other South African women that have penetrated the US market. This also sparked debates about her ethnicity. The discourse led to even bigger exposure. The more they spoke of her, the more they spoke of her.
They had her doing all sorts of interviews. The interest in her + the quality of the song brought us here. Tik Tok played a major role as well. Some people even argue that this wouldn’t have happened had the song not blown up on Tik Tok. They played the marketing game & they are reaping the fruits of it.
Calling someone an industry plant when the timeline of the blow-up is documented is such a lazy analysis. It’s borderline rudimentary if you ask me. The work is there. The fanbase is there. The rise to the top is documented.
Post comments (0)