Google explains personality as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.” That is to say, our characters and qualities are what make us who we are, and they contribute to how people perceive us.
The understanding and recognition of a person’s personality are very important in developing human interaction and relationship building. Which is that, people can go to extreme lengths of building false personalities just so they can be around certain people. This piece is not a behavioural piece, nor is it meant to judge anyone’s personality. Rather, it is a call from consumers to artists to give us more than just music.
Asking any fan and, in some cases, stan about an artist they like will most likely have them say things about them beyond just the music. What this means is that consumers understand that, to build a stronger connection to an artist, you need to look beyond the songs they sing.
Especially when some artists are not the writers of the songs they put out. Music is often described as a spiritual connection on its own. It is why religious people will shy away from listening to some genres of music because they do not want to taint their hearts and spirits. Even non-religious people recognize the strong influence music holds over a listener. It is for that reason why people are quick to research artists after listening to their songs to understand the state of mind the person was in before making the music they make. For most consumers, music is not made in a vacuum. You need to experience something to be able to sing about it. While this writer does agree that this does not relate to every song, some songs are an extension of the writer of the song.
This has also led to conversations on separating the art from the artist, which some people agree with but others do not. While there are times the arts can be separated from the artist, there are times when both art and artist are one. The stronger the artist is to the art, the easier it is for some people to connect with not just the music but with the artist too.
In a day and age where people have become floating music listeners, there have always been calls for artists to show some personality outside of just their music to be able to connect properly with consumers. In a post written by Naama Barak on Israel21C, there was a study that found musician’s public persona played a large role in listener preferences. Meaning consumers are more likely to listen to an artist just because they see bits of themselves in the artist.
In the case of an artist like Shatta Wale, who has a huge following, a chunk of that is down to his public persona. There are people who love him for it, others who hate him for it, and others who are just indifferent about it all. That is the beauty of personalities; regardless of yours, you will always have people on different sides of the coin. There are people who love people; they have a calm personality, while others are rude, funny, timid, and, for some, just humble. Every personality has its perks, and that is why some people who are naturally not a particular something will take on fake personalities just to please a section of people.
We have seen artists in recent years show more personality, which means they have begun to see that while they may have great streaming numbers, they have no real on-ground influence, which is needed in the grand scheme of things for an artist. As a consumer myself, one of the reasons why I love artists like Black Sherif and Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta outside their artistry is their humour and openness to everyone. They understand the importance of keeping a “personal’ relationship with fans, which is why they are very responsive to messages on social media, fan interactions in person, and always allowing people to see the sides of them we do not get to see when they are being the stars they are.
For a generation that likes to celebrate being nonchalant, it seems people only like it on the internet. Even that is losing its street value. Of late, fans are pushing for their favorite artists to touch base with them. It would explain why artists are now being vocal about the teams they support, just so they can connect with fans who support that same team or like to banter with opposing teams. These may not be too much, but they give consumers and artists something to bond over.
Making music can be a lot sometimes, and it can be draining. As such, it is imperative that consumers have something to connect with you on aside from your music. It gives you room to go on breaks and just live off your personality. Amaarae, for example, has not released music in a while, but because she has connected with fans through her personality, people have stuck around with her as she prepares her album.
With diverse social media platforms, you can be creative in showing your personality. Shatta Wale has been one person who has really made the most out of all the social platforms available. From his days of going on Facebook Live to address issues to now going on TikTok Live to share his daily routines. If he is not doing mini stand-ups, he is playing dress-up or showcasing his NBA skills. All these things have made people who do not necessarily like his music still keep in touch with him, either for his humor or his aggressiveness. Your personality will always come in handy for brands that want to work with you. Brands are like consumers; they will, in most cases, choose to work with artists whose personalities align with what the brands stand for.
As consumers, we understand you want to just make music, but you owe it to yourself and us to show us who you are outside the music. Show yourself and let us build a stronger relationship that will translate to real on-ground influence for you and not just ghost names streaming your songs. Another perfect case study is what Moliy has been doing. She has been showing more personality and building a stronger relationship with Ghanaian consumers, especially at a time when many have said Ghanaians are connecting with her enough.
At the end of the day, consumers are not asking you to share your deepest secrets with them. All we ask is that you share a bit of yourself with us. The lack of personality is the reason why people are quick to move away from the artist. Because when the music is fatigued and there is nothing else to connect with, we will just move on to the next person.
