“You people (consumers) are not supportive enough.”
“Ghanaians are sleeping on this talent.”
“We like to pass on talents till they are accepted outside.”
These are strains of posts you will encounter on music Twitter (X) daily addressing an artist, song, or project. In the comments, you will see some people agreeing with the initial post or airing opposing views. Regardless of where you stand on this matter, it has become clear that the consumer is again paying the price. It is why artists who act as if their art is enough to advance their careers without factoring in the importance of consumers seem to have a stagnant or receding career.
Ghanaians are doing their best, and artists, the media, and the industry should sometimes show some appreciation. The same consumers that people claim are not supportive have been showing love to others through streams, buying merchandise, and attending shows. We saw the love that Kwesi Arthur, La Meme Gang, KiDi, Gyakie, and a host of others received and continue to enjoy since their breakout years. We have seen Ghanaians ride along with Black Sherif, held on to Kweku Smoke, and, in recent times, Olivetheboy, AratheJay, and Kojo Blak. So, why then do we come for consumers when some people out of the lot seem not to get the same support as others within a particular period?
Let us not forget that the music industry can be very competitive, and as such, “Artist A” will not always get the same love, attention, and support as “Artist B,” which should be fine. Have we given it some thought that maybe, just maybe, the larger portion of consumers may not connect with the music as much as the others think? On countless occasions, we have seen some songs perform well in some regions and fail to do so in others. It does not mean they are loved or supported less in the latter area. But at the end of the day, it is consumers who are blamed for an artist’s lack of attention or support. So, the question to the class is, what should consumers do?
Consumers are human, and that is something we must all understand first. As humans with different tastes, likes, and opinions, it is difficult to get most people to agree to something, like it, or support it. Additionally, humans have feelings, and these feelings change under different circumstances. With all this under consideration, you have multiple people aiming to get the attention and support of these consumers. Mind you, these people have a life outside supporting artists and their dreams. It is sometimes telling when artists, media, and industry feel that consumers only exist to advance their careers. Every day comes with its blame, the consumer crusade.
There are times when people have a problem with consumers saying an artist sounds foreign. Artists automatically assume that when consumers point out that an artist sounds foreign, they do not like the artist and are attacking their artistry, which is wrong. Stating a fact does not mean people are hating. Key examples are artists like Camidoh, Olivetheboy, and most recently, Kojo Blak. While people have said that they sound non-Ghanaian in their music, the same consumers have, on countless occasions, streamed their music and bought tickets to see them perform. It is always funny when people forget that consumers spend their time, money, and resources supporting these artists amidst criticisms and mixed opinions. Only when their careers seem to be taking a slow pace do they come out to say, “Ghanaians do not support their own, and they only complain and complain.” It is funnier when you see things like if artists A or B were in a different country, they would have a better career. Sometimes, I wish these artists would go to these countries and witness first-hand how they also have their challenges.
Another recent case is Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max.” While the song is doing significantly well in the UK and Caribbean, the song’s performance in Ghana does not seem to match its performance out there. People are again pointing fingers at Ghanaians for not supporting her enough, which this writer disagrees with. Moliy’s situation, like Amaarae’s some years ago, is not the fault of consumers nor the artist.
Unbeknownst to many, Moliy and her team embarked on local media engagements and grassroots engagement pre- and post-release of the original song. On paper, it should be easy for consumers to connect with the music and the artist, but it does not seem like that on the outside. A quick look at streaming platforms, radio, and TV will reveal that “Shake It to the Max” and its remix are performing excellently internationally. On the local scene, songs like last year’s contingent of “Lomo Lomo,” “Jesus Christ 2,” “Excellent,” “Agyekum,” and a host of others have a home run. Regardless, shouldn’t Moliy’s exploits internationally be celebrated? Why, then are people coming at consumers with claims of “you are not supporting her enough”? Do we know how many people enjoying local success will kill for even half of what Moliy is enjoying internationally? At the end of the day, are Ghanaian consumers not part of the people streaming the song around the world?
While it is essential that consumers intentionally support artists, it is not a necessity. Consumers are the ones who spend their money, time, and resources to make artists the stars they are, and they are at liberty to spend those resources however they deem fit and whomever they deem worthy. Artists and their teams can only position their artists to attract consumers’ love, admiration, and undying support. Even with all that in place, sometimes just the support may not pour in as well as the artist, their fans, or their teams will hope for. It is not enough to drop “good music”; rather, are these artists building relationships with these consumers? Are they connecting with them? These are the questions that should be asked and answered. At the end of the day, you cannot bully or guilt-trip consumers into support, nor can you police their opinions. It is a painful truth that needs to be said.
