The Currency of Entertainment in a Distracted World

Attention doesn't arrive by accident anymore.

Remember when being a musician meant simply making good music? Those days have vanished into the digital mist.

Today, every artist is competing not just against other musicians but against TikTok feeds, YouTube rabbit holes, streaming shows, and endless scrolling. The most precious resource isn't talent—it's attention.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: your music, no matter how brilliant, won't cut through unless you first entertain.

Entertainment is the tax you pay for attention. The toll at the gate. The price of admission.

This isn't about compromising your art. It's about recognizing that in a world where everyone has infinite options, people choose to spend time with what captivates them first.

The artists breaking through aren't necessarily the most technically skilled. They're the ones who understand that entertainment value is the pathway to artistic connection.

What does this look like in practice?

Your brand isn't what you say it is—it's a story people tell themselves about you. Craft that story deliberately. Make it specific, not general. Polarizing, not pleasing. The middle is where attention goes to die.

When Billie Eilish whispers while everyone shouts, that's a story. When Orville Peck never shows his face, that's a story. What's yours?

Seek the unexpected intersection. The most interesting collaborations happen at the crossroads of categories. The rapper who works with a classical orchestra. The folk artist who partners with a streetwear brand. These collisions create tension, and tension creates interest.

Remember: people crave novelty. The brain is hardwired to notice what's different, not what's familiar.

The artists who thrive today understand they're not in the music business—they're in the attention business. And attention flows to entertainment first, then to the art beneath.

So the question isn't "Is my music good enough?" It's "Is my entire offering entertaining enough to earn the right to be heard?"

Answer that question honestly, and you'll be ahead of 90% of your competition

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