The Theater of Signal
Subtlety is dying a quick death.
Look around at the artists who break through today. They don't just make music - they build universes.
Chappell Roan isn't selling songs. She's offering permission through patriotic glitter and flame-red hair to be gloriously, unapologetically alive.
When Tyler, The Creator shows up in a vintage bellhop suit, he's not making a fashion statement. He's creating a portal.
Most musicians are still thinking song-first, image-second. They've got it backward.
In a world of infinite choice and algorithmic filters, becoming an avatar isn't optional - it's essential. Lady Gaga understood this before most: the meat dress wasn't a stunt, it was strategy.
The small and reasonable get scrolled past.
When Prince abandoned his name for a symbol, many thought it was ego. It wasn't. It was transcendence. He recognized that to matter at scale, you must tap into something larger than yourself.
You don't build a following by being a better singer. You build a following by becoming archetypal.
Billie Eilish isn't just dressed in oversized clothing. She's channeling the collective teenage shadow, giving voice to emotions most adults train themselves to suppress.
Here's what we miss about authenticity: it's not about being unpolished. It's about being uncompromising in your truth, even when that truth requires costume, makeup, and transformation.
The question isn't "Who am I?" but rather "What am I here to symbolize?"
Most artists fail because they're trying to be noticed for who they are instead of what they represent. They're playing small, hiding behind "I'm just me" when they should be answering: "What myth am I bringing to life?"
The courage to be larger than life isn't arrogance - it's service.
What essence are you distilling? What permission are you granting? What avatar are you brave enough to become?
The world doesn't need more musicians. It needs more symbols.
