🔵 Three articles you need to make time to read - and why

Three pieces that perfectly triangulate where we find ourselves in 2026

There are three articles that I have read recently which I feel truly reflect where we find ourselves in 2026, in this mighty business we call music.

Let’s be clear, too: things have now gotten so weird that we have artists like James Blake voicing a clear cry of frustration (reposted here), but in such a manner that he winds up alienating, well, all of the good honest people in the wider music ecosystem who might have actually helped drive awareness of whatever his next release proves to be. (On that - Drowned In Sound had a solid summary of what happened along with a robust response, so check that out if you fancy.)

On some level I feel like we once again have a situation where Big Tech is sitting back, chuckling, as we all collapse into in-fighting and accusations that EVERY LAST THING that made you love a band like, I dunno, Geese, for starters, was clearly as a result of weapons-grade mental manipulation of a kind the Russians would pay billions for. And everyone is falling for it, too.

Hence my wanting to share these three articles. All represent a clarity of a kind, in that they paint a very lucid picture of the current state of affairs around social media, marketing and music.

So - got your reading glasses on? (Yes, I own a pair now)

Then let’s dive in…

Article 1: “Anti-social: It’s fads, not friends, which now dominate our feeds” (BBC.com)

What it is saying in brief: our social feeds are no longer about friends, but algorithms and short-lived viral trends. Crucially though, people are noticing this - and switching off.

Why this is important: I feel there is a pervading sense that Social Media Is Everything, that it should be the core focus for all marketing (which is my focus, after all, given my day job), and that to consider anything else is heresy.

Except, all signs point to extreme fatigue on this front. Joe Public is ever more worn out on social media in general, and the general chatter of “is this real?” (applicable on multiple levels, be it AI-gen content or simply a devotional post to your favourite band) is causing people to value everything on these platforms far less.

I keep saying it, but we have had a wonderful easy ride in our relationship with social media this last 15 years or so, but that is now shifting on a fundamental level, and we need to engage with that truth sooner rather than later.

Article 2: “The Default is Always Yes. What we gave up when we moved into someone else’s box” (dBridge)

What it is saying in brief: Over time, the music industry (and artists in general) moved from an open, independent web, to a world of a few limited platforms that have gradually taken more and more control over your audiences. And now, “everything looks the same because we’ve all been moved into the same box”.

Why this is important: Musician dBridge’s article does a fine job of walking you through history, showing how we have, bit by bit, surrendered more and more pieces of the journey a fan might go on to find and engage with artists, leaving the latter with the sense that they might own some data, but that someone else - Meta, Google etc - always winds up owning far, far more.

This, I feel, is a highly articulate breakdown of not just where we are now, but how we got here. In short, it was about surrendering to convenience; using the likes of MySpace, then Facebook, then Insta etc to reach audiences, but missing just how much was being traded off in that process. In 2026 though, as dBridge points out, the only thing left to take is the experience itself - and AI is now coming for that.

In short, this should act as a stark wake-up call to our entire industry.

Article 3: “‘Have I been influenced, or is this actually me?’ How personal taste fell out of fashion” (The Guardian)

What it is saying in brief: the algorithms of social media has turned us into sheep, and in 2026 more people lack any real sense of personal identity. Increasingly though, more people are realising this, and responding accordingly.

Why this is important: Amid the hullaballoo of the Chaotic Good “moment”, one spark turned into a flame: this idea that everyone is being manipulated and nothing is real. Again, just look at the James Blake post as further proof of that.

The detail perhaps being missed, but which this article does a fine job of highlighting, is that over time, personal identity has been slowly eaten away at, such that everyone is now getting their entire sense of taste from an algorithm. Crucially though, it seems people are finally waking up to it.

We should not underestimate the value of people rejecting algorithms and instead seeking alternative paths. This is why I was so excited for the investment into Cantilever by various indie labels recently. It represents a step into a kind of part-streaming-service, part-journalism space that does not try to oppressively grade or validate you by how much media you are creating around artist X, but instead simply presents a curated pick of things that you might like. Or you might not, but the point is that you engage on your own terms and draw your own conclusions.

Honestly, as a guy who is creeping into his 50s, it depresses me beyond belief that younger generations are only now realising that they can cultivate their own identity rather than have it dictated to them. Nonetheless, the fact that this is happening is brilliant - and important. Why? Because it states a case for non-algorithmic spaces to enjoy all manner of recommendations.

Why I am sharing the three articles

For me these all paint quite an important picture.

First, social media is diminishing in its importance to Joe Public. Again, this is why I was so happy to see Cantilever’s investment, because it is about establishing alternative spaces to connect with audiences.

Equally though, I feel it highlights why artists, labels and managers should be looking beyond the social feed to create awareness and connection. Recent experiences still suggest that amazing, long-standing music websites struggle to get support, which I find quite farcical.

(Again, if we circle back to James Blake’s rage post, he scores a major own goal by suggesting that 1) all reviews are paid for, and that 2) not a single part of the system is authentic. That’s just not true, and you only have to look at all the music website scraping by on a pittance to see that they are certainly not motivated by money. They are, however, capable of passionately selling in an artist if they choose to get behind them - and doing so means no algorithm, no “psyop” nonsense or anything like it.)

And this is not just a blithe “hey, engage more with music websites” appeal (though I do feel we absolutely should): it is about recognising that people are now tired of social media din, and are hungry for much higher-quality spaces in which to learn about what’s going on out there.

Second: we have handed off far too much control to others as an industry. I think ultimately, everyone on the planet was overtaken by convenience culture. We all leapt into streaming media because it’s everything, all on demand in a single click. And equally, the music business decided that it was better to engage with these platforms because - in the short term at least - more money would be made. It’s the same logic powering Universal and Warner’s engagement with gen AI platforms like Udio and Suno. In doing so though, we’re throwing the baby out with the bath water, and that fundamentally needs to change.

Does that mean we should be stuckists; luddites, rejecting all tech? Not at all. The inherent beauty of the internet is that it is infinite. If we do not like platforms, we can create our own. And we need more of that - ideally not led by Silicon Valley growth-hacking tech bros.

Third: we need to recognise that people want to explore identity, and invest more into expanding what culture looks like beyond social media. Any platform at all that I see - be that a website, a service or even an IRL night or event - which is helping people explore identity through broader more qualitative engagement with culture, is A Very Good Thing Indeed. We need to back that kind of approach, rejecting convenience and instead focusing on the art itself.

After all, without that, we might as well just concede the whole game to AI, which can turn out endless bland dross for us to snack on.

Is that the future we want? I sincerely hope not.

Have a great day,

D.

🎧 listening to “Quebec” by Ween. I love Ween. They’re a band who almost have a secret cult following, as nobody declares their love for this band, but when you mention them, suddenly people appear out of the woodwork (as I expect at least one person to do in the comments!) declaring their love for them. Despite being a Ween fan from a very early point (the first commercially-released album, if someone is scoring my hipster cred), this album passed me by, coming far, far later in the band’s career. HUGE mistake. This is among their finest work. Rather than blather on here though, I recommend you read my piece about it over on Missed Listens. Yes, it’s back!

🎧 also listening to “Organic Downtempo Sounds of Lagartijeando (Discog Mix)” on YouTube. I’ve been loving discovering the Lagertijeando label, and this mix makes for a perfect accompaniment on a hot summer’s day. Chilled, yes, but not veering into irritating ‘lofi beats to study to’ kind of territory. Classy, and eminently worth your time - give it a go.

📺 watching “Fender Just Lost Control” on YouTube. For those not following this story, Fender recently started issuing takedown notices on various guitar manufacturers, claiming any Stratocaster copy breached copyright. The fallout from this has been spectacular; arguably a lesson in how to tank a company’s reputation in one fell swoop. The whole drama has rumbled on for a couple of months now, but the latest twist is that Thomann, the massive music retailer, is now countersuing Fender, largely, it claims, to represent all the smaller manufacturers who cannot afford to battle back. Given Thomann is also responsible for selling a lot of Fender guitars, I’d imagine the damage this will all wreak on Fender will continue to pile up for some time yet. Anyway - this video is just one example of how the company is even losing its YouTube influencers, all of which only highlights how catastrophic this move will prove to be.

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Gleefully accepting music recommendations!

I do really enjoy getting suggestions for either existing music or forthcoming releases to check out. So, if there’s something you think I might like, do feel free to get in touch. Always keen to hear the weird and wonderful things going on out there. And, with 6000+ subscribers, I’m happy to spread word on things I’m loving too.

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