Jimmy Iovine has shared his observations on the state of music today.
During a recent interview with Consequence of Sound, the Interscope Records founder claimed that with the advent of streaming, AI, social media, and other technological shifts, “fame has replaced great” in music.
“Artists are making so much money in so many different places, which is fantastic, but after they have a hit record, they can earn a lot of money on Instagram and all this stuff,” JImmy Iovine explained. “I feel that a lot of people, a lot of artists, not all, but a lot of artists are taking their foot off the gas in the record making category. And that’s affecting the quality of the work. And I think you’re seeing that in a lot of different genres right now.”
The entrepreneur also shared that too many artists in the current landscape were “making records for TikTok.”
“They used to make records for radio, but now it’s TikTok. That’s why all these pop records sound exactly the same,” Jimmy told the publication. “So if you’re making records like that, making records with this formula, then you’re going to start seeing big hits written and recorded with AI.”
The music mogul also named some of his favourite contemporary artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Baltimore rock band Turnstile.
“They caught my attention,” he applauded the band. “I like what they’re doing. I think they got the right spirit and the right attitude.”