If you’re not familiar with the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black, then you’ve been living under a rock. With over a million dislikes, it may be the most hated song on the internet. Its simple lyrics and autotuned singing have made it a laughing stock. But just how did something like this ever make it past the gatekeepers? The answer as reported in the Collegiate Times is that fame-hungry parents are now paying to have their children become stars.
The Collegiate Times reported:
Some recording studios are taking advantage of children, and their parents, who are looking to get their 15 minutes of fame. The biggest culprit is ARK Music Factory, located in Los Angeles.
The best way to describe what ARK does is a pay-for-play scheme that takes advantage of parents with money, who are looking be the parents of stars.
Many children in show business are driven to sing or act by parents whose dreams of stardom were quashed. They are looking to live vicariously, and monetarily, through their children.The music industry is the biggest victim. With preteen pop songs rising to the top of the charts from artists such as Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, recording companies are looking for the next big thing.
Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson, owners of the aforementioned ARK, are going about finding artists in a different way. Instead of finding children who can sing, they are finding parents who have the money to get a song produced for their child. It is hard to argue with the business model they have put together. They are raking in the dough and are now known worldwide, even if it is in a negative light.
While pay-for-play may be the future for some artists, it is clear the public will not be accepting them, as seen by the ‘un-success’ of Rebecca Black.
Source: Collegiate Times