I was scrolling on Instagram the other day and I came across Justin Bieber performing his song, Yukon, at the Grammys. During the performance, I noticed that he dressed in minimal clothing to spread the message that the music industry often stifles authenticity. It was then that I realized most artists change themselves to fit into a certain standard that the public or music industry imposes on them. What appears to be genuine often becomes artificial, as artists are confined by expectations, trends and the pressure to remain relevant. Their identities are no longer entirely their own, but instead adjusted to meet what is considered acceptable or marketable.
Artists like Taylor Swift are a clear example of how identity in the music industry is often shaped rather than purely authentic. Swift began her career with a soft, country “girl-next-door” image with albums like Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008) and Speak Now (2010), appealing to a specific audience and expectation. However, as her popularity grew and the industry shifted, she transitioned into a polished pop star, especially with 1989 and later adopted darker, more controlled personas. Each phase of her career reflected what was most relevant and commercially successful at the time. As soon as artists like Taylor Swift change for others, I always seem to lose interest because in that, they lose their authenticity. It’s different for cases like Tyler The Creator, where he doesn’t make his various brands his entire personality, but instead frames them as alter egos part of an artistic approach on his albums. Even through that, he still keeps his authentic self in person.
The artist Doja Cat also shows how artists reshape themselves to fit changing expectations. Early in her career, she embraced a fun, lighthearted personality, with music centered around playful themes like flirtation, humor, confidence and carefree self-expression, best shown in her songs like Kiss Me More (ft. SZA) and Candy. This image made her widely appealing and easy for audiences to enjoy. However, she later made a noticeable shift into a more unconventional and edgy persona, embracing darker visuals and more aggressive themes. This transformation highlights how artists often feel the need to reinvent themselves to maintain relevance, even if it means moving away from the identity that first brought them success, which can sometimes mean sacrificing their authenticity.
These are just two examples out of thousands of artists who have had to conform. Artists are constantly reshaping to fit an image that is expected from the public and the music industry. Instead of expressing who they truly are, many artists feel pressured to become what is most acceptable, marketable, or profitable. Over time, this creates a cycle where originality is replaced with repetition and genuine self-expression is overshadowed by “what sells.” This doesn’t just affect the artists who feel like they have to meet certain expectations to stay relevant, but also the listeners who, as a result of this constant rebranding, begin to accept artificial standards as normal.
Seeing different artists express themselves in ways that feel inauthentic makes me question what is truly real and how much the music industry, as well as the public, expect artists to become versions of themselves rather than who they truly are. Until those expectations change, authenticity in music will continue to be shaped more by pressure than the truth.
