The Changing Path to Pop Stardom: Reconsidering The Role of Institutionally Controlled Success And The New Growing Independent Decentralized Pathway to Mainstream Success

Jose Ramirez

Instructor’s Introduction

Jose Ramirez wrote his timely, engaging paper for WR 151: Burning Questions, a course where students create an academic research project on a topic of their choosing. His essay offers a thorough, well-researched look in to the world of pop music and the evolving path to success and recognition in the genre. He argues that the democratization of artist exposure through TikTok and other social media platforms has offered listeners access to music they might not otherwise have heard and contact with the artists themselves that can feel very personal. This model subverts the promotional methods traditionally used by legacy record labels, Jose argues, leading to the underperformance of label-promoted artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, and the rise of artists like Charli XCX, who relied on her social media following to build her music career. Today’s music fans, Jose claims, respond to authenticity and no longer want to be told by a record label whose songs they should listen to. Jose’s skillful writing demonstrates a mastery of argumentative elements and a strong, lively relationship with the current conversation about music as an art form and an industry. I’m so proud of Jose, who is a 2025 BU graduate! He is a fantastic writer with a bright future ahead!

Samantha Myers

From the Writer

Even though my academic journey ultimately led me to Computer Science, a part of me always loved the idea of being a writer. I just never had the chance to write about the things I was actually passionate about. That changed when my friend Jed encouraged me to take this course. From day one, Professor Myers made it clear that we should write about what we care about, offering a piece of advice that really spoke to me: if something in the world frustrates you, write about it. For me, that frustration was rooted in the music industry. Specifically, I wanted to explore why one of my favorite musicians, Carly Rae Jepsen, lacked the sustained mainstream dominance I felt she deserved. What began as a passionate defense of a favorite artist quickly evolved into a much deeper research project. As I dove into the work, I uncovered a fascinating shift in the landscape of pop stardom, expanding my focus from one artist to the broader decline of institutional gatekeeping and the rise of digital authenticity. Ultimately, I hope this essay challenges readers to look beyond the charts and consider the complex, decentralized forces that truly manufacture pop success today.

The Changing Path to Pop Stardom: Reconsidering The Role of Institutionally Controlled Success And The New Growing Independent Decentralized Pathway to Mainstream Success

Pop stardom has long been shaped by an industry-driven formula: major label backing, carefully crafted personas, strategic media placements, and award recognition (Negus 33). For decades, this pipeline determined which artists succeeded, often leaving little room for deviation. However, in recent years, this formula has become increasingly unreliable. Even artists who receive substantial industry support and follow the established path to stardom sometimes struggle to achieve lasting mainstream success. At the same time, other artists have managed to build significant cultural influence and devoted fanbases by connecting directly with audiences through digital platforms, often bypassing traditional gatekeepers altogether. These developments reveal a critical shift: institutional support alone no longer guarantees pop stardom. I contend that institutional support is no longer sufficient. Pop success today not only relies on industry backing but also on artists’ ability to build decentralized, authentic relationships with their audiences using digital media. Today, success is increasingly tied to digital intimacy, audience connection, and perceived authenticity—elements that exist outside of traditional industry control (Baym; Marshall 61). As a result, the music industry is being forced to adapt and implement new methods to promote artists or risk failure. Similarly, academic frameworks that focus on these old methods, label dominance and media gatekeeping (Railton and Watson 42; Marshall xi), risk missing how these new dynamics are transforming the definition of pop stardom.

To fully appreciate this shift, it is essential to recognize what traditionally defined pop stardom. Historically, the music industry manufactured successful artists primarily through major-label support. In his book Music Genres and Corporate Cultures, cultural scholar Keith Negus describes this as the industrial model of music production, defined by hierarchical control over resources, media channels, and promotional strategies (Negus 33). Under this system, labels invested heavily in artists, carefully guiding their public personas, visual presentation, and musical content to maximize commercial appeal. For artists aspiring to mainstream success, conforming to label expectations was essentially mandatory. Labels exerted control over music distribution networks, radio airplay, promotional placements, and influential industry awards, which were all critical to mainstream visibility.

Central to this traditional system was meticulous image management. Media and cultural studies scholars Diane Railton and Paul Watson argue that pop success relied heavily on consistent, polished public personas created through media, especially music videos and televised performances (Railton and Watson 42). Known as “image-crafting,” this involved extensive intervention by stylists, publicists, and executives to ensure commercially viable identities. The career of Michael Jackson serves as a powerful exhibition of image-crafting. His carefully cultivated ‘King of Pop’ image, spectacular music videos, and distinct visual style were intensely managed to project an otherworldly talent and global superstardom (Vogel). Such carefully constructed personas reinforced glamour and perfection, creating an intentional distance between stars and their fans. Audiences largely accepted these manufactured images as an inherent part of pop music’s appeal.

Industry gatekeepers also significantly shaped artists’ success. Media conglomerates, influential producers, and award organizations acted as arbiters of taste, determining which artists gained exposure and credibility. Prominent celebrity studies scholar P. David Marshall highlights how geographic and economic gatekeeping historically dictated pop music’s reach through carefully managed radio airplay, promotional campaigns, and major network placements (Marshall 119). Recognition from these gatekeepers—via awards or influential endorsements—often distinguished successful artists from obscurity. For instance, winning a major Grammy Award, such as Album of the Year, historically provided a significant boost in sales, media attention, and industry validation, effectively elevating an artist’s status through the endorsement of a key institutional body (Mortimer and Holland). Navigating these gatekeepers effectively was essential for achieving mainstream stardom.

But the reliability of this industry-driven formula has become increasingly uncertain. For example, Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 album Emotion was released with major-label support, high-profile producers, critical acclaim and a carefully managed promotional campaign—yet it failed to achieve the commercial success expected of such an investment (LeFevre). In contrast, Charli XCX who struggled for years to achieve mass mainstream success except for in smaller music circles finally broke through in 2024 after the release of her album brat—an album whose identity is antithetical to that of a traditional pop album. She achieved this success not through conventional industry channels, but by cultivating a devoted following and sustained relevance through direct relationships with fans online and an authentic brand/persona (Snapes). These cases reveal a surprising shift: institutional support alone no longer guarantees pop stardom, and artists who thrive are often those who embrace more independent venues and strategies.

Thus, I contend that authenticity, digital intimacy, and decentralized audience engagement have fundamentally reshaped contemporary pop stardom. Success today hinges less on institutional investment and polished images, and more on artists’ abilities to forge genuine connections, utilize digital platforms, and foster active fan communities. Recognizing this shift provides a richer, more accurate understanding of contemporary pop culture, highlighting both the lingering influence of traditional industry frameworks and the fast-evolving decentralized digital pathways.

While major labels and industry gatekeepers still play a role in launching artists, their traditional methods have lost much of their former power in the digital era. The decline of radio as the primary tastemaker, the shrinking influence of televised performances, and the fragmentation of media audiences have all undermined the effectiveness of conventional promotional strategies. Even high-profile award shows and late-night TV appearances, once considered essential milestones for pop success, often fail to generate the same cultural impact as a viral TikTok trend or a well-timed social media campaign. Recent industry reports show that chart-topping singles increasingly originate from independent releases or social media virality rather than label-driven rollouts (IFPI Global Music Report 2023). As a result, artists and labels alike are forced to recognize that the old playbook—relying on radio and traditional press—no longer guarantees visibility or relevance in a landscape where audience attention is scattered and rapidly shifting.

A striking example of the limits of traditional industry methods in the digital era is the career trajectory of Katy Perry. Once a dominant force in pop music, Perry’s rise was fueled by major-label backing, radio saturation, and high-budget music videos. Her albums Teenage Dream (2010) and Prism (2013) produced multiple chart-topping singles and cemented her status as a global superstar. However, in recent years, Perry’s newer releases, despite similar levels of label support and promotional investment, have struggled to achieve the same cultural impact or chart success. As BBC cultural critic Nick Levine notes, Perry’s 2024 comeback efforts—including her latest singles and media appearances—relied heavily on traditional promotional tactics but failed to generate the viral momentum or fan-driven engagement seen with newer artists who leverage digital intimacy and decentralized platforms (Levine). Perry’s experience highlights how even the most successful practitioners of the old model can find themselves outpaced in a landscape where audience connection and digital relevance are increasingly decisive (Levine).

This shift is not accidental, but the direct result of digital platforms enabling artists to bypass traditional industry gatekeepers and reach audiences on their own terms. Platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud have democratized music distribution, allowing artists to upload their work directly and build audiences organically, without the need for radio play or major-label backing. The viral success of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is a prime example: originally released independently and promoted through TikTok memes, the song became a global phenomenon before any major label was involved. As internet culture journalist Taylor Lorenz has documented, the song originally gained traction as a TikTok meme, bypassing traditional industry gatekeepers completely (Lorenz). Similarly, artists like Clairo gained widespread attention by sharing music on SoundCloud and YouTube, cultivating a following that translated into mainstream opportunities. These cases illustrate how digital platforms have made it possible for artists to achieve visibility and success outside the traditional industry pipeline.

At the same time, fans have become active participants in the music ecosystem, driving discovery and promotion through their own networks. Social media platforms, especially TikTok, have empowered listeners to share, remix, and popularize songs, often propelling tracks to viral status through trends and challenges. As NPR music journalist Mia Venkat notes, TikTok has largely changed how music spreads, with fans playing a central role in launching songs like Gayle’s “abcdefu” and Tai Verdes’ “A-O-K” into mainstream success through creative engagement and viral sharing. This participatory culture means that fans are no longer passive consumers but are instead co-creators of an artist’s success, influencing what music gains traction and how it is received by wider audiences (Venkat).

Perhaps most striking is the power of organized fan communities, whose coordinated efforts can propel artists to global stardom. Groups like BTS’s ARMY exemplify this phenomenon, mobilizing to stream songs, trend hashtags, and vote in online polls, often outpacing the promotional capabilities of major labels. These fan-driven campaigns have been instrumental in BTS’s record-breaking chart performances and international recognition, demonstrating how collective action can shape an artist’s career trajectory. As renowned media theorist Henry Jenkins argues, this kind of participatory culture transforms fans from spectators into collaborators, changing the dynamics of celebrity and success in the digital age (Jenkins 3).

This technological shift has radically changed the dynamics between artists and listeners, moving the center of power away from media institutions and toward more direct, personal connections. In the past, artists like Britney Spears were often defined by how the media and industry chose to portray them—frequently through oversexualized or highly controlled images that left little room for genuine self-expression. Even by the early 2000s, research showed a growing public fascination with the personal lives of celebrities, as audiences increasingly sought intimate details and emotional access rather than simply admiring distant star personas (McCutcheon 68). Spears’s struggles with public scrutiny and her eventual mental health crisis were exacerbated by a lack of agency over her own narrative, as the media rarely treated her as a real person but rather as a product to be consumed.

In contrast, today’s artists can build fan bases not by relying on media portrayals, but by presenting themselves authentically and interacting directly with their audiences through social media and other digital platforms. This direct engagement fosters a sense of digital intimacy, allowing fans to feel closer to artists as individuals rather than distant celebrities. Digital communication researcher Nancy Baym argues that social media-based fan engagement “fundamentally alters artist-audience power dynamics, fostering perceived intimacy, authenticity, and active participation” (Baym 2018, 15). In this new environment, artists who share personal stories, respond to fans, and invite participation can cultivate more loyal and emotionally invested communities than those who rely solely on traditional media channels.

In the current pop landscape, authenticity has emerged as the single most important attribute for artists seeking lasting success. While digital intimacy and decentralized engagement have changed how artists connect with fans, it is authenticity that determines whether those connections are meaningful and enduring. Audiences today are highly attuned to the difference between genuine self-expression and calculated image management, and they reward artists who are perceived as “real.” As P. David Marshall observes, the construction of celebrity now depends on ongoing, authentic interactions between artists and their audiences, making authenticity not just desirable but essential for building trust and cultural relevance (Marshall 150). Without it, even the most innovative digital strategies or fan engagement efforts can fall flat.

Authenticity must be present in the music itself for artists to truly resonate with listeners. Fans increasingly seek songs that reflect the artist’s real experiences, emotions, and perspectives, rather than generic or formulaic content. This shift is evident in the popularity of confessional songwriting and genre-blending, where artists draw from their own lives and influences to create music that feels personal and unique. When listeners sense that an artist’s music is a true reflection of their identity, they are more likely to form a deep, emotional connection with both the songs and the artist. As Nancy Baym notes, this kind of musical authenticity fosters a sense of intimacy and shared experience, strengthening the bond between artist and audience (Baym 2018, 15).

Beyond the music, authenticity must also be woven into an artist’s branding and public persona. In an age where every social media post, fashion choice, and public appearance is scrutinized, audiences quickly detect when an artist’s image feels forced or inconsistent with their true self. Successful artists today are those who present a coherent and believable identity across all platforms, allowing fans to feel as though they are witnessing the “real” person behind the celebrity. Digital culture sociologists Alice Marwick and Danah Boyd argue that the performance of authenticity on social media is now a crucial part of celebrity practice, with audiences expecting transparency and consistency in how artists present themselves online (Marwick and Boyd). This does not mean that artists must share every detail of their private lives, but rather that their public persona aligns with their values, creative vision, and lived experiences. When branding is rooted in authenticity, it becomes a powerful tool for building loyalty and long-term engagement.

Finally, authenticity must extend to interviews and media interactions. In the past, artists often relied on scripted answers and carefully managed press appearances, but today’s audiences expect candor and vulnerability. Artists who speak openly about their struggles, beliefs, and creative processes are more likely to be embraced by fans and respected by the public. As P. David Marshall notes, the contemporary media environment encourages celebrities to “perform authenticity” in interviews, with audiences seeking genuine self-disclosure and emotional honesty (Marshall 150). Billie Eilish, for example, continues to speak openly about the pressures of fame and her personal struggles, telling Rolling Stone in 2024, “[t]he way that the world has treated me into feeling extremely anxious about everything that I say. It’s really exhausting when anything I say can become a headline, completely taken out of context, and it leads to constant paranoia” (Eilish, Martoccio). Others like Olivia Rodrigo have highlighted the power of authenticity in connecting with her audience, stating in an interview with The Guardian, “I’m a teenage girl, I write about stuff that I feel really intensely – and I feel heartbreak and longing really intensely – and I think that’s authentic and natural… If I were a younger person looking up to my favorite songwriter, I’d be really moved by that so I hope I can provide that” (Rodrigo, Snapes). Media interviews are now opportunities for artists to reinforce their authenticity, share their stories, and deepen their connection with listeners. This expectation for honesty reflects a broader cultural shift toward valuing transparency and relatability in public figures.

Taken together, these developments reveal a complex and evolving landscape for pop stardom. While traditional industry structures and promotional methods persist, they are no longer sufficient to guarantee success on their own. The rise of decentralized audience engagement, facilitated by digital platforms and active fan communities, has inherently altered the pathways to visibility. Furthermore, the growing importance of digital intimacy and, above all, perceived authenticity has shifted audience expectations, demanding a level of transparency and direct connection previously unseen. Success in contemporary pop music, therefore, often requires artists to navigate a hybrid model—leveraging institutional resources when available, while simultaneously cultivating genuine, digitally mediated relationships with their audience. This new interplay between old structures and new strategies has redefined what it means to be a pop star, creating a more participatory, unpredictable, and ultimately more authentic form of celebrity.

This transformation of pop stardom has forced the music industry to rethink its strategies and priorities. Record labels and management companies, once able to manufacture success through tightly controlled promotional campaigns and media partnerships, now face the challenge of navigating a landscape where audience attention is fragmented and unpredictable. As a result, industry professionals are increasingly investing in digital marketing teams, data analytics, and social media engagement specialists to identify and nurture organic fan communities. Labels are also more willing to sign artists who have already demonstrated an ability to build a following independently, recognizing that grassroots digital momentum can be more valuable than traditional media exposure. This shift has led to a more experimental and risk-tolerant approach within the industry, as executives seek to harness the power of virality and authenticity rather than relying solely on established formulas.

For artists themselves, these changes present both new opportunities and new pressures. On one hand, musicians now have unprecedented tools to reach global audiences, control their own narratives, and cultivate loyal fanbases without the need for major label backing. This democratization of stardom allows for greater creative freedom and the possibility of sustained careers outside the mainstream. On the other hand, the expectation to be constantly present, authentic, and engaged online can be exhausting and invasive, blurring the boundaries between public and private life. Artists must not only produce compelling music but also maintain a consistent and relatable persona across multiple platforms, often with little institutional support. Those who successfully adapt to these demands can achieve remarkable influence and longevity, while those who rely solely on traditional methods risk being left behind in an increasingly participatory and fast-moving digital culture.

Carly Rae Jepsen’s career offers an illustration of how the new dynamics of pop stardom can both challenge and create opportunities for artists. Despite critical acclaim and major-label support, Jepsen’s post- “Call Me Maybe” releases have struggled to achieve the same commercial impact, in part because her music has remained stylistically consistent, rarely venturing beyond the synth-based pop sound that first brought her fame. While this consistency has endeared her to a loyal fanbase, it has also limited her ability to capture the attention of a broader, ever-evolving pop audience that increasingly values experimentation and personal storytelling. Additionally, Jepsen’s public persona—friendly, upbeat, and approachable—while charming, does not strongly differentiate her in a crowded pop landscape where artists who project vulnerability, edge, or a unique narrative tend to stand out. In an era where authenticity and distinctiveness are paramount, and where digital intimacy and direct fan engagement drive success, Jepsen’s relatively safe artistic choices and brand positioning may have hindered her ability to break through. If she were to embrace more daring musical experimentation and cultivate a more distinctive, authentic public image—leveraging digital platforms to share deeper aspects of her creative process and personal story—she could better align with the qualities that define contemporary pop stardom.

In sum, this research demonstrates that the landscape of pop stardom has been fundamentally reshaped by digital technology, decentralized audience engagement, and the growing demand for authenticity. As traditional industry structures lose their exclusive hold on success, artists and labels alike must adapt to a world where genuine connection and digital fluency are essential. The music industry’s future will be defined by those who can balance innovation with authenticity, leveraging new platforms to foster meaningful relationships with their audiences. Future scholarship might further investigate how these shifts affect different genres, global markets, or the mental health of artists navigating constant digital engagement. By continuing to explore the evolving dynamics between artists, fans, and industry institutions, researchers can better understand the cultural and economic forces that will shape the next era of pop stardom.

Works Cited

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Jose Ramirez graduated from Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He wrote this essay during his final semester at BU. Since graduating, Jose has been working as a freelance web developer in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, but is currently pursuing career opportunities in New York. While his academic background is in technology, he has always maintained a strong passion for writing. Jose would like to extend his sincere thanks to Professor Myers for inspiring him to pick up writing again. He hopes this essay is just the beginning of his publishing journey. He is actively writing a novel on the side, a project sparked by the reignition he felt while being in Professor Myers’ class.