From the blow Nicki Minaj AND ice spice Barbie World To A bittersweet goodbye From Issy Cross, summer playlists all over the English Channel (but not only) are full of songs that use more or less recognizable samples. According to an analysis published by BBC Newsbeat, one in four UK Top 40 songs contains a sample.
This figure, confirmed by whosampled.com, also includes Paint the town redFrom Dodge Cat (which samples Pass byfirst published Dionne Warwick in 1964), Bow leads straight into the nineties in his Closer paraphrasing the ethereal Children Robert Miles, or one more time Charlie XCX than in his Barbie-sco play high speed drive quote not only Hey Mickey From Tony Basil but also Cobrastyle From Robin. Even if the funniest case remains the aforementioned A bittersweet goodbye: newly charted track offers orchestration Sweet and sour symphony belonging Inspiration (this was 1997), in turn built on iconic samples Lately belonging rolling stone. In short, the sound of the last millennium, especially in the style of the 90s, is of great admiration. A completely modern way of discovering and reimagining the hits of the past by a new generation of musicians, artists, advertisers, influencers… (think of the “case” of Fleetwood Mac or again very strange things and its soundtrack).
Second Jason GreenHowever, a Pitchfork journalist did an interview with the BBC, but in part, things are much more interesting.
His investigation (published by an American newspaper) began with the so-called “music publishing companies” – a fairly new activity that has become even more widespread during the pandemic. In the United States, two of these companies have acquired the rights to dozens and dozens of songs from legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Prince, James Brown and Whitney Houston. Jason approached his bosses and found that companies were looking ahead to promote this material in the hope that it would be reused. If this happens, then, of course, companies will earn on royalties. The songs being sold are obviously already known to people: a mechanism that works very well in the listener’s brain:
It’s like having a knot in our lizard brain that identifies what we already like. And that’s why this song seems more interesting to you than something you’ve never heard before. This is good for business, but potentially less useful for creativity. Since everyone already knows them… no one has to work to introduce a new entity, a new voice.
Jason Green
The real way to capitalize on retromania is through acquisitions and special marketing campaigns organized by companies that look more like record labels or advertising agencies than publishers with rights. Green’s article appeared in Pitchfork magazine in April of this year.