It’s All About The Artist … Again!

For several years, Country programmers had been very outspoken about the genre/format being more song-driven than artist-driven, the contention being that the Country format has been the most successful when it was artist-driven. In the ’90s, we had Garth, Brooks & Dunn, Shania, Reba and much more. In the 2000s, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, etc.

In the latter 2000s on to several years back, the format was driven by big songs from somewhat “faceless” acts, for the most part. They had a hit or two and then faded into the sunset. I saw a quote from a country PD a few weeks back that referenced the fact that Country music was reverting back to being artist-driven again.

Let’s examine the numbers just from this past week’s charts. Of the top 30 songs on the Mediabase Country chart, 20 are from artists with at least four hits or more under their belt. Then there’s the Billboard Hot Country Chart, this week dominated by two artists – Morgan Wallen with 12 and Luke Combs with four songs in the top 30! In addition, we are seeing emerging stars like Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce and HARDY make their individual marks with their music and tours.

It’s NOT just the music. When you think of these artists, there is a clear identity due to their on-point branding and exposure to radio, DSPs, video, and in person. Heck, now, you can assemble your graphics for a station van and be comfortable placing today’s biggest artists on it.

One more caveat is the fact that each identity is different. Lainey and Carly are very opposite in style and music. Wallen is the opposite of Dan + Shay. Not every male singer has a cowboy hat, boots, and a guitar. Not every female singer is decked out in flashy gowns. They each have their own recognizable trait and their own recognizable music.

How do you take advantage of this change on the air? Due to the fact that music listening/discovery has experienced a shift with streaming and playlists, is it time to adjust the archaic artist separation rules for music scheduling?

Wallen is red hot and, as I mentioned earlier, his new album has 12 cuts on the Billboard Top 30 Hot Country chart. Combs just released an album that has four cuts being played. In addition, both have past hits that still test well and should be played often. With most artist separation sitting at between 45 minutes to an hour, how about playing these hottest artists every 20-30 minutes? I know some stations are already doing this in some way, especially with Morgan and Luke.

Take a look at your own streaming playlists (you have them … I know it!). If you really like an artist, how many of his/her songs are on that playlist, and how often do they play? I’ll bet it would be more than once every 45 minutes. I’m not proposing doing this for all artists, of course not! Just for those who warrant it. By that, I mean anyone who is hot right now, but not someone who had a slew of hits several years ago.

Outplay your competition. Create some memorable moments around these artists and songs, especially coinciding with album releases. Take advantage of opportunities with their tours/sponsorships. It is back to being all about the artist!

What do YOU think? Are you doing anything like this now? I’d love to know. Email me at jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com. Let’s let the genre and the format shine!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com