From the outside, it looks like pop stars have a great life. “Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits describes it best. It tells the story of movers talking about the heavy lifting they do daily to make a little bit of money, while the rock star on MTV seems to make way more doing something that looks effortless. They get the big bucks, the girls and it all looks like one great party that never stops.
Maybe it takes a professional to make something look easy, but I too have heard close musician friends tell me they made as much money as I did after working 12 hours, in about 3 hours (meetings and sound checks included). I’d have to add that the rest of their days would be filled with long work outs and sleeping, which they consider part of the job and, because good looks get you anywhere, you must admit they are right to think so.
But knowing this has also got me an understanding of why certain artist managers are all about pushing the artist to do more. If the artist is successful or able to get into a long term show, it becomes very tempting to place them in as much as you can.
Now, I’m not saying this is the case here, but this does lead to over exhaustion among artists. Rita Ora just posted a picture on her Twitter account today after being hospitalized, because it all got to be too much. She’s currently recording new music, finally, after being freed from Roc Nation. She’s also filming part 2 of the movie “50 Shades Of Grey”, and she’s partying a bit. Her body is just telling her to take it easy.
The life of globally successful musician can get more hectic than for my friends. Rita, for example, has got the pressure of social media on her, promotions that she has to do, and you know what they say, it’s easier getting to the top, than staying there.
For the lesser known musicians, life can be more of a struggle. Many people who are able to make their living in music, usually have become music teachers. And in most cases, they combine this with a band or a solo career in music. It’s stressful just keeping up the combination of it all, the so-called hustle, regardless on if it’s getting you somewhere.
Among artists, it’s not that uncommon to hear stories of depressions. Of course, artists are sensitive people anyway, but it’s actually also scientifically proven that musicians are prone to depressions due to lack of day light. Rapper DMC (Darryl McDaniels) recently wrote his biography and called it “Ten Ways Not To Commit Suicide”. He revealed a lifetime battle with depression, even in the days where Run DMC were larger than life. And he is not alone: Lady Gaga, Sinead O’Connor and Deadmau5 have all admitted to struggle with depression. So, “the life” might be a case of all that glitters is not gold.
