Is Instagram the next big Music Streaming Service?

News

Tom Tye

10 Jul 2018

Jaden Smith seems to think so...

Love or hate him, Jaden Smith is always striving for individuality.

The "Icon Living" has just celebrated his 20th birthday with the release of his sophomore album, a revamped version of his 2017 release, Syre - exclusively on Instagram.

You heard correct. 

Smith announced the album last month, dropping (on actual streaming services) its lead single 'GHOST' featuring Christian Rich. 

This makes Syre: The Electric Album the first album ever to be released entirely, and exclusively, through Instagram. It's 2018 and the future is here everyone. Jaden Smith is our musical torch-bearer as we move toward the inevitable Instagram new world order...   

Jokes aside, it's not a bad idea. Whilst many smaller musicians probably won't primarily head down this route for the lack of monetizing their plays, it's a really interesting audio-visual concept.

The full album is available via the recently launched IGTV App, which allows for longer video streaming in a vertical format. Clips of each track, uploaded to Jaden's Instagram, piece together to create the album artwork on his main page. Aesthetics galore.

The way we listen to and visualize music is undeniably changing, and the one genre that has been consistently pushing the boundaries is definitely Rap music. Alongside Jaden's IG album, many artists are adapting to the internet music industry age in interesting and forward-thinking ways.

Lil Pump, King of the new school of internet rappers has definitely found success in dropping 2-minute hook-heavy bangers, and Kanye's latest release alongside his string of productions for the likes of Nas, Teyana Taylor and Pusha T all arrived as compact, 20-something minute mini albums.

In the age of short attention spans and instant information, the EP-length LP, all-killer-no-filler approach could be the way to go. And, what better platform (or the platform quickly becoming the social media singularity) than the king of content, Instagram.

Is Instagram about to become the music streaming service? Who knows. We'll be keeping an eye, and an ear out.

In other arguably far more important news, the original "Icon living", Will Smith, has also released his own version of Jaden's 'Icon', adding his own verse to the song. He raps, "boy you know why you is an icon living? You was born from an icon living." Check it out below.

 

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