By: STEVIE WEBER
Staff Writer
Modern day messiahs are presented in this day and age as young, beautiful and incredibly talented artists who garner followings as rabid as a pack of starved rats in the New York sewers. While those who follow these large artists can be quite feral, their loyalty is unmatched. But what makes these talented individuals so hypnotic and worship-able? Is it their appearance? Their relatability? Or is simply just the sound of their voice harmonizing with instruments in a complementing way? It could be many things, or one of these things, or nothing at all listed before. It really all depends on who is listening. But even with all these conflicting opinions (what music is good or which is bad) one thing is for certain: the artist must be doing SOMETHING right to amass those cult-like fanbases. For example, take new-age, alternative-pop singer Billie Eilish. Much like the princess of pop, Brittney Spears, Eilish gained her following at a very young age with her hit single “Ocean Eyes”. She was 13 years old when she uploaded the song on popular music streaming service Soundcloud, where it then exploded with millions of streams. For Eilish, it was not her looks or a preexisting career that launched her into stardom. Instead, it was her pure and raw vocals mixed with the utter relatability of her lyrics that bewitched millions of listeners across the globe. At the time, she was a faceless nobody, but soon, her popularity grew and many producers came sprinting out of the depths to hire her as their own. Many artists are not as lucky as Eilish, as it can take years to accumulate such fame which she gained almost overnight; with just a single song. With her example, it can be said that looks may not matter when it comes to fame and popularity. All it takes is a single burst of talent arranged in a harmonic and appealing melody.