Dear Creatives. Don’t be like Prince or Eminem.

Ahhh the creative brief. You love it. You hate it. You love to hate it.

The greatest brief I ever had was just two words ‘Live music’. (Thank you Nick Docherty). I knew what to do and what not to do. Like many of us, I need music in my life. So a brief like that came from heaven. It got me thinking… what about music artists. Do they get briefed? I doubt it. Perhaps they should. But by who? The record company? Please no.

Many moons ago I worked as a choreographer. I never got briefed. Everything was carte blanche, so I threw everything at it. Some young music artists do the same and perhaps that’s why their longevity is limited to a few albums. Yes albums, remember those? So what about experienced, multi-platinum selling artists. How do they do it, when do they get it wrong. And what can we learn from them.

Well in my opinion, the good ones gain longevity because they balance the right amount of creativity with a daring amount of simplicity. Yet I can’t help thinking about two of the greatest music artists of all time, Prince and Eminem. Did they reach peak creativity with their latest albums? Both share the fact that their last albums were their lowest selling. Why? Did they create to fulfil themselves, not for their fans.*

In the two years before Prince died, he released 4 albums. That’s simply too much music for the world to take in. It’s too creatively prolific! It’s not simple.

Eminem holds 12 Guiness Records!

The largest vocabulary for a recording artist.

Most words in a hit single.

Fastest rap in a #1 single.

But my favourite: he has an “N.W.I.” (New Word Interval) of 11, meaning, on average, each 11th word used across 100 analysed Eminem tracks is a word he has never previously used in any of his songs. For the statisticians, that’s 8,818 unique words used in the lyrics of his 100 lengthiest tracks. For the Copywriters, that’s something to think about!

So you could say you get your money’s worth from those guys. But is their work just too good for us pop simpletons to take in?

Now imagine you’re on the toilet checking your phone and an unwanted ad appears. Or watching TV, same thing. At least in the case of music, it was your decision to listen to the artists. The ads? No.

So please dear creatives, when it comes to making your masterpieces, let’s not be as prolific as Prince or Eminem. Stay simple. And each time, save a bit of your genius for next time.

*Creating for self fulfilment, that’s something we must never do for our clients. Another subject for another article.