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Discussion: The Importance of Artist's Name?
Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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The Importance of Artist's Name?
"It's all in the name". I had this theory for quite a while now. Basically, I think that if your name isn't nice, catchy, easy to remember or doesn't have a ring to it, then your chances of getting success are very very limited.
Obviously, music by itself is important (can't sell on the name alone), but the name has quite some powers too. Let me throw a few examples and comparisons here.
Lets take Carly Rae Jepsen.... I mean what kind of name is that... It doesn't have anything to it, it's hard to spell or remember, it's not catchy at all. Her song was massive, but because her name is so wack, Call Me Maybe basically became much bigger than Carly herself. I honestly think she has no chance of getting any success with that name. Should have been simply Carly Rae.
Lets compare her with an artist who hit the scene 14 years earlier. Britney Spears. Similarly, Britney's video was so massive and the song enjoyed enormous success, but Baby One More Time has never gotten bigger than Britney. Why? Because her name is simply fantastic. So catchy, so memorable and has a beautiful ring to it. (Of course, there was a lot more to Britney, but you must agree her name is just flawless).
Madonna. Wow that name. It screams regal, royal, divine, Queen. Simply the best pop star name ever. She was bound for good things with that name. (similar category: Beyonce. Adele.)
Lady Gaga. Now, does anyone really think if Stefani Germanotta released Just Dance she'd have any similar success to what she did back in 2008/2009 under the name of Lady Gaga? The girl might have gotten plays in gay clubs, but she'd never breakthrough into the mainstream with that name. That's why they changed it to something ultra-catchy and easy to remember.
And just about anyone who is successful and changed their name at some point. Just compare their real names to their stage names. Robyn Fenty > Rihanna. Katheryn Hudson > Katy Perry. Jessica Cornish > Jessie J. Alicia Cook > Alicia Keys. Onika Maraj > Nicki Minaj etc. They simply obliterate them.
Then there are also artists who are trying to breakthrough, but I think their names simply won't let them, e.g. Azealia Banks. I think she could never breakthrough with that name. Similar examples: Nicole Scherzinger (poor girl), Marina & The Diamonds.
Let me know what you think.
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Member Since: 4/29/2012
Posts: 15,977
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Way too long to read
I'll just assume and say yes a name is important otherwise 90% of the artists wouldn't change theirs
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Member Since: 8/28/2012
Posts: 10,506
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The discography and success makes the name. Carly Rae Jepsen is very catchy and sounds like Kelly Clarkson.
Britney Spears sounds extremely generic but now it's a household pop star name. Another example is Avril Lavigne, that's a mouthful.
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Member Since: 5/1/2012
Posts: 10,570
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Member Since: 5/13/2012
Posts: 21,615
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I agree
The iconic dollar song in Ke$has name is part of the reason I checked out TiK ToK years ago
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 3/22/2012
Posts: 53,769
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I think that the name matters just a bit. Obviously a strange or long name isn't going to work as well for a pop artist, so corrections may be made for the sake of simplicity, but most of the time it doesn't matter. It's just that it's a lot easier for the youth of today to associate, for example, "Bad Romance" to a "Lady GaGa" than a "Stefani Germanotta", or a song like "I Kissed a Girl" to a "Katy" rather than a "Katheryn".
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Member Since: 6/16/2006
Posts: 6,439
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Actresses change their names too. A catchy name is important like a good album cover and a good music video, but its just the icing on the cake. The music has to be pleasing to a general audience, and thats the most important thing.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lucas32
Way too long to read
I'll just assume and say yes a name is important otherwise 90% of the artists wouldn't change theirs
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I tried, but I couldn't make it short. And it's not just about changing names, it's also about those who didn't and now struggle.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by jqnetto
Lana Del Rey disagrees.
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But she is successful now and she only broke through when she changed it from Lizzy Grant.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mhs90
The discography and success makes the name. Carly Rae Jepsen is very catchy and sounds like Kelly Clarkson.
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Not it doesn't
Quote:
Originally posted by Mhs90
Britney Spears sounds extremely generic but now it's a household pop star name. Another example is Avril Lavigne, that's a mouthful.
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Girl bye
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Member Since: 8/22/2010
Posts: 12,270
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I think Carly Rae Jepsen is a nice name actually. It's definitely not forgettable imo.
Mariah Carey is a great name that also demands attention
I wonder if P!nk struggled with finding success before and acknowledgment now because of the ! In her name and also because a name like P!nk is difficult to google. No one ever includes the ! and if you dont include it you get results mixed with the color Pink and Pink Floyd
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Member Since: 5/1/2012
Posts: 10,570
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Quote:
Originally posted by Brando
But she is successful now and she only broke through when she changed it from Lizzy Grant.
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But her current name is tacky too. (at least in my opinion)
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Member Since: 10/20/2009
Posts: 20,682
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Rihanna didn't change her name the same way the others in your list did
Rihanna is her middle name
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Member Since: 8/28/2012
Posts: 10,506
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Quote:
Originally posted by Brando
But she is successful now and she only broke through when she changed it from Lizzy Grant.
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I think Lizzie Grant sounds so much better and authentic Lana del Rey sounds pretentious
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Banned
Member Since: 6/6/2012
Posts: 1,607
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Beyonce and Madonna are best popstar names ever
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by atrlster
I think Carly Rae Jepsen is a nice name actually. It's definitely not forgettable imo.
Mariah Carey is a great name that also demands attention
I wonder if P!nk struggled with finding success before and acknowledgment now because of the ! In her name and also because a name like P!nk is difficult to google. No one ever includes the ! and if you dont include it you get results mixed with the color Pink and Pink Floyd
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But her name is only stylized with "!". She is officially "Pink".
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Member Since: 8/28/2012
Posts: 10,506
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Quote:
Originally posted by Brando
Not it doesn't
Girl bye
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Carly, Kelly. JepSON, ClarkSON.
And Britney Spears sounds like a wonder bread white girl's name. She earned the success behind her name not the other way around.
Bye.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rated R
Rihanna didn't change her name the same way the others in your list did
Rihanna is her middle name
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Middle name or not, she still didn't go with her first and last name.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 3/22/2012
Posts: 53,769
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mhs90
Carly, Kelly. JepSON, ClarkSON.
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It would help to pronounce Jeps en properly to see why a similar, not identical, syllable in the last name doesn't make the whole name sound very similar.
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mhs90
Carly, Kelly. JepSON, ClarkSON.
And Britney Spears sounds like a wonder bread white girl's name. She earned the success behind her name not the other way around.
Bye.
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It's JepsEn. See, even you don't know how to spell it. Simply proving my point further.
And if you want to hate on Britney, do it in SYG please. Not here.
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