The "Debut" Album is Now Meaningless - DJBooth

Like "mixtape," the "debut album" is an outdated term that artists, like Chance The Rapper and Kehlani, and fans stubbornly refuse to stop ... SkiptomaincontentHomeOpinionInterviewsAlbumsDiscoveryBestOfYearofMacProAudioAboutUsContactUsPrivacyAdvertisingDMCA/LegalPlatformPrivacyPrivacySettingsJanuary22,2022HomeOpinionInterviewsAlbumsDiscoveryBestOfYearofMacProAudio HomeFeaturesOpinionToday,risingR&B-starKehlaniannouncedtheimpendingarrivalofherdebutalbum,whichisgreatnewsforKehlanifans(likeme)andterriblenewsforpeoplewhowanttostopusingoutdatedmusicindustryterms(likeme). Onceuponatime,atimenottoolongago,theonlywayforanartisttoget alargenumberofpeopletoheartheirmusicwasthroughthereleaseofamajorlabelthatwouldputphysicalCDsinstoresandsongsontheradio.Thatwasit. Andsowhenanartistreleasedtheirdebutalbum,ittrulywasalarge-scaledebutinthedictionarysenseoftheword, "aperson'sfirstappearanceorperformanceinaparticularcapacityorrole."Themerefactthatyou'rereadingthisontheinternetshouldletyouknowjusthowmeaninglessthattermnowisintheageofYouTubeandsocialmediaandSoundCloud;fittingly,Kehlani'saperfectexample.Herfirsthitsong,"FWU,"droppedtwoyearsagoandnowhas11millionviews—atthetime,shewassecretlysignedtoAtlantic,whoalsounderstoodthatinthisdayandageit'sentirelypossibletobuildanartistintoasuperstarwithoutreleasinganalbum,period,letalonea"debut"album. Opinion5NewAlbumsYouNeedtoHearThisWeekPressplayonnewtitlesfromPaperRouteEMPIRE,FAVE,Damedot,CheNoir,andTeddySwims.ByDonna-ClaireChesman4hoursagoInterviewsBairiIsHeretoFeedHerFansTheR&BsingertalksaboutrewardingherAudiomackSupporters.ByDonna-ClaireChesmanJan21,2022OpinionJID,DukeDeuce&EricaBanks:BestoftheWeekBestoftheWeekhighlightsthelatestandgreatestonAudiomackacrossgenresandtheglobe.ByDonna-ClaireChesmanJan19,2022Inthetimesince"FWU,"Kehlani'sbeenplayedontheradiorepeatedly,touredtheworld,becomepaparazzifamousforunfortunatereasonsand,mostimportantly,releasedtwoalbums whichsomemightcallmixtapes,butcomeonnow.YouShouldBeHere consistsentirelyoforiginalmusic,wasreleasedforpurchase throughamajorlabel andwasnominatedforaGRAMMY.Inwhatworldisthatnot analbum?Andinwhatworld willthe upcomingSWEETSEXYSAVAGEbeher"firstappearanceorperformanceinaparticularcapacityorrole"?Nottheworldwe'recurrentlylivingin. Ihopeit'sclearthatthisisbynomeansacriticismofKehlani, she'soneofthefewartistsIendorseandhopethebestforwithoutreservation. Thisisaboutmebeingoldandgrumpyaboutthewaythemusicindustry(andmusicfans)continuestoclingtooutdatedterms—whichcometothinkofit,maybemakesmeyoungandforward-thinkingandthemoldandgrumpy. Becauselet'sbeclear:the"definitelynotadebutalbum"thingisawidespreadthing.ChanceTheRapper,who, in2016isahouseholdname,recently announcedthathewasbeginningworkonhis"debutalbum." Forsuchagroundbreakingartist,Chanceseemsoddlyattachedtodescribinghismusicunderoldterms. Infact,whenaskedtodescribewhatwilldistinguishthis"debutalbum"fromhispreviouswork,herespondedthathewanted, "Somethingthatyoucanconsideranalbum. Itmightnotbephysical,oradiscorsomething,butanalbumthatcomeswithitsownliveshowisimportant.”Ifthatsoundsvagueit'sbecausethisis2016andthedifferencebetweenanalbumandamixtape—betweenadebutalbumandanyotheralbum—isinherentlyvague.Sowhycontinuetouseit? Yes,alotofthisismejustbeingawriterwhoobsessesoverwords,butdon'tdismissthisconversationasmeresemantics.Thewordsweattachtomusichelpshapeshowwehearit,whichiswhysomanyartistshatewhenwritersassignthemgenrelabels,andallIwantisaworldinwhichwecansimplylistentocollectionsofmusicwithoutstrainingtocramthemintonowmeaninglessideasaboutwhereit'sfreeorforpurchase,debutornot. Byallmeans,bringonnewmusicfromKehlaniandChanceandanyoneelsewithgreatarttoshare.Justbecarefulwhatyoucallit.OpinionWhyChancetheRapper's'ColoringBook'WillBeaTop10AlbumChance'snewalbumissettodebutwithdisappointingfirstweeknumbers,butthat'sonlybecausethechartsaresocompletelybroken.OpinionMixtapevs.Album,Freevs.ForSale,It'sAllMeaninglessNowIwon'trestuntilIgettheworldtostopusingoutdatedtermslike"mixtape"and"forpurchase."OpinionDon'tCallChanceTheRapper's'ColoringBook'a"FreeMixtape"Idon'tcareifevenChanceiscalling'ColoringBook'amixtape,hecanbewrongaboutwhatthatwordmeanstoo.NewsChancetheRapper's'ColoringBook'isNowGRAMMYEligible—WeWonChancefansrejoice,theAcademyjustchangeditsrulessoartistsnolongerhavetosellittosnatchtheGRAMMY.OpinionHowChanceTheRapperIsBuildingaHugeCareer"Hehasnorulestofollow,nobosstoplease,heiscompletelyincontrolofhisdestiny."AlbumsChanceTheRapper'TheBigDay'1ListenAlbumReview‘TheBigDay’isanalbumthatgivesyousomethingtotalkabout.OpinionMyThanksgivingsWithChanceTheRapper&TheSocialExperimentThreeyearsagoagroupofChicagoartistscameovertomyhousetopartyandthepartyhasyettostop.OpinionTheArtofthePreface:Brasstracks&KehlaniInanerapronetooversharing,thisisthebestwaytokeepfanscluedinontheartisticprocess.SUBSCRIBECLOSECLOSECLOSECLOSE