I’ve been closely following the unfolding legal saga surrounding music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. While his empire seems to be crumbling under the weight of numerous lawsuits and federal charges, one aspect of his business has remained surprisingly resilient: his streaming numbers.
Despite the barrage of accusations leveled against Combs, including allegations of rape, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, his music catalog has continued to find an audience on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. In fact, his follower count on Spotify has grown by around 15% over the past year, reaching 1.8 million.
This phenomenon is not unique to Combs. In the streaming era, high-profile artists embroiled in scandals have often maintained a steady, and in some cases, even growing, listener base. Names like R. Kelly and Michael Jackson come to mind, as their music has continued to rack up streams even as they faced serious legal troubles and public backlash.
“If Tower Records were still around, we would not see people walking in there and paying $15 for a CD to satiate that curiosity,” said George Howard, a professor at the Berklee College of Music. “But there’s anonymity with streaming. It evokes the same human impulse as witnessing a car wreck.
This “car wreck” mentality suggests that the public’s fascination with the scandals surrounding these artists may be fueling their streaming success. The music draws curious listeners, both casual and devoted fans, who seek to understand the narratives surrounding their idols.
However, the continued popularity of Combs’ and R. Kelly’s catalogs also highlights a more unsettling aspect of the music industry. As Bill Werde, director of the Bandier music business program at Syracuse University, noted, “they are always going to have a certain percentage of die-hard fans who will follow them no matter what.”
These dedicated supporters, unwilling to let go of their attachment to the music, keep the streams flowing, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing. It’s a sobering reminder that the industry’s reliance on streaming revenue can sometimes overshadow the ethical considerations at play.
As Combs faces the prospect of a federal trial on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other offenses, the question remains: how long will his streaming numbers remain steady? The upcoming news cycle and the outcome of the trial could ultimately determine the fate of his music’s popularity in the digital age.
Ultimately, this story highlights the complex and often troubling intersection of scandal, celebrity, and the music industry’s reliance on streaming. It’s a cautionary tale that reminds us of the importance of grappling with the moral implications of our entertainment choices, even as the allure of the music itself may continue to captivate us.