Burn Out!

I found a very good page today all about Manufactured Music. Check it out here.

Here was my fav part. It kind of inspires hope.

" Thankfully, manufactured bands - especially boy bands - usually have a shelf life of about 12 months. You can hope that after this time they will do one of the following:

Become so successful that they stop working at all, only emerging for so-called 'live' dates and charity functions (eg Boyzone).

Split up. This is not always better than the band descending into dormancy, as the members may be able to pursue a solo career, which is almost as bad. Thankfully, not all solo careers are successful - but some are, so be careful. (Eg Robbie Williams, Geri Halliwell).

Get dropped by their record label. Manufactured bands exist solely to make profit for their managers and their record label. If they start to lose popularity, they will often simply cease to exist. If this happens to a manufactured band, laugh loudly and buy yourself a celebratory drink. "

This is a UK site (from 2001) so not all the references are quite as spot on for us across the pond (and almost a decade later) but the sediment is the same. The hotter the star, the quicker it burns out. One can only hope to look at the assembly line of music that is currently available and remember that burn out is enviable. CHEERS!