The Worst Trifecta: When “Authenticity” Sounds Manufactured

I took a drive today from Mount Pleasant to Summerville with SiriusXM playing in the car. I don’t remember which channel I started on—possibly Hits 1 with Mack & Jen—but I do love the commercial-free experience.


Then an Alex Warren song came on.


I immediately changed the station.


The next channel was playing Teddy Swims.


I changed it again.


Then came Adele.


For me, it was the worst musical trifecta imaginable.


All three artists are celebrated for vulnerability, soulfulness, and deeply personal storytelling. Yet their music strikes me as highly manufactured—less connected to everyday people and more connected to the massive machine that is the modern music industry.


Adele is often presented as an artist who represents “every woman,” yet the face-value prices for her Caesars Palace residency were beyond the reach of many everyday fans.


Alex Warren has spoken publicly about his personal struggles, but some of his comments about his wife’s weight may be perceived as body-shaming. That creates a disconnect for me between the vulnerability associated with his image and the way those remarks can land with listeners.


Teddy Swims is marketed as a singer with tremendous soul. However, his comments about AI-generated music complicate that image for me. Music created with artificial intelligence raises difficult questions about authenticity, creative labor, and what happens when technology begins replacing the contributions of professional musicians.


These examples—and others—are why I change the station every time one of these artists comes through my speakers. Their music may resonate deeply with millions of listeners, but it doesn’t resonate with me. What others hear as authenticity, I hear as carefully packaged vulnerability.


Of course, music is intensely personal. One listener’s heartfelt anthem is another listener’s reason to change the station.


What are your thoughts? Do these artists feel authentic and relatable to you, or do you also hear the machinery of the music industry behind their stories?


Leave a comment and join the conversation.


Join the conversation at NielFlamm.com/blog