Charli XCX is rudely being dubbed an ‘industry plant’ – here’s why she’s not
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If you’re a fan of Charli XCX, you’d know she’s been around for years. But months after Brat summer, she’s been accused online of being an ‘industry plant’. An ‘industry plant’ can be loosely defined as a new artist who rockets instantly to success because of music industry big dogs creating them and shoving them into the public consciousness, rather than through organic growth.
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This happens in K-pop, where bands and solo artists are tailored to perfection in academies, rather than naturally climbing the ranks through gigging and hard work. Of course, the UK used to have The X Factor as a prime example of an industry plant machine. Contestants were plucked out of oblivion and thrust into mainstream success overnight, with their images being curated as they went. There wasn’t anything strictly wrong with that, as zero to hero is a story arc we humans like to see.
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But there is a certain amount of resentment for industry plants outside these competitions who have never been zeros. The irritation is reserved for musicians who found huge success through their industry connections rather than years of hard work. It’s the music industry’s unique version of nepotism.
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Notably, earlier this year indie rockers The Last Dinner Party were accused of being an industry plant after they seemingly blew up ‘overnight’ after just one LP and one single. Loads of artists, like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX to name a few, worked in the industry for years before finding their big break.
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