A GLOBAL LETTER TO UPCOMING ARTISTS By Mixta Marquez
There is no definitive test that can predict how your career will ultimately turn out.
Talent matters. Hard work matters. Opportunity matters. Timing matters. Luck can matter too.
But before you chase fame, there are three questions every upcoming artist should ask:
Do I genuinely have the passion for this?
Am I developing a style and identity of my own, or am I simply imitating artists who have already succeeded?
When the difficult years come, can I honestly say I am prepared to give this career everything it requires?
The answers may save you years of frustration. The world is full of talented artists. The difficult part is not becoming talented; it is turning talent into a career.
There are no guaranteed rules for becoming a star. But there are habits and principles that can improve your chances of building something that lasts.
KNOW YOURSELF AND KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
You do not have to be the most technically gifted singer to build a successful career. You need to understand what makes you different.
Taylor Swift built her identity around songwriting and personal storytelling. Adele built hers around her voice and emotionally direct songs. Eminem built his around writing, delivery and lyrical persona. Beyoncé built hers around performance, discipline and reinvention.
Their careers are very different. That is precisely the point. There is more than one way to become successful.
Do not ask only, “How can I become like them?” Ask instead, “What can I learn from them while remaining myself?”
Your accent, appearance, culture and voice may be different. Those differences may become your greatest advantage. The world does not need another version of somebody who already exists. It needs another original voice.
DO NOT EXPECT YOUR CAREER TO GROW BY ACCIDENT.
You may hear that a great song will “blow up organically”. It can happen. But a career should not depend entirely on luck.
The modern music industry is built around networks. Artists work with producers, filmmakers, photographers, DJs, content creators, journalists and other artists. A song can become popular because someone uses it in a video. A collaboration can take you into a market you have never entered before.
Your responsibility is not to control every outcome. It is to create opportunities for good outcomes to happen. Do not sit in your room waiting for the world to discover you. Put the work where people can find it.
STUDY THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY BUILT GLOBAL CAREERS.
Study Michael Jackson’s attention to performance and presentation. Study Madonna’s ability to reinvent her image. Study Beyoncé’s discipline. Study Rihanna’s understanding of brand-building beyond music. Study Drake’s ability to move between audiences. Study Bad Bunny’s international success without abandoning Spanish. Study BTS and how a Korean-language group built a worldwide audience. Study Shakira’s movement between Spanish and English markets.
Study them. Do not become them. The purpose of studying successful people is not imitation. It is education.
YOUR FIRST AUDIENCE IS NOT YOUR FINAL AUDIENCE.
Perhaps only your neighbourhood knows your work. Perhaps your country knows you, but the rest of the world does not. That is simply where you are now.
Bad Bunny showed that you do not need to abandon your native language to build an enormous international audience. BTS demonstrated that music does not have to be in English to cross borders. Stromae built international recognition while creating predominantly in French.
The lesson is simple: ‘global’ does not have to mean ‘culturally anonymous’. Your identity can travel with you.
BE PATIENT, BUT DO NOT BE PASSIVE
You are probably not going to become a global superstar overnight. You may release a song nobody notices. You may perform to a small audience. You may send your work to people who never reply.
This is part of the journey. The public sees the breakthrough and forgets the years that came before it. Before she became a global superstar, Adele was an emerging singer developing her craft. Before Eminem became one of the world’s most recognised rappers, he was an artist trying to establish himself.
Do not compare your beginning with somebody else’s breakthrough. Build your catalogue, your confidence and your audience.
But understand the difference between patience and passivity. Patience means continuing to work while growth takes time. Passivity means doing nothing while hoping someone will rescue your career.
BUILD A TEAM AND BE PROFESSIONAL.
You may begin alone. That is normal. But as your career grows, you will need help — a manager, a lawyer, a publicist, a producer and people who understand publishing and distribution.
Choose your people carefully. A bad team can create problems that talent cannot solve.
Also, make it easy for opportunity to find you. If someone in another country discovers your music and wants to work with you, can they find you? Is there an official page? Are your professional contacts available? Is your catalogue organised?
In a global industry, professionalism is part of your reputation.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT DO NOT LET IT DEFINE YOU
Social media is one of the most powerful tools available to an emerging artist. You can release music without a traditional gatekeeper and build a community before a major label ever calls.
But there is a danger. A million views is attention. It is not necessarily loyalty. A million followers is reached. It is not necessarily a sustainable career.
Trends change. Algorithms change. Platforms change. Your ability to create something meaningful should survive all three.
PROTECT YOUR WORK AND DO NOT CONFUSE FAME WITH SUCCESS
As your career grows, understand the business. Read contracts. Understand ownership, publishing, royalties and distribution. Keep proper records. Seek qualified legal advice when you need it.
Your music is not only art. It is also intellectual property.
And remember: fame is visibility. Success is more complicated. An artist can be famous and financially unstable. Another artist may have a smaller audience but a sustainable career and loyal fan base.
Do not chase fame so blindly that you forget to build a life that can survive it.
FINAL WORD
You may begin in a small room. Your work may eventually reach a stadium. You may create in a language that most of the world does not speak. Your work may eventually cross borders you have never crossed yourself.
Build. Learn. Create. Collaborate. Invest. Promote. Protect your work.
The world has enough copies. Find your voice. The world has enough people chasing attention. Create something worth remembering.
Because fame can introduce you. Only the work can make people stay.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mixta Marquez (Emeka Ogwu) is a Nigerian media personality, talk-show host and writer whose work spans television broadcasting, entertainment journalism and music-industry commentary. He has hosted entertainment programming on MITV, a Nigerian television network, including the Top Ten Music Video Countdown.
As a writer and media commentator, Marquez has contributed to and been featured across Nigerian media platforms, with his work also appearing in Ovation International Magazine. His writing focuses on entertainment, music, emerging artists and issues shaping Nigeria’s creative industry.
