My daughter gave the songs context.
So many artists post, “My new single is out now!” and then… crickets.
It’s not because the song isn’t good. It’s because people don’t yet have a reason to care. There’s no story tethering them to it.
Think about it. When you see a random link to a song on social media, do you hit play right away? Probably not.
But when you see a post that gives you a peek behind the curtain, maybe how the song came to be, what inspired it, or even a funny story from the studio, that’s what makes you curious enough to listen.
And if you're invested in the artist already, that makes you even more likely to click through. But oftentimes, it's not enough.
People are busier than ever. Their time is valuable, so you have to set them up for an emotional "payoff" to make it worthwhile for them to give up even 4 minutes of their precious time.
My daughter had been texting me tracks from the album and had even asked if I'd listened to them. I kept thinking, "I'll get to it eventually." But it has been weeks...
But when she gave me compelling context...I couldn't resist hitting play!
That’s why I’m not-so-secretly obsessed with this YouTube channel called Professor of Rock.
He tells backstories about songs we all know, what was happening in the artist’s life, the accidental recording moments, the behind-the-scenes emotions. And it's not just information. He knows how to "hook you in" with curiosity.
If it’s a song I already love, his story makes me even more connected to the song. But if it’s a song I’ve never heard, his storytelling makes me want to hear it enough that I make the effort to search it on Spotify and hit play.
And that’s exactly what context does for your music.
It sparks curiosity. It builds emotional connection. And it helps people remember you.
There’s actually science behind this. When something is wrapped in story, your brain lights up in multiple areas, not just the language center but also the parts that process emotion and memory.
That means people are literally more likely to remember a song when they know something about it.
So if you’re out there posting, “New song out now!” and wondering why no one’s clicking, it’s not that your song isn’t strong enough.
It’s that your audience needs an entry point. They need something that pulls them in, something that makes them think, I want to know what that sounds like.
It could be a story about writing the song. Or something that happened when you performed it live. Or even what the song means to your fans. The story doesn’t have to be deep or dramatic. It just has to be human.
Because context turns your music from a random link into a connection.
So the next time you promote a song, ask yourself, "Am I giving people a reason to care? Am I giving them context?"
That’s the difference between a song that gets scrolled past and a song that gets played, then added to a playlist, and potentially leads to longtime fandom.
Always in your corner,
<3 Bree
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