POSTHUMOUS MUSIC VS THE ARTIST

It’s been a big week of discussion for posthumous music releases, a topic that leaves many music fans divided. Sure, the idea of getting to hear new music from your favorite late artist is sick, but on the other hand it feels wrong to be listening to songs that they didn’t intend to share. One of my favorite late artists of this decade, Pop Smoke, has been on the top 10 Billboard charts almost every month of this year. And while it's amazing that a legacy of his music is being built posthumously, there are many ethical questions floating around, like who retains creative control of his music, and whether his estate has the artist's best interests in mind. Amidst all of this discussion, a lot of artists are becoming more explicit in banning posthumous music release in their wills, and some artists like Anderson Paak are even taking it a step further. The singer/songwriter recently posted an image on instagram of his new tattoo that reads “please don’t release any posthumous albums or songs with my name attached. those were just demos and never intended to be heard by the public.” 

—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate