Those of us who have had the privilege of attending live shows understand the joy that comes with live unreleased music performances from our favorite artists. It is the quiet in the storm during a live performance, a way for the artist to reclaim the stage and keep their fanbase guessing, a way to keep setlists interesting.
However, some artists never release the songs they tease. Mainstream artists have mastered this baiting technique; Clairo’s “favoritism,” Harry Styles’ “Medicine,” Lizzy McAlpine’s “You Ruined the 1975,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Strange,” and Lana Del Rey’s “Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight,” are notable examples. Due to their popularity, fans have found ways to upload and stream unreleased songs via podcast episodes on Spotify, SoundCloud songs, or clips on TikTok. These platforms make these songs accessible to fans who would otherwise not get the opportunity to witness live performances of, what could become, their favorite songs.
It’s no mystery why these songs gain such popularity—the intimacy of hearing unreleased music straight from the source provides an air of exclusivity the artist cannot recreate anywhere else. In a world where you must prove your devotion to your favorites—“name three Nirvana songs”—finding these niche, unreleased songs from artists feels like hitting the jackpot of an artist’s lore. The tracks quickly become a secret that only fans indoctrinated into the world of the musician are familiar with and unintentionally become the foundation to the community of fans the artist has. But if these songs are so popular and beloved, why do artists hesitate to give the fans what they want?
There is a duality in the artist’s treatment of the song; many do not acknowledge its existence, leaving the music to die out and only be remembered by the few fans present for this revolutionary moment in this artist’s history and others who choose to succumb to fan pressure and release the song as a nod to their dedicated fanbase.
Lizzy McAlpine exemplifies the former. Her refusal to acknowledge her viral song “You Ruined the 1975” comes from a place of valuing artistry. In 2020, Lizzy McAlpine posted a clip of a catchy guitar hook accompanied by the lyrics “You ruined the 1975 / Now I listen and think about getting high / In your bedroom windows open / Mom is home but we’re still smoking,” which has amassed 9.5 million views. McAlpine’s fan base increased exponentially, as many people discovered her from this song and asked her when it will be released.
McAlpine rejected the idea of releasing it entirely, addressing fan’s inquiries in a TikTok in 2022, when she admitted to not liking the song. “If I can’t stand behind a song I released and be like ‘This is fucking great,’ then what am I doing? What’s the point?” The singer explained she was worried that the popularity of this song would overshadow her other work that she valued more. The popularity of the song was hard to ignore, she said in an interview, because “I was about to put out Give Me A Minute. I was worried that no one would want the album I have been working on for so long, they would just want that song.”
However, on the latter side, other artists play into the popularity of the song, teasing fans with it at live shows, but still not releasing it. “Medicine" by Harry Styles is a perfect example of this. Styles has performed this song for over five years after debuting the unreleased hit during his first solo tour Live On Tour. “Medicine” quickly became a fan favorite, with entire stadiums singing the lyrics back at Styles, even now five years later, despite no official recording of the song available anywhere.
Harry Styles appeared on the Howard Stern show in 2022 and told the host he didn’t release “Medicine” because a lot of the songs off his debut self-titled solo album sounded similar. “It was one of the first songs I wrote for my first album, and when we first started writing the album it felt like I had a bunch of songs that sounded like Medicine,” he said. “It didn't quite make it to the finish line. It's really fun to play live. I really like playing it.” Sonically, Styles has stepped away from his previous soft rock style, leaning more towards pop-oriented music; it seems fans may be out of luck and tracks like “Medicine” and “Anna” may never see the light of day.
All hope is not lost for lovers of unreleased music because artists like Billie Eilish are a testament to releasing older music despite it not aligning with their current image or style. In November 2018, a young Eilish sang the song “wish you were gay” on an Instagram live. After reaching massive heights of popularity following her debut EP “don’t smile at me” in 2017, fans would hop onto subsequent live streams asking Eilish to play the song. Eventually Eilish released the song on her debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO” making it accessible, appeasing longtime fans.
An even more recent example of artists appeasing their fans with their art is with Beabadoobee’s “Glue Song.” The British singer first began performing this song on her Beatopia tour where fans immediately felt attached to this tender love song, demanding to bask in the love sick, pure adoration that Bea describes. Following her performance of the song at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, the artist announced its upcoming Valentine’s Day release. Beabadoobee has a very tight knit fan base that she regularly interacts with via her Tik Tok and was teasing and joking with her comments section sharing “i s2g one more [negative comment] and you ain’t getting the song.” Acknowledging people’s want for the song whilst setting boundaries through humor, Beabadoobee is a perfect example of artists acknowledging their ability to withhold their art but still wanting their audience to interact with it.
Other artists aren’t so generous with their fans. Unfortunately as music lovers this is out of our hands, but whilst your favorite song may be locked up in a vault held captive by your favorite artist, there is a level of community that unreleased songs provide—a community easy for fans to seek out. Unreleased songs bring fans who have had the opportunity to experience these songs together and help an artist’s popularity spike. Many times this sparks debates amongst fans regarding their favorite unreleased songs and lyrics, and promoting conversation around when or if the song will ever be released. Fan involvement in artist’s releases is a double edged sword, on the one hand it creates community and common ground for the fan base or it can create a frustrating environment for the artist who feels tied to art they don't stand by. Regardless of the outcome, it is an irrefutable fact that fans shape artist culture and releases; forming connections and solidarity within a fan base and beyond, speaking to the profound impact music has on each of us.
Published via WECB Milkcrate
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