Life After Death: The Culture & Ethics of Posthumous Music Releases
Image Courtesy: Seongho Jang via Unsplash
With news of a Takeoff verse in Offset’s recently teased single and Ed Sheeran’s mention of an album to be released after his death, talks of posthumous works have recently been swirling around the media. These special types of releases consist of publishing music that the artist either had been working on at the moment of their untimely death or was specifically released at the request of the artist within their will, according to Cake. No longer seen as novel or taboo, this method of a timed music release is considered an excellent way of contributing to a star’s legacy or paying tribute – so long as it is done appropriately and honors the artist’s wishes.
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Many of the icons with posthumous releases had very unfortunate and sudden deaths. Artists such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain are just a few of the big names that passed at the young age of 27 – a startlingly common occurrence in the music industry – earning membership within the “27 Club.” From personal turmoil to freak accidents, these jarring deaths can occur amidst recording new music, leaving producers and collaborators to arrange the rest of the album as a homage. In these cases, friends, family, and those left to handle their estates often choose to share the music they were working on with the world, bringing people together in a time of grieving.
However, not every artist wishes to share all their works with the world. Rapper, drummer, and producer Anderson .Paak inked his forearm with the request to not release his entire discography in the event he pass. While the official explanation for his motivation for this tattoo remains unknown, some speculate that it is a countermeasure designed to keep music labels from disrespecting and disputing his will after his death. Regardless of whether this is true, it does highlight the culture of exploitation for profit within the industry.
Image Courtesy: @filipneuff via Twitter
After an artist’s death, their music sales and listening statistics increase exponentially. The shock, paired with grief and nostalgia, blends perfectly to entice old and new fans to cope by listening to their albums. However, by releasing new music postmortem, the high profits earned go to the artist’s label, managers, agents, and next of kin – which is not necessarily in line with what the musician would have wanted. Going against the artist’s wishes not only is an oppressive use of power, but it takes a moment of wholesome remembrance and tarnishes it with greed, leaving a smudge on their legacy.
In cases like Ed Sheeran’s, many records that are released with the artist’s consent ends up being defining works and serve as the perfect ending for an already successful career. These examples are some of my personal favorites that I would recommend:
Circles - Mac Miller
Released two years after Mac Miller’s (Malcolm McCormick) passing, the album serves as a counterpart to his previous album, Swimming, which came out in 2018. His family chose to release the self-written hip-hop record to complete his narrative of Swimming in Circles. A long way from his previous quintessential and youthful albums K.I.D.S. and GO:OD AM, McCormick further delves into his mature experiences with depression, addiction, struggles with self, and love. Well-rounded and raw, the album foreshadowed his premature demise, with songs like Good News and Everybody, detailing the thoughts that lead up to his overdose. Arguably one of his best works, the genre-bending record takes listeners on a journey through their own lives – and serves as the perfect backtrack to self-reflection.
Image Courtesy: Christian Weber via TIME
Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.
Following the shooting of prophetic East-Coast rapper Cristopher Wallace – “The Notorious B.I.G.” – Wallace’s second and final album would be released no more than 16 days after the tragedy. While the album was already finished, producer Sean “P-Diddy” Combs took the record title to heart by creating a new life for Biggie’s legacy after his death by sharing his work, according to Genius. Consisting of hits such as Hypnotize and Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems, the hip-hop record infuses homage-paying samples with honest lyrics about fame, money, drugs, and of course, themes of life and death. Although Biggie passed at the young age of 24, his wise-beyond-his-years attitude, confidence, and genius will forever shape the course of gangster rap and music today.
Image Courtesy: Raymond Boyd via The New York Post
Lioness: Hidden Treasures – Amy Winehouse
While this album was not pre-arranged by Amy Winehouse before her untimely death, her close friend and producer Salaam Remi arranged and released a compilation of recordings in her honor a few months following her alcohol poisoning. Including several covers, demos, and a few new songs, the widely acclaimed jazz album chronicles Winehouse’s career and creative partnership with Remi. Her tracks Like Smoke and Body and Soul, featuring well-known and loved music icons Nas and Tony Bennett, represent the push and pull of love in relationships. As a compilation, the album does mainly appeal to loyal listeners and does not tell a narrative like Frank or Back to Black, but it gives the world more of Amy to hold onto. A hopeless romantic at heart, but guarded and occasionally unfaithful in her relationships, Winehouse always managed to capture the essence of love and lust in all its forms.
Image Courtesy: Chris Christoforou/Redferns
Like Offset’s Takeoff feature and Ed Sheeran’s pre-planned album, posthumous releases can serve as an honorable means of celebrating the legacy of well-loved musicians who passed too soon. So long as the intention is to pay homage to an artist, rather than earn money off their talent one last time, these releases serve as a means of unifying fans and the star’s loved ones in saying goodbye.
Strike Out,
Writer: Isabel Wilder
Editor: Jayna O
Tallahassee