Can you still become famous through singing shows on TV?

Singing shows. They have been a staple on our screens since the turn of the millennium and bring to light talents such as Guy Sebastian, Vera Blue (also known as Celia Pavey), And Rob Mills, to name a few. But can contemporary shows produce winners of a similar caliber? Recent winners have not received the same recognition as those from previous seasons.

Guy Sebastian has recorded with artists all over the world and Danielle B. has brought a number of musicals to our theatre stages. While in Australia it began later as Australian Idol, The voice discovered talents like Vera Blue And Princess Stevens. Although they all have different levels of fame, it is clear that their appearances on their respective singing shows bode well for their future careers.

These shows first emerged in the early 2000s, when the music world was a completely different place. TikTok was nothing but a dream, Blockbuster was the one-stop shop for films and artists like Avril Lavigne And Norah Jones were at the top of the charts.

As an audience, we only ever got to see fully formed artists – whether on the radio, on TV or on a compilation CD, we rarely heard someone who still needed to improve. This is where reality singing shows came in. They opened the door and accompanied us on the path to becoming the next big star.

At that time, shows like this could make you famous – there was nothing like that in the industry. People connected with these singers and saw them getting better week by week.

With the birth of My placewe saw a change in the music industry. Aspiring musicians could upload their demos to the site and reach trendsetters around the world. on facebook., Instagramand TikTok followed, which introduced us to artists and helped us find singers that fit our niche tastes.

This is also where it became harder to become famous and easier to get your music known. Anyone can record a song, post it on one of the many websites and find fans who like their stuff. On the other hand, the sheer volume of content makes it difficult to stand out and gain a significant following.

Despite these changes in the scene, singing shows don't seem to have changed. They still function the same way they always have: travelling to all corners of Australia, finding up-and-coming singers and getting them to sing cover songs on TV. That's not what audiences value in 2024.

We can look at some of the biggest artists of the moment — Taylor Swift, BeyonceAnd Olivia Rodrigo. They connect with their fans lyrically. If people sing what you feel, you will listen to them much more often.

idol, The voice and other shows usually require contestants to sing cover songs, which isn't exactly indicative of what their original music sounds like, which is what gets streams and viewers. That's the first obstacle why reality singing shows make it harder to get famous.

Something that used to be an integral part of the early seasons of reality singing shows was getting to know the cast members. If you watch the first season of The voice And Australian Idolwe were once given almost twice as many episodes as today. The first season of idol was 44 episodes compared to the 26 episodes of the ninth season.

This helped us build a relationship with the artists over months. They slowly became a part of our lives. Now shows seem to be over within about six weeks and we all quickly move on to the next thing.

Watch any of these shows in 2024 and you will see that they have become a bigger spectacle: big stage plays, guest performers and sometimes contestants we recognize (like The Bushwackers or Jack Vidgen). These shows try hard to make the most of a shorter season and give people a reason to tune in and watch.

In 2024 we still have one season with The voice on the cards, and we recently released an extravagant video unveiling the judge, which looks like a Wonder Trailer at Comic Con. When there's a lot more of everything, it's harder to stand out and grab viewers' attention. It's clear that shows try everything they can to grab attention, but you could say that by doing so, they lose some of their ability to create stars.

With short seasons and cover songs, the show only offers exposure. But in 2024, attention isn't the only ingredient you need to become famous. With so much music out there, you have to bring something to the table that people have never heard of. That takes a while after appearing on one of these shows.

We can deal with this by looking at the most famous alum from The voiceVera Blue, who performed The Voice Australia in 2013/2014. You could say that this show gave her the exposure she needed to reinvent herself and become one of Australia's most famous pop stars.

Artists need to do a little more to stay in the spotlight – especially by taking advantage of the attention provided by social media. If we look at the recent idol Finalists like Dylan Wright, Denvah Bakar-Moller and Amy Reeves all have significant social media presences, regularly posting and showcasing original work, keeping themselves top of mind and letting their personalities shine through, and most importantly, trying to find their niche and connect with them.

While they are still entertaining and provide some exposure for up-and-coming talent, with the changes in the music world it is clear that singing shows are becoming harder to get exposure on. They are no longer the answer to the road to fame, but a foot in the door.

But some props can be given to shows like The voice And Australian IdolAlthough it is difficult for winners to make an impression, they try to adapt the shows to what Australian fans expect from new music.

The Voice airs tonight at 7:30pm on Channel 7. Find out more here. Here.