Part 3/13:
The old perception implied a symptom of conspiracy—artists who show up unprepared or unknown, yet dominate quickly. Now, it's understood that no major artist reaches big stages—like major festivals or sold-out arenas—without label support, marketing machinery, and strategic positioning. Therefore, the line separating organically rising stars from "plants" has blurred; most artists, whether independent or signed, owe some allegiance or approval to the industry.