Entertainment
“Hits Rule Everything Now” — Perez Musik Says Legends Like Bob Marley Would Face Challenges Today
Gospel musician Perez Musik has argued that legendary musicians such as Bob Marley and Michael Jackson could have struggled to achieve the same level of recognition in today’s music industry, where artists are often judged by hit songs, streaming numbers, chart positions, and viral moments rather than the depth and impact of their entire body of work.
Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM, Perez Musik said the modern music environment has shifted away from storytelling and meaningful albums toward the pursuit of commercially successful singles.
According to him, although technology has transformed how music is created, distributed, and consumed, the industry must develop ways to help audiences appreciate the complete works and messages of musicians instead of focusing only on popular songs.
“The industry has changed. We may not be able to return to the CD or cassette era, but there should be systems that encourage people to listen to the full works of artistes and not just the songs that are trending,” he said.
Perez Musik observed that many musicians are now moving away from traditional music distribution methods and are choosing to release their songs through personal websites.
“I’ve noticed a trend where most artistes are not distributing their songs again. They put them on their websites. They have their songs on their websites,” he explained.
The gospel musician stressed that music should not be viewed only as entertainment but also as a platform for communication, inspiration, and sharing important messages.
“As an artiste, let me confess, I don’t want you to just simply vibe to the songs. I feel like I have a message. I see myself like a messenger,” Perez Musik stated.
He believes that if icons like Bob Marley and Michael Jackson were active in today’s music industry, they might not receive the same appreciation because audiences now tend to focus on instant hits rather than complete albums.
“If Bob Marley were in this era, he would have really struggled to shine. It’s the same with Michael Jackson. If they were in this era, nobody would listen to the albums. They are looking for hits. Don’t listen to ‘Billie Jean’ and forget about the other songs. Maybe nobody would have even heard what ‘Redemption Song’ was, because it was just a guitar and his voice,” he added.
Perez Musik insisted that the value of music should not be measured only by streaming figures, online popularity, or chart rankings, arguing that the true impact of music goes beyond numbers.
He revealed that some listeners have reached out to him to share how his songs helped them through difficult moments in their lives.
“I feel like musicians have more to offer. They have more to offer than just the streams, than just the numbers that people are counting. It goes beyond that. Music can heal. Music can deliver,” he said.
Perez Musik added that music has the power to influence lives, strengthen relationships, and provide hope, warning that the art form should not be reduced to statistics and commercial success.
“Music has saved people’s marriages. So we shouldn’t cheapen the art,” he said.