The information age has made it much more difficult for artists to cultivate mystique. Gone are the days when David Bowie could seemingly arrive fully formed with Space Oddity and Hunky Dory, with most of the record-buying public unaware of his years of struggle in bands such as the Lower Third; or when Robert Zimmerman could become Bob Dylan and invent a backstory about running away with the circus as a teenager. Today’s artists are so intensely scrutinised once they get even a glimmer of success that there’s always the chance some internet sleuth will blow a performer’s cred by unearthing a terrible video of them caterwauling through Wonderwall in sixth form.
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