Fame by MySpace

If you are a member of MySpace, or have ever visited their music site, then it is probable that you've heard of Tila Tequila. If the name does not sound familiar, you must not be hip to the MySpace community. She supposedly has the most "friends" on the online social community, with the count somewhere in the range of 1,745,000. As the often labeled "Queen of MySpace," her online stardom must be spreading beyond computer screens and into the real world, right? Well, in her own right, she has done many of things that your typical celebrity does, such as gracing the covers of various national magazines and becoming involved in various business ventures (her full bio and list of accomplishments can be found on her MySpace page as well as on her official website. This Internet superstar as gained that adoration of millions of (mostly male) mainstream media addicts. Recently, she has begun her transition into the music industry. Most notably a model, she has as of late created some stir with the release of her first hit single, "I Love U." That's not a typo...apparently it is hip to shorten three letter words down to one.

This raises the question: Can Internet personalities, and primarily MySpace stars, become big-time celebrities and platinum-record selling artists?

According to a recent article on the Digital Music News website, so far, the answer is a resounding maybe. While it is too early to tell with Tila Tequila, her single was launched on iTunes only in late February, the response thus far as been modest. Since its release, the single has failed to crack the Top 50 most downloaded tracks on iTunes, though it peaked at #52. Sales of the single were not pinpointed, but labeled as "in the thousands" in the Digital Music News article. These numbers would be very encouraging for a small-time artist just cracking the scene, but for a million-plus friend holder on MySpace with interviews, event appearances and photo spreads across the country? Not so hot. So wherein lies the problem?

Since Tequila already possessed a solid fan base before she released her first single, which was produced by the infamous Lil Jon, it would not be impossible to imagine that the track could have sold at least 100,000 copies by now. It's been out for roughly a month now, she has one and three quarter million online friends, and the track was released digitally. If one does the math, that sales figure does not seem like a stretch. The problem must be a combination of a few things: sub-par music, or a reluctance to purchase music.

Seeing as how her fan base is seemingly well involved with the Internet and its inner workings, it makes sense to assume that many of those fans are familiar with purchasing music online, especially on iTunes. And considering that the single costs only 99 cents, it seems that her sales thus far should, or at least could, be much higher. Therefore, I do not believe it is the unwillingness to purchase music, especially when we are talking about a 99 cent track.

I believe it has to do with the quality of the music. Of course this is just my personal opinion so don't take it like it is the final word. That being said, "I Love U" is darn near awful. OK that was a little biased, seeing as how the type of music she produces is not my favorite. I'll rephrase. The single "I Love U" by Tila Tequila does not have what it takes to be a hit, and it is no surprise that its sales figures and popularity so far have not met expectations. The only song on her page that isn't offensive to the senses is "Paralyze." The others, including "I Love U," are unnecessarily lewd and profane, with far too many references to MySpace. In the world of Rap and popular music it is acceptable, nay, expected, to be a bit crude and on the edge. However, this sounds like an insecure teenager attempting to rap to overused beats. That may have been harsh. I apologize. I have the utmost respect for Tila Tequila for her work ethic and the way she has risen to stardom and gotten her name known. I just don't hear or see a future for her in music.

I think it all depends on the quality of the music. If Tila's music was interesting, then she would be selling millions. But it's not. MySpace and the Internet are great ways to launch yourself, but you must be legit in order to be successful for the long run. It is possible, but the fickle nature of MySpace and the Internet definitely make it a difficult task. Though it may seem like the Internet can serve as a shortcut to fame, it is deceptive in the fact that it usually produces one hit wonders and short-lived phenomena.