by Jade Jones
Published May 14th, 2022
Features have long been a way for artists to collaborate on projects, i.e. songs or even whole albums. The idea is that another artist, or entire band, is invited to work on someone else's song to enhance it, make it more likeable to fans. This concept has existed for decades, the likes of which being utilized by ranging from Lionel Richie to the Beastie Boys to NWA. Recently, however, more and more rock/alternative artists are branching out and stepping into the world of features.
So, what's the benefit? At the basic level, to mutually engage each other's fanbases, and gain new fans in the process. Features can also be beneficial to the artist being that it might allow them to experiment with other elements, styles, lyrical content or vocal techniques they might otherwise be closed off to. For example, Gerard Way did a feature on the Ibaraki (Matt Heafy's side project) song 'Ronin', and let out a monstrously uncharacteristic growl during his part that surprised even his biggest fans. In terms of growing fanbases, no one was quite prepared for Ollie Sykes and Ed Sheeran to pull off their smash 'Bad Habits' remake, but it had fans of both artists foaming at the mouth from shock and glee.
Features also help the scene as a whole, being that they might assist a smaller artist in gaining some traction, a more prominent one more cred, and amplifying the degree at which new music reaches and affects listeners. A DIY band with chops good enough to impress top, or close enough, artists or producers may end up with the likes of Courtney LaPlante or Will Ramos reaching out. And it goes both ways; thanks to websites like FeaturedX, aspiring bands can book artists they want featured on their music, for right price of course.
That's right, most features aren't free, and rightfully so, but that's a story for another day, We all know money talks, and for $7500, you can have Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills on your future banger. A gentle poke of fun, for we all know that good quality work requires one to dig deep into those chain wallets.
One negative that has resulted from the boom of features in the rock world is oversaturation. Travis Barker, perhaps the king of the pop punk resurgence, is also responsible for spreading his particular brand of tappity taps all across the land, working with artists such as Yungblud, Tyler Posey, Halsey and more. And while we love to see the man work and appreciate his talent and dedication to the game, it was a bit overwhelming seeing "featuring Travis Barker" on every other song. What I mean to say is that working on so many songs almost negates the significance of a feature from a particular artist.
Features have been around for decades, and will not be leaving any time soon. They offer a means for artists and bands to creature something truly eye-catching, and are more often than not mutually beneficial. If done correctly, they carry an otherwise bland song straight to the top of the charts, and give a newer artist the exposure they need to make a splash in the scene. Moreover, a feature on a hit song can put a seemingly retired artist or band back on the map. But, an abundance of the same people doing features may leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans, and take away from the magic of creating something with someone new.
That being said, the overall consensus is the good pretty much outweighs the bad. And I simply can't wait for some of the collabs that have yet to come.
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