SUNDAY, 30TH MARCH 2025

Artists are burning out, and the industry is still calling it part of the process.

The music industry has long been romanticised as a space of chaos, creativity, and rebellion — but beneath the glamour lies a culture that has historically pushed artists to the brink. While health and wellbeing are trending topics across many sectors, music has been slower to catch up, with unhealthy lifestyles still deeply embedded in its foundations.

A Culture of Excess

From the rock ‘n’ roll mythos of the ’60s and ’70s to the hedonistic tour-life narratives of modern pop and hip hop, the music industry has often normalised — even celebrated — destructive behaviours. Artists are expected to be everything at once: vulnerable yet bulletproof, constantly performing, constantly creating, constantly available. For many, the pressure to deliver under such intensity becomes unsustainable.

Alcohol and drugs are still seen by some as creative fuel, social lubricant, or emotional escape. Combine that with late nights, irregular eating, overstimulation, and an “always on” work cycle, and the results are predictable: burnout, addiction, anxiety, and mental health crises.

Why Is This Still Happening?

The industry’s structure itself is partly to blame. Touring schedules can be relentless, with little time for rest or reflection. Artists often feel isolated from support systems, especially when on the road. And behind the scenes, a culture of silence still looms — many feel unable to speak out about their struggles for fear of being seen as difficult, ungrateful, or unstable.

There’s also a deeper, more insidious factor: the expectation that suffering is part of the job. The “tortured artist” trope still runs strong, suggesting that pain is both the price of entry and the source of creative genius. This false narrative continues to discourage boundaries, promote overwork, and downplay the very real health needs of artists.

Changing the Tune

But things are shifting. Artists are increasingly speaking out about mental health, sobriety, and the need for balance. Some musicians are beginning to rewrite the narrative — not as a rejection of passion or edge, but as a necessary act of self-preservation.

Industry organisations are slowly starting to invest in artist wellbeing, offering mental health resources, safer touring protocols, and more open dialogue. But real change requires a cultural overhaul — one that moves beyond crisis response to prevention and care. It means reimagining what it means to be a successful artist, not as someone who sacrifices everything for their art, but someone who creates sustainably, healthily, and with longevity in mind.

The music doesn’t have to stop — but the industry does need to pause, reflect, and reset. Because health isn’t just a personal choice. In music, it’s a collective responsibility.