Concerts Will Be Our Soap Operas, Broadcast on Social Media

In recent years, the tightly choreographed, super-expensive stadium shows that have long been a music industry staple have morphed into multicity soap operas. Will Drake ignite (or defuse) a new beef? Will Taylor Swift strut out (and/or show off) one of her superfamous surprise-guest pals? What will Adele talk about during her off-the-cuff midset monologues? Will Bruce Springsteen try to set yet another live-show run-time record? All of these outings featured story lines that were played out between songs and then broadcast worldwide via social media, where they kept the artist in the news cycle long after the last encore had faded. And they were likely inspired by perpetual tour-de-forcer Kanye West: The confrontational/inspirational midshow spiels that were a staple of his 2013–2014 Yeezus tour proved that even the most prefab spectacle could find time for moments of unforced, unpredictable storytelling, not to mention moments of actual suspense. And while West’s Saint Pablo tour was cut short by decidedly more pressing dramas, we hope his next outing has a happier ending—and we expect more artists will take his cue in 2017, turning the stage into a place not just for noise but for narratives.