Will There Be a Harvest This Year? Louis Tomlinson and Arista Records

On a cautiously optimistic note, Louis Tomlinson inked a new record "deal" with Arista Records, which was exclusively announced in Variety on February 21, 2019. 

While Louis deserves the world and a proper team that actually promotes his music, there is reason to be somewhat circumspect regarding this "good news".  First, and probably the most obvious reason for healthy skepticism, is the unending sabotaging of Louis' solo music career by Sony/Syco since the Hiatus From Hell began in 2016. Although let's be as accurate as possible. The undermining of Louis' public image, post-One Direction, actually began by saddling him with an outrageous baby stunt six months prior to the group going its separate ways. An encumbrance (i.e., ball and chain) imposed by Sony/Syco that has yet to be scrubbed from his public image. Regardless of what happens in the next six months, that cold, hard fact, cannot be ignored.

A second reason for guarded anticipation is that every article about Louis' new start mentions that he is now on his third label within the Sony "family." Besides the intentional use of a warm and fuzzy term like "family" vis-à-vis Louis' signing, the inference to be drawn is that Sony is a loving and supportive entity à la The Supernatural - SPN Family. A fandom which we all know is more like a stab-in-the-back, dysfunctional tribe that one might see on late night TV vying for the grand prize.  The kind of membership where each person is more than willing to sell each other out to punish a perceived rogue member whom they feel is no longer worthy of their protections. Come to think of it that does sound like Sony Entertainment.

While the singer was formerly linked with Epic Records in 2017, he [Louis] is signed directly to Simon Cowell’s Syco label and will move within the Sony Music family to Arista.

Another clue that something might be up with this seemingly "positive" publicity, is how the articles continue to mislead and "document" that Louis is on his third label when the Arista signing will only be his second contract.  RCA existed on press releases only, which dated back to June 8, 2017, but by July 14, 2017, another Sony label, Epic Records, had signed Louis instead.

Arista is actually the third label in the Sony system where Tomlinson has landed.

 If one digs deeper, the Epic website actually tells the true story:

It had previously been reported that Tomlinson would end up at RCA, but when Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone heard Tomlinson’s music — in particular the song “Back To You” featuring Bebe Rexha — she campaigned for the project.

Moreover, the official notifications about Louis' new label also make sure to remind everyone that Louis is still working on his debut solo album, after three years.  No explanation of why that might be. No attempt to analyze the context. The eyebrow-raising protracted delay hints at some personal failing on the part of Louis, instead of any possible outside forces that might be impeding (forestalling) his progress. 

He has been at work on his debut solo album for nearly three years; 

Yet, despite Louis' modest production over the years, somehow Sony Music is still behind him all the way, trying everything to jump start Louis' career. What an honorable and true blue corporation. *dripping with sarcasm*

Why the sarcasm? Well, if we look at this Rob Stringer timeline from last year, even more alarm bells begin to sound off. Although the rumor began in May (Source: HitsDailyDouble) with inside sources speculating that David Massey would be returning to Sony under Rob Stringer, the official pronouncement came two months later.

July 9, 2018

Sony Music Relaunches Arista Records With Hitmaker David Massey

NEW YORK, July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Music Entertainment CEO Rob Stringer today announced the relaunch of Arista Records under the leadership of highly regarded music industry executive David Massey.

 Clive Davis, David Massey, and Rob Stringer

Followed the very next day with:

July 10, 2018

Louis Tomlinson 'Set To Become X Factor Judge' 

 

 

And then six weeks later:

August 22, 2018

Simon Cowell Humbled by Hollywood Star: ‘Fame Is the Best Thing in the World’

Kelly Clarkson and Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer spoke at the Aug. 22, 2018 ceremony which was also attended by Louis Tomlinson,

August 22, 2018 Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony

Changes everywhere as Louis signed with new management during this timeframe as well, announced on July 19, 2018,

Louis Tomlinson signs with Matt Vines and Mark Gillespie for management

Remember that Louis had already dropped JGG [James Grant Group] in May, 2018, another "team" with strong ties to Simon Cowell that did not even bother to send Louis' solo record, "Miss You," to American radio stations for airplay. Although Louis was allowed debuted the song on (not surprisingly) the X-Factor on December 2, 2017 the record lacked any backing from Syco or Epic Records. So much for Sylvia Rhone's declaration that she wanted to work with Louis Tomlinson. In fact, all that could be heard from his management team, publicist (I'm looking at you Simon Jones), and Epic Records throughout 2017 and early 2018 were basically,

All this complicated maneuvering therefore could mean that some deal/tradeoff might have been made last summer. But, for the cameras and the music corporate media it appeared that Cowell and Louis continued to be best friends and that Mentor Simon was merely trying to "help" Louis out by signing him as an X-Factor judge. Louis wasn't working anyway, right? Therefore, the payoff behind the scenes for Louis might have been that he would have a chance at a new label that would actually support and promote his subsequent album/tour/records. The table was set perfectly for Louis to hit the ground running since he had signed up with a new management team back in July. A credible narrative, neatly tied up in a big fat red ribbon for the fandom to plausibly believe.

In retrospect, one can only hope that this best case scenario is true. And this eventuality is most certainly Narnia's preferred outcome. But, given that David Massey is a great friend of Rob Stringer, and Rob Stringer has done nothing more than provide a semblance of support to Louis with a maze of new labels, management teams, and hocus pocus record promotion that, if examined closely, turns out to range from utter incompetence (pulling "Back to You" from American radio stations, once it entered the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100) to open sabotage in broad daylight with YouTube "fluctuations".  For example, during the fan-sponsored Operation 'Miss You' project, YouTube video views of the song mysteriously lowered from nearly 10 million at one point to only 8,508,866 in January 2018. And when the supporters were able to push the views upward again, the counter would plummet repeatedly; a discouraging occurrence that frustrated many fans and split the 1D and Louis fandoms even further apart. At the time, another win-win for Sony/Syco who obviously wanted to keep Louis in some kind of inexplicable holding pattern regarding his career.

 All in all, let's get real. Does the guy to the right of Louis really look like the trustworthy type? A guy who made sure to have Louis show up at a post-Grammy party just three weeks after Freddie Reign was "born". Yet somehow never found the time to be publicly seen with Louis again until 2 1/2 years later at the Simon Cowell command performance for his Hollywood Walk of Fame. An occasion when, once again, Stringer and Cowell would have the upper hand.

  

Sony Music Entertainment February 15, 2016 Post-Grammy Reception

Come to think of it, the other Rob Stringer command performance I remember taking place over the last few years involved Harry Styles back on November 6, 2017. That evening Stringer was honored at the Music Industry Trusts Award in London where Harry was told invited to perform. 

Interestingly enough, Harry chose to sing "Two Ghosts"; a song believed to be about how he and Louis had been heavily closeted under Sony/Syco once One Direction had broken into the American market.  Harry's introductory comment is classic OTP shade:

“I’m gonna be singing a song I’m told you all know the words to. It was written about the first time [Rob Stringer] broke up with me. This is Two Ghosts.

Yes, Harry, I'm sure most of those music industry leaders all know the lyrics. Because most are involved, one way or another, with the enforced closeting of LGBTQ performers. They all lie to keep the truth from the public while making sure they are perceived as inclusive and supportive of their artist's well-being. Yes, we here at Narnia have heard that tune before. Never forget, however, that these kinds of men (because usually they are male) have no qualms in trying to brutalize performers who do not comply with their demands. Even more "fortunate" for them, they all can be assured of cooperation with iron clad NDA's to protect them from what is really going on behind the scenes. 

The kind of hidden truths we all can see if we will only take
the time to observe the little things that are taking 
place right before our very eyes.

As always, we wish Louis the very best in this new endeavor, and hope that his ship will be allowed to sail freely for once. Good luck, Louis! 

Breaking News:  2.24.19:  David Massey followed Louis on Instagram today. Although it might have been nice to put a little effort/originality into the picture that was selected since the photo is the exact same one Epic used back in 2017, sans the EPIC logo [scroll above to see duplicate Epic photo]. We here at Narnia hope that Clone Stamp Tool came in handy. Maybe not maximum effort involved, but online acknowledgement of Louis' existence is always progress. Narnia is still optimistic about good things to come for Louis, and we continue to hope that Syco will be eventually sidelined for good.

pic sources: zimbio, giphy, Variety

playlist: Two Ghosts - Harry Styles
              Back to You - Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rehxa and Digital Farm Animals
              Dreams Go By - Harry Chapin