It seems to be such a crime for a musician to try an avenue of entertainment other than the one in which they originally began. Too often I see artists labeled “sellouts” for widening the scope of their artistic talents, whether it be creatively producing another genre of music or acting.

Time and again fans hold artists and confine them to the angles of music in which they originally began. People tend to become familiar and secure with an artist and their music, so much, so that when the artist’s diversify themselves, the new talents are not accepted and the artist’s become labeled a “sellout”. One of the saddest things I have seen in the music industry are the cells to which artists seem to confine themselves for the fear of being labeled a sell out.

I often wonder why those who appreciate an artist’s music are so very quick to label them a sellout for trying a new dimension in which to present them self. It would seem as though if one were truly appreciative of an artist’s music, it would make them only too happy to see an artist grow and expand their creative capabilities. However, sadly enough, this is not the case. Which brings me to another question… Is it the artist who is “selling out” for trying new avenues, or the fan for confining the artist?

My understanding of the term "sellout" is that of an artist who goes the route of making "popular" or "safe" art/music for financial gain or success, and while doing so may sacrifice moral principals.

NegaTIVity said:

Yes, that is pretty much how I would characterize what others have come to call a "sell out". But the thing is, that even those artists who are trying new genre's of music or even doing things that do happen to appeal to the masses (i.e. television commercials, movies) are being labeled "sell outs", regardless if they are capitalizing financially or not. It's almost as if the fans place these artists in cells and then confine them and stiffle there artistic growth by instilling in them a fear of being labeled a "sell out". I feel that one of the main reasons that a fan/peer does this to an artist is because they have become so comfortable in the music that they currently know of them, that making themselves open to something new is very hard. At the same time one would have to admit they hold someone in high esteem who may be trying something that they themselves had originally rejected. Which would in turn make the person question their own appreciation for someone/something new.