Talent or connections? Many people wonder about the extent of nepotism’s impact on the music industry. The term “nepo” or “nepo baby” refers to a child of a famous or influential person, whose parents’ fame is an asset to their career. There are numerous examples of nepo babies in the music industry, such as Gracie Abrams, Romy Mars, Miley Cyrus, Clairo, and others. Cyrus may be the most well-known nepo baby, with her father being Billy Ray Cyrus, a global music superstar. Miley Cyrus had a very successful music career of her own with massive hits such as “Party in the USA” and, more recently, “Flowers.”
Romy Mars is the daughter of Sofia Coppola, a world-renowned filmmaker and actress. Mars is currently reaching new heights with her single “Alister” going viral.
Sometimes musicians can be nepo babies without the general public’s awareness. The father of indie pop artist Clairo has played a pivotal role in the music industry, serving as Vice Chair of the Grammy Foundation from 2006 to 2017.
Some wonder whether all these musicians achieved stardom through their own talent or their parents’ connections in the industry. The children of celebrities can easily make connections to music executives, record labels, producers, and much more. Nepo babies often receive criticism due to the easy access they get simply because of their family. B-CC student Claire Guili shares, “A majority of [nepo babies] are not talented, and they are just using their parents’ success to push themselves up to where other people try and work hard.”
However, others view these music stars as not using their parents’ connections, but rather true talent that breaks them into the music industry. Junior Anna Harcourt says, “You can’t be an awful singer and just have famous parents and make a music career for yourself. All these so-called ‘nepo babies’ have real talent.”
Most people understand it as a blend of true talent and parent connections. Junior Aava Lakso states, “If you have talent and you make good music, obviously people are gonna listen, but people are gonna find out more about your music if your parents are important. So I think it’s a combination of the two factors.”
Whether you believe that nepo babies are a gift to the music industry or that they create an uneven playing field, they are undeniably shaping the modern music world.
