What is an industry plant?

Industry plants. A word that is thrown around a lot in the entertainment industry. Particularly the music industry. Popular artists such as Billie Eilish, Khalid, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo have all been referred to as an “industry plant.” But what is the true defnition of an industry plant? Essentially, it means an artist has connections in the industry, but they have been portraying their success as all their own.

Another artist commonly referred to as an “industry plant” is Clairo. After her success with her song “Pretty Girl”, Clairo signed with the label FADER. There was immediate backlash after it was discovered that, her father, Geof Cottrill, knew the co-founder of FADER, due to his connections in the music industry. Suddenly, she was no longer a lucky breakout star, but nothing more than an “industry plant”. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Cotrill said, “I signed with Fader because I’ve known Jon Cohen my whole life. There was a sense of accountability and protection.

BY CHARLOTTE HALL

I defnitely am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me than other people’s experiences. It would be stupid of me to not acknowledge the privilege I had from the start…but I would be stupid to not use that relationship in a moment where I was really scared and really confused. I would be stupid to not want that guidance from somebody that my family trusts.” Clairo’s father is not the mastermind behind “Pretty Girl”. Geof Cotrill may have helped her fnd her footing in the industry, but he certainly did not fabricate Clairo’s “Pretty Girl” success.

Another artist on the rise is Gracie Abrams, who is opening for Taylor Swift at 30 diferent shows for her Eras Tour. Additionally, last year she opened for Olivia Rodrigo at Rodrigo’s Sour Tour 14 times. However, after this rise in popularity, her connections in the industry were soon spotlighted.

Gracie Abram’s father is JJ Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Gracie Abram acknowl- edges how these connections look from the outside, but in an interview with Rolling Stone she explains, “Obviously we can’t control where we are born into… know how hard I work, and I know how separate I’ve kept [my parents] from every conversation about anything career-wise, but of course, you can understand what it looks like from the outside”.

Both artists acknowledge that they have had some help getting to where they are. However, that shouldn’t undermine how hard they’ve worked.