Hi Gina, music industry anon again. I wanted to give a more considered answer to your questions. All of this is only my opinion and based on what I’ve seen and what I know happens within the industry.
I think that so many people thought that Irving & the Azoffs would be saviours to the 1D boys including the boys. After all from everything presented to the public, Irving had helped 30 Seconds from Mars with their dispute. Whether he did or not and how much he was able to influence the outcome and what the real outcome actually was is open to debate. What the Azoffs do have is connections but do those connections actually benefit Harry. In some ways yes and in some ways no.
Harry was still so young when the Azoffs came onto the scene. Here was a glimmer of hope for not only him but Louis and maybe even possibly the other boys. But the fact is the Azoffs are very much a part of the machine. And they are powerful and they have money. In my experience and in my knowledge people do not become powerful and rich in this industry if they are nice people. Because business is business. And it is a cut throat industry.
I think that Harry and Louis thought that there best way out of the situation they were in was to align themselves with the Azoffs and down the track be able to do the things they wanted to do, how they wanted to do them.
There are a number of issues with Harry and Louis. The first is the original contracts they would have signed with Syco/Sony and Modest. They and the other boys literally lost the rights to their own names in the UK until 2015/2016 (if I remember correctly). I’m assuming that Syco/Sony owned those rights which then meant they none of them could do anything under their birth names (and probably knowing how these contracts are written, any variation of those names) without consent from the label. That’s how fucked up their situation was. And that’s only one restriction that they would have had placed on them.
You mentioned that you were under the impression that they would be more protected because of their fame. This brings up the second big issue – not only do you have Harry who I believe identifies as gay, but Louis who I also believe identifies as gay but then those two go and fall in love with each other. THE biggest issue within the industry is anything to do with LGBTQ+ issues (and being female). It is okay to beat someone up or sexually assault someone or shove a truckload of drugs up your nose and down your throat, as long as you aren’t gay.
Now neither of them had any chill when it came to their relationship. The label, their management and their PR people would have constantly been at them about it. And it would have been done separately. They would have worked overtime and constantly niggling at each them telling them shit like they were hampering each other’s careers, they would ruin not only their own careers but the other boys and all the other people who made up the 1D team. The musicians, the crews, the hair and makeup people, the stylists, the caterers, etc. And then if they tried to rebel there was the “image” clause.
supportive of their biggest artist coming out? Not a chance. Do I think that they told them that this would be something they could work towards? Absolutely. These people will say ANYTHING to get you to do what they want. Lying is just another strategy to get the results. This part I think I’ve said to you before. But it’s not just the lies, it’s the promises. It’s like when an alcoholic says that they won’t drink again or an abuser saying that they’re sorry and will never hit you again. They will say whatever they think you need to hear to get what they want. If you listen to some of both of Louis’ and Harry’s lyrics they say as much.
So to Full Stop – and again this is just my opinion based on what has happened to me personally and what I’ve seen happen to people I know. I think that when the Azoffs pitched their management to Harry (and probably Louis although he was trapped where he was – but that is whole other discussion), they pitched a package deal to him.
I can tell you with absolute certainty how these things go because I’ve actually been involved in a few of these. The Azoffs would have done their homework. They would have spoken to the record label, had meetings with Harry (most likely with Louis too), asked lots of questions, researched their fanbase, the public perception, etc. The package would have included what they could get in a record deal, publishing, music ownership, image, long term goals, etc – what they could do for them. They would have promised a lot BUT there would actually be some things that they would not be able to actually deliver on. The Azoffs would know that.
I think that Full Stop was set up to not only give Jeff a job and credentials in the industry but Harry a false sense of security that he actually would have a say in his career. Jeff would be part of the deal, Harry’s personal connection and a friend that he could rely on and count on. It’s a sweetener to make the deal look like they were on Harry’s side and would do everything in their power to help him achieve his goals. It also gave Harry other connections into other parts of the industry. As I said previously, I do think that there was an element where the Azoffs were genuine.
So where did it fall apart. I do have some theories but they are probably a reach in most people’s minds so I’ll keep those to myself. What I will say is that there were very definite changes not only for Harry but for Louis as well. You asked if I think the Olivia stunt and the new album promotion was part of it. Again just my opinion but I think that again it was a package deal. You get this but it costs you this. Harry got to do My Policeman (which I think was really important to him) but you have to do DWD and stunt with Olivia. I think Harry trusted people that he had relied on for this to work out in his favour. However we all know how the whole thing has gone. Did his management team know how thirsty and messy this woman was? A quick google search would have told them how bad she was. Her reputation really wasn’t very good. But having said that look at all the previous stunts. Harry’s beards have been getting progressively worse. And all have connections back to the Azoffs.
Do I think everything is the Azoffs fault? No, absolutely not although I’ve probably made it sound like that is who I blame. This is an industry problem. It is an industry which is not regulated, where people are expendable, where there is a group of people who are allowed to do whatever they like without consequences. I mentioned in my anon from last year that these people (and by these people I mean the CEO’s, senior managers, owners of the labels, media groups, etc) who have all the power and wealth are unaccountable to anyone. They are friends with lawyers, politicians, people who have a lot of money. They have all the control and as the industry is completely unregulated and there are so many people who think this industry is glamorous and exciting and that you can rub shoulders with the rich and famous and even become one of the rich and famous, that they can be replaced easily.
Sorry this has become so long, and I’ve hardly scratched the surface. Again I don’t know any of this as fact but I have been involved with the industry for several decades. Do I think it will change? I tried and failed. It takes a lot of guts to speak out and you have a lot to lose. I’m a nobody, so as high as the stakes were for me they are far higher for Harry and Louis. As I’ve said before, I think that they do the best they can with what they can do. They constantly give us clues (loudly), it’s up to each person whether or not you want to see them.
Hi love. Thank you, again, for coming back and for sharing all of this. It’s stuff we’ve been guessing at, but hearing how close we were to what the truth probably is, is disturbing. To say the least. It seems a miracle that the two of them have stayed as genuine as they are.
Please don’t apologize for the length of your messages. I could literally read a hundred more of them. And thank you for the more personal info. I really appreciate your trust. ❤️
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