Trends are vehicles, not destinations. Jumping on a trend can put your music in front of millions, but chasing every trend turns you into a cover band of the internet. The artists who win with trends use them as delivery systems for their own sound and message. Ride the wave; do not become the wave.
Filter every trend through one question: does this serve my art or just my metrics? If a dance trend fits your song’s energy, do it your way. If a meme format clashes with your brand, skip it without guilt. Saying no to the wrong trends is as strategic as saying yes to the right ones. Identity is your only irreplaceable asset.
When you do a trend, add your twist in the first three seconds. Same trend, your flavor. That is what makes people remember you instead of scrolling past as just another version. Your voice, your style, your perspective: the trend is the frame, you are the painting. Make the familiar feel fresh.
Balance trend content with original content at roughly a one-to-three ratio. Trends bring discovery; originals build identity. If your page becomes all trends, new followers came for the trends, not for you. Use trends to open doors, then walk through them as yourself.
Before your next post, write down three words that define your artistic identity and tape them where you create content. For the next month, run every trend opportunity through that filter: does this serve those three words or dilute them? Say yes to the trends that amplify your identity and no to the rest without guilt. At the end of the month, review which trend posts brought you real fans versus empty views. You will find that the trends you did your way outperformed the ones where you copied the crowd. Identity is the filter; trends are just the fuel.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.