Legendary saxophonist and Grammy-winning artist Kenny G may be one of the most successful musicians of all time, but he confesses he is thankful he reached his peak before the age of streaming.
“Today, streaming does not pay very much money to artists other than like the top, top, top billion streaming artists. I'm not one of those. I'm popular enough, but it's not much,” he told CNA in an exclusive interview on Monday (Jul 7).
When asked how he stays profitable and relevant, the 69-year-old joked that he has had to “get a day job”.
He added: “I'm grateful that I grew up and had my music in the 80s and 90s and to the early 2000s, when we weren't streaming and people were actually buying CDs. That was very good … It doesn't happen like that anymore.”
The American smooth jazz legend, who has sold more than 75 million records, said artistes like himself now need to use their music to “let people know you’re still around” as well as strike up deals and partnerships to turn a profit.
Live shows – like the one he is giving on Tuesday evening – are also moneymakers, he added.
He is playing a one-night show in Singapore at the Esplanade Concert Hall, two years after his last performance at Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands.
He will also travel to Malaysia later this week to play in Sabah and Genting Highlands.
Kenny G remains remarkably popular in Asia, especially China where his 1990 song Going Home is widely used by businesses and organisations to signal their closing time for the day.
He first found commercial success with his 1986 album Duotones, before winning his first Grammy Award in 1994 for the instrumental Forever in Love. He has won four Grammys in total and received 24 prestigious award nominations.
Speaking to CNA, he said the music comes from his little studio room in his California home, and that it is “pretty special” for it to “touch people’s hearts in all sorts of places in the world”.
In terms of why his music resonates so strongly in Asia, he said Asian music is “very melody-oriented”.
“I think that my music – because of the melodies – people can connect to it, because it's not just a bunch of random jazzy notes. Although we do a lot of those things in our live show, which is great - when I record my music, it's the melody that's the focal point,” he added.
“When I listen to the melodies of Asia, I like them, yeah? So I think that because I like them and they are pleasant to my ear, whatever I come up with which is also pleasant to my own, will translate to them.”
Saxophonist Kenny G poses for a portrait in Los Angeles to promote his album of lullabies titled Innocence, on Nov 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
For example, he plays The Moon Represents My Heart – made famous in the Chinese-speaking world by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng in 1977 – when touring in China. On the other hand, he said he would never play it in his native United States as nobody would recognise it.
“When I learned it, I thought I really like this song. So again, I think it’s a mutual love affair of a great melody,” he pointed out.
As for the rising popularity of artificial intelligence, Kenny G was candid about not being concerned about it.
Why? They can’t pick up a saxophone to produce music, he said.
“That’s a real human thing, so I’m never worried about that,” he added. “When it comes to technology, I like to use it for what can make my music better.”
With many of today’s musicians creating music specifically and slowly to go viral on the popular short-video app TikTok, Kenny G said he thinks it is a “good strategy” that will pay off in the long run.
“You can do 30 seconds of something in amazing quality, so I don't think the quality is an issue,” he noted.
“We’ll make an Instagram post and I'll play something for 20 or 30 seconds because I know that it's important to keep yourself current. People pay attention to that. Brands pay attention to that.”
Separately, when it comes to back catalogue sales – that is, when artistes sell the rights to their music for hefty sums of money – Kenny G said it would depend on the offer. But he added that he has not been offered enough.
“I actually own all of my music,” he revealed.
“I'm open to an offer, but it would have to be an offer – I mean, if somebody offered me US$100 million, I would take it!”
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“Today, streaming does not pay very much money to artists other than like the top, top, top billion streaming artists. I'm not one of those. I'm popular enough, but it's not much,” he told CNA in an exclusive interview on Monday (Jul 7).
When asked how he stays profitable and relevant, the 69-year-old joked that he has had to “get a day job”.
He added: “I'm grateful that I grew up and had my music in the 80s and 90s and to the early 2000s, when we weren't streaming and people were actually buying CDs. That was very good … It doesn't happen like that anymore.”
The American smooth jazz legend, who has sold more than 75 million records, said artistes like himself now need to use their music to “let people know you’re still around” as well as strike up deals and partnerships to turn a profit.
Live shows – like the one he is giving on Tuesday evening – are also moneymakers, he added.
He is playing a one-night show in Singapore at the Esplanade Concert Hall, two years after his last performance at Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands.
He will also travel to Malaysia later this week to play in Sabah and Genting Highlands.
POPULAR IN ASIA
Kenny G remains remarkably popular in Asia, especially China where his 1990 song Going Home is widely used by businesses and organisations to signal their closing time for the day.
He first found commercial success with his 1986 album Duotones, before winning his first Grammy Award in 1994 for the instrumental Forever in Love. He has won four Grammys in total and received 24 prestigious award nominations.
Speaking to CNA, he said the music comes from his little studio room in his California home, and that it is “pretty special” for it to “touch people’s hearts in all sorts of places in the world”.
In terms of why his music resonates so strongly in Asia, he said Asian music is “very melody-oriented”.
“I think that my music – because of the melodies – people can connect to it, because it's not just a bunch of random jazzy notes. Although we do a lot of those things in our live show, which is great - when I record my music, it's the melody that's the focal point,” he added.
“When I listen to the melodies of Asia, I like them, yeah? So I think that because I like them and they are pleasant to my ear, whatever I come up with which is also pleasant to my own, will translate to them.”
Saxophonist Kenny G poses for a portrait in Los Angeles to promote his album of lullabies titled Innocence, on Nov 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
For example, he plays The Moon Represents My Heart – made famous in the Chinese-speaking world by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng in 1977 – when touring in China. On the other hand, he said he would never play it in his native United States as nobody would recognise it.
“When I learned it, I thought I really like this song. So again, I think it’s a mutual love affair of a great melody,” he pointed out.
NOT CONCERNED ABOUT AI
As for the rising popularity of artificial intelligence, Kenny G was candid about not being concerned about it.
Why? They can’t pick up a saxophone to produce music, he said.
“That’s a real human thing, so I’m never worried about that,” he added. “When it comes to technology, I like to use it for what can make my music better.”
With many of today’s musicians creating music specifically and slowly to go viral on the popular short-video app TikTok, Kenny G said he thinks it is a “good strategy” that will pay off in the long run.
“You can do 30 seconds of something in amazing quality, so I don't think the quality is an issue,” he noted.
“We’ll make an Instagram post and I'll play something for 20 or 30 seconds because I know that it's important to keep yourself current. People pay attention to that. Brands pay attention to that.”
Separately, when it comes to back catalogue sales – that is, when artistes sell the rights to their music for hefty sums of money – Kenny G said it would depend on the offer. But he added that he has not been offered enough.
“I actually own all of my music,” he revealed.
“I'm open to an offer, but it would have to be an offer – I mean, if somebody offered me US$100 million, I would take it!”
Continue reading...