MouthLondon - London Student & Youth Magazine

Music: Popstar Babies

Posted on Jul 5th, 2012 by Joshua King · No comments yet · Tags: Adele, Industry, Kids, Music, Pop

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With Adele’s pregnancy hitting the headlines, celebrity privacy, relationships and how children affect the lives of entertainers, have inevitably been brought into consideration. However, when I read it I couldn’t help but find myself thinking: how lucky is that baby?

The celebrity world is rife with rumours and revelations of pregnancies, but the children are really only taken note of when their cute designer baby clothes become too small. There is the danger of them then growing into arrogant, free-loading-but-famous teenagers, the envy and pity of the public. For many, however, it is a start in life that cannot be bought and that some cleverly take full advantage of.

…many musicians have simply shrugged off the pressure.

Now, when thinking of musically successful children of rock stars, embarrassingly, my first thought was Miley Cyrus, daughter of country singer, Billy Ray. She managed to breathe new life into his career, rather than the other way around, with a career  that  is incredibly successful already; you have to have respect, and envy, for a kid who can turn their advantages to such profit. In an industry when publicity and contacts are what make you, what more could you want than a parent who has already been through it?

But, surprisingly, some of the less well known children of the musically famous come from some of the biggest names there have ever been. It was only when I began to research this topic that I realised how many children of legends had passed me by. Unmatched lyricist and complete folk master, Bob Dylan, is thought of as untouchable, but I was surprised to find out that Jakob Dylan, his youngest child, sold more copies of his second album, Bringing Down the Horse, than Dylan managed with any of his studio albums. It seems that rather than be overshadowed by their famous parents, many musicians have simply shrugged off the pressure.

…you have to take advantage of your advantages.

Another good example is the son of one of the most famous musical men to have lived. Julian Lennon, despite never reaching the heights of his father (unsurprisingly) has had top ten hits and Grammy nominations off his own back, which is still a massive achievement in its own context.

What this has showed me is, whether you’re an underground fan of Dhani Harrison or a screaming, die-hard follower of Hannah Montana, you have to admire the kid musicians who have made this industry their own. It goes to show that whatever your calling in life, you have to take advantage of your advantages. Whether it’s a famous parent, a rich uncle or just a decent education, it’s all about working with what you’ve got to do what you want. And though these children had an incredibly lucky start, just remember that their fathers and mothers were far more successful with none of the advantage. So congratulations to Adele and her boyfriend and I hope the child realises how damn lucky he/she is.