The record executives had gathered in the back corner of an exclusive private club, sipping from crystal highball glasses, each with a large square ice cube. A bottle of 40-year-old Macallan, already two-thirds empty, sat on the table.

“Artists are so difficult,” the Brit complained. “They’re finicky, unreliable, and refuse to believe that creativity should be something that turns on like a light switch. I mean, how hard can it be?

The petite woman from Seoul in charge of most of the music market in East Asia spoke next. “It’s true,” she said, “And they’re always whining about being mistreated. ‘Streaming doesn’t pay’ and ‘I need more money.’ I never want to hear anyone on my label complain about having to post things on social media every day. I mean, how hard is it to go viral with eve

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