The "fourth album curse" is a term that refers to a common phenomenon in the music industry where an artist or band struggles to achieve the same level of success with their fourth studio album compared to their previous releases. This curse is often associated with high expectations from both fans and record labels, as well as the pressure to evolve creatively and maintain relevance. Many successful bands and solo artists have fallen victim to the fourth album curse throughout history. One popular example is The Beatles, whose fourth studio album "Beatles for Sale" received mixed reviews upon its release. Despite still being a commercial success, it was viewed as a slight disappointment compared to their previous groundbreaking albums. Other musicians have also experienced the fourth album curse, such as Led Zeppelin with "Four Symbols" and Radiohead with "Kid A.

The 4th Album Curse?

These artists have (are in the midst of releasing) their 4th studio albums. Coincidentally, these female artists have underperformed following very successful previous albums. Here is a quick list. feel free to add if you think of anyone else.

Christina Aguilera - Bionic
Alicia Keys - Element of Freedom
Rihanna - Rated R
Beyoncé - 4 (so far)
Ciara - Basic Instict
Madonna - Like a Prayer (As opposed to True Blue and Like a Version)

So what do you think? Was it because of lackluster material, or dwindling lack of interest?

Post by HEADOFTHEPACK on Jun 4, 2011 16:39:11 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2011 17:03:15 GMT -5

Post by Cody Wants Out. on Jun 4, 2011 17:13:16 GMT -5

What about Avril Lavigne's Goodbye Lullaby?

In that scenario, I'd say it would have to do little with material and more on the bad timing/lack of promo on the label's part and possibly interest from the general public.

In Rih's case, it could be material from the album, but mostly single choices. If Rockstar 101 hadn't have happened, then she would've had another top 10 hit (Fire Bomb, Te Amo, Photographs).

RIP David McCallum (Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard of NCIS)

Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Jun 4, 2011 17:26:46 GMT -5

I almost feel like it might have something to do with the artists' 4th album falling on what might make up an invisible cycle as it applies to pop music. After a certain number of years, fans of the artist during their inception will have moved on to others, which happens to fall around the 4th album. Of course the exception being Rihanna in this group of examples (and obviously Madonna. though what is that album doing there?)

Post by Disco on Jun 4, 2011 17:50:58 GMT -5

LOL at Like A Prayer being on the list. It was pretty successful overall. Erotica underperformed after that, however.

Beyoncé's hasn't even been released yet. It could still have a good opening week.

Post by Lockheart on Jun 4, 2011 18:00:00 GMT -5

A 4th album would be like 4-6 years time after their debut. I agree with Max, some fans move on to a different artist. That happens. But their are different factors that affect them as well. One of the major ones are lack of public interest, poor single choices and lack of promotion

Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Jun 4, 2011 18:33:33 GMT -5

I think we also need a more complete list from a wider array of artists whose first albums came out between 1995-2005 to be able to judge.

Christina, Alicia and Beyoncé (if it joins the others) seem like there could be a trend and they all had their first records come out within the same few years. What about Britney? Does she fit the trend at all? Of course she made a suitable comeback after anyway, as did Rihanna (did Rated R do that bad) and I'm not sure why Ciara is there. Did she have a successful third album?

Post by chillpill on Jun 4, 2011 19:06:37 GMT -5

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct
Nelly - Brass Knuckles
Toni Braxton - More Than a Woman

flop flop flops :'(

Post by SPRΞΞ on Jun 4, 2011 19:45:17 GMT -5

how in the world would anyone say Like a Prayer was an underperforming album? It's the best of her career! 5 top 10's.

Post by Ling-Ling on Jun 4, 2011 20:16:09 GMT -5

I think it has to do with single choices, all of the albums listed on this thread had poor lead single choices. Rihanna and Alicia recovered with later singles and were able to do decently, the other artists didn't

And LMAO, Like A Prayer was a worldwide smash. And the album that catapulted Madonna from pop star to artist.

Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Jun 4, 2011 21:55:01 GMT -5

It's easy to say that the single choices were poor looking back on it but had the singles from albums 4 and any of the others been reversed, would they have done the same? The single choices for Christina's third album weren't that great either when judging them for the songs themselves. They didn't really fit in. I think it's definitely more than that.

That and Alicia's fourth album had five songs from it that were essentially given the single treatment all within a few months of the album's release while the previous record had 4, but each were given proper amounts of time in between each one and only two (I think) hit pop radio, of course one of those being #1. That record did miles better than the 4th one with fewer singles. It's just odd that all five songs from Element did poorly. A few of them were quite good and seemed like obvious smashes.

Post by Fat Ass Kelly Price on Jun 4, 2011 22:08:44 GMT -5

'Doesn't Mean Anything' was a mistake the moment it was released. TSWABH & Unthinkable held the album afloat. No pop success or any attempts at it after DMA failed.

Post by someguy on Jun 4, 2011 22:11:56 GMT -5

"Unthinkable" did really well though, even though it was never sent to pop radio. It was a huge Urban hit though. Relatively speaking, Eminem's Encore could be listed here (though it sold OK, it was a big drop-off from the previous album and subsequent albums did much better).

Post by ♫.Fan on Jun 5, 2011 2:15:32 GMT -5

Post by Lozzy on Jun 5, 2011 8:09:42 GMT -5

I think that a big factor in this is that, like Max said, by the time an artist comes to the fourth album, a lot of their fans will have lost interest and moved to some other, more current/relevant artists, and therefore will be more likely to say 'ouch.. this album is crap' than they would have circa hardcore stan phase at the time of the 1st or 2nd album.

There's also the hype and expectations factor. The expectations always (usually) get higher as every album comes along, and by the time the fourth album is about to be released, the artist has so much to live up to and even if the album is in reality quite good, it could still massively disappoint.

Then there's also that the music just isn't as good anymore. There's also, similarly to this, that an artist's evolution just doesn't 'click,' i.e., for example, an artist trying out a whole new style which fans just don't like/aren't ready for.

Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2011 11:04:08 GMT -5

Interesting. I'm assuming we're just referring to artists who are pretty much considered established and didn't have any bricks beforehand. I think Max is on to something with the cycle theory; basically people just tire of you, and you can't win either way - they either think your sound is old/doesn't show any growth, or you try to evolve and people don't like the fact that you changed your sound. And typically after this happens, even if you manage to have decently performing eras you almost never get back to your peak. That said, each album usually has its own specific nuances that add to the story.

*Bionic - 1) she'd been gone from the pop scene too long 2) the material just wasn't strong enough 3) of the decent material she did have she didn't pick the right singles
*Element of Freedom - Alicia's previously super clean image was tainted with the adultery story that was going around. The lead single was a mess, and TSWABH wasn't strong enough to counteract it. If TSWABH had been the lead with Unthinkable as the second single (and sent to pop) the album probably would have had a better opening but I'm not quite sure it would have done remarkably better in the long run with the hit her image took.
*Rated R - introspective albums tend to suffer commercially even if they get a lot of critical praise. Russian Roulette was too dark and Hard was, well, a bit too hard. Rude Boy took off because it was lighter than the first two, but then they went right back in to hard mode with RS101. Different singles could have helped this album do better, though it did go platinum which these days is an accomplishment.
*4 (so far) - too soon to call but for the most part it's just that RTW was in no way radio friendly. BTINH is the only other song that's been sent to radio so we will have to see how it does. It is much safer than RTW is.
*Basic Instinct - shouldn't be listed here, third album was a flop so BI just picked up where Fantasy Ride left off
*Like a Prayer - seriously, this shouldn't be here at ALL.

And I wouldn't limit it to fourth albums; sometimes an artist manages to make it through four albums with no problem, but the fifth one gets them. I will add a few for consideration, albeit with slight addenda for the first three.

*Janet's Velvet Rope. This is actually her sixth album, but her first two albums for all intents and purposes were commercially nonexistent. If we considered Control her public 'debut' Velvet Rope would be her fourth. It went 3x platinum, half of what her previous successful efforts had done. Like Rated R, this was Janet's introspective turn, and it had critical acclaim to go along with that but for whatever reason people don't like it when their pop artists go deep (pun not intended there lol).
*Whitney's My Love Is Your Love - this was her fourth studio album, released over eight years after her third album I'm Your Baby Tonight but six years after the blockbuster Bodyguard soundtrack, which is certified 17x platinum - really, where else can you go but down from that, especially when you wait so long to release something. MLIYL went 4x platinum.
*Mariah's fourth studio album (Daydream) was a diamond smash - but the next, Butterfly, 'only' did half those numbers, meeting with mixed reviews due to a post-divorce change in image and transition from pop to r&b-influenced sound.
*Backstreet Boys - Never Gone - four years after their third album was certified 8x platinum, NG only shipped 1x platinum and only had sales of 759,000. This was simply a result of radio moving on to another trend (r&b/hip-hop).

Britney hit her commercial slump (comparatively speaking) with her third album, though in part I blame Clear Channel blacklisting her songs just b/c she chose a different tour sponsor. That said, this was definitely a change from her previous bubblegum pop so she probably lost some sales from that as well.

Gunna Opens Up On Surprise Fourth Solo Album 'A Gift & A Curse'

Gunna has released his fourth solo album — latest in over a year and first since his release from jail — A Gift & A Curse, which follows 2022’s DS4Ever.

Gunna makes a comeback on fourth album A Gift & A Curse. The album is also Gunna’s first full-length LP since his release from jail in December, when he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Gunna, legal name Sergio Kitchens, was arrested last May along with Young Thug and other YSL members, many of whom were also charged with conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, drug dealing and more.

At 45-minutes, the 15-track album has no guest appearances, a rarity in comparison to Kitchens’ previous music. Various songs on A Gift & A Curse allude to the high-profile case, with Kitchens defending Young Thug on track “I Was Just Thinking.” “I know you hear the lies, it’s your lil’ brother, my folk/Yeah, I had popped out, but don’t let ’em say I told,” he raps on the song.

Earlier this month, Kitchens shared new song “Bread & Butter,” also his first solo single following the non-promotional “Banking on Me” last year. On “Bread & Butter,” Kitchens hit back on allegations of snitching and denied that he worked with the police. In December, Kitchens took an Alford plea deal, only pleading guilty to one charge against him while otherwise maintaining his innocence. Initially sentenced to five years in prison, Kitchens' sentence was commuted to time served with the remainder suspended.

Alleged as YSL (Young Stoner Life) leader, Young Thug is still behind bars as he awaits trial on charges against him. Stream A Gift & A Curse below.

• Kim Kardashian Seeking Justice For Gunna After He Was Denied Bond For A Third Time ›
• Gunna Denied Bond, Has a Trial Date Set for January 2023 ›
• Gunna's Plea Deal Sparks Complex Conversations About "Snitching" in Hip-Hop ›

• Gunna Breakfast Club Interview Denouncing Snitching Resurfaces ›
• Gunna Interview on 'Drip Season 3,' Working With Young Thug . ›
• Gunna and Young Thug Share Rules to Live By: Smoke After Sex . ›

The 4th Album Curse and It’s Effect

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Other musicians have also experienced the fourth album curse, such as Led Zeppelin with "Four Symbols" and Radiohead with "Kid A." In both cases, these albums were initially met with skepticism but later gained critical acclaim and appreciation. There are several theories as to why this curse might exist.

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Some argue that by the fourth album, an artist has already exhausted much of their material and creative energy. Others believe that the pressure to reinvent themselves and make a significant artistic leap can lead to a lack of focus or the alienation of their existing fan base. Additionally, the fourth album curse may also be attributed to external factors such as changing musical trends, industry politics, or personal issues faced by the artist. Whatever the reason, the fourth album curse serves as a reminder that success in the music industry is not guaranteed, and even the most talented artists can face challenges along their musical journey. Despite the challenges associated with the curse, there have been many artists who have successfully overcome it and gone on to achieve even greater success with their fourth album. These examples serve as a testament to the perseverance and resilience of musicians in the face of adversity. In conclusion, the fourth album curse is a common occurrence in the music industry, where artists often struggle to live up to the high expectations set by their previous successes. While it can be a challenging hurdle to overcome, it is not insurmountable, and many artists have defied the curse and gone on to create excellent music in their fourth album..

Reviews for "The Fourth Album Slump: Is It Inevitable or Can Artists Overcome It?"

1. Jane - 2/5 stars:

I was really disappointed with "Fourth album curse". It feels like the band lost their creativity and originality. The songs all sound similar and lack the energy and passion that made their previous albums so great. I was hoping for something new and exciting, but instead, I got a boring and forgettable album. Save your money and listen to their earlier work instead.

2. Mark - 1/5 stars:

I can't believe how bad "Fourth album curse" is. It's a complete mess and the worst album this band has ever released. The lyrics are clichéd and the music is uninspired. Everything feels rushed and half-hearted. It's clear that they were just trying to put out something quickly to fulfill their contract. I'm really disappointed and won't be listening to this album ever again.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars:

I had high hopes for "Fourth album curse" but was let down. The band seemed to have lost their edge and the album feels like a watered-down version of their previous work. The songs are all over the place and lack cohesion. There are a couple of decent tracks, but overall, it's a forgettable and underwhelming album. I hope the band can bounce back with their next release.

4. Alex - 3/5 stars:

"Fourth album curse" is not terrible, but it's definitely a step down from the band's previous albums. The songs lack the catchiness and memorable hooks that made their earlier work so enjoyable. It feels like they were trying to experiment with their sound but ended up losing what made them special. There are a few standout tracks, but overall, it's a disappointing album that doesn't live up to its potential.

Do Artists Set Themselves Up for Failure with Their Fourth Album? Analyzing the Curse