‘I fear for their safety’: The reckoning of teenage pop stardom

There’s no shortage of horror stories when it comes to young pop stars who’ve struggled with the consequences of fame.

Britney Spears, who was just 16 when she sang Hit Me Baby One More Time, was on anti-depressants just a few years later to cope with the media scrutiny, and would later suffer infamous public breakdowns which led to her conservatorship. Robbie Williams, who was also 16 in Take That, has spoken extensively about his issues with depression, drugs and alcohol.

But it’s the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne that has led to growing calls within the music industry to overhaul the system entirely.

One Direction with The X Factor creator Simon Cowell, who would go on to sign the band, in 2010.Credit: WireImage

Guy Chambers, a British songwriter and producer known best for his work with Williams, recently told The Guardian that people “should not be in a boy band until they are 18”, suggesting there isn’t enough care being taken to protect and support young talent.

And former UK The X Factor contestants Rebecca Ferguson and Katie Waissel have expressed similar concerns. Ferguson has suggested Payne had been a “victim” of a system that routinely exploits young stars. Waissel has called for an investigation into the company behind the show and new laws to protect artists’ mental health. (Though Payne was 31 at the time he died, he appeared on the show at ages 14 and 16 before being signed to The X Factor creator Simon Cowell’s record label as part of One Direction. He spoke frequently about his struggles with fame and addiction.)

Speaking to the BBC this week, psychologist Dr Adi Jaffe, who has worked with musicians and other celebrities in the US, said young people are simply more vulnerable in the entertainment industry. And he’s not alone in feeling this way.

“Children aren’t formed enough in their resilience to be able to do this [punishing work schedule] day in and day out,” Jaffe said. And celebrity at such a young age can hurt their social development and sense of self: “when you get pushed into the limelight in that way, you become incredibly isolated”.

In her tribute to Payne, former The X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne – who was not on the show when Payne appeared – said the industry had let him down: “You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner?”

‘I fear for their safety’: Australian artists weigh the pros and cons

Casey Donovan, who won Australian Idol at age 16 in 2004, doesn’t back a ban of under-18s in reality TV competitions or the wider industry. But she does advise caution.

Casey Donovan won Australian Idol when she was 16 years old.Credit: Andrew Meares

“I fear for the safety of the younger generation that come through these shows,” she said in a statement, noting the new pressures artists face today. “20 years ago when I did it, social media wasn’t as prevalent.”

“As a 16-year-old, you’re still going through that stage of life [where you’re] learning, growing into an adult … I feel if the person is over 18, they have more of a capacity to make decisions for themselves and understand the weight and responsibility of what is to come.”

Scrutiny via social media can be devastating for young musicians. When she released the viral 2011 hit Friday at age 13, US singer Rebecca Black was subjected to unrelenting mockery that made her “ashamed of [herself] and afraid of the world”. It also hurt professionally, with producers and songwriters unwilling to work with her. It was only last year, at age 26, that she released her debut album.

But adoration can be disorienting too. “I went from 1000 followers to 30,000,” says Sydney musician Ellis Hall, who first appeared on the Australian version of The X Factor a decade ago when he was 15.

At age 16, he came back and was sorted into a One Direction-style boy band called Younger Than Yesterday.

Ellis Hall this week in his Sydney studio. Hall appeared on X Factor twice as a teenager in 2013 and 2014 and later on The Voice.Credit: Louise Kennerley

“It was actually crazy. You get a lot of random messages from people that want to talk to you … I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

Hall did have a positive experience however – so much so that he later went on to The Voice at age 20, with more commercial savvy about how to use the platform. “I started gigging a lot, and I’m a full-time musician as a result of that which is awesome. It opened a lot of doors.”

He supports young people getting involved (noting you couldn’t really stop them making music anyway), “provided they have a good support network ... Unfortunately, some people don’t have that.”

“The entertainment business, really, is a dirty game,” says Ben Lee, who first entered the industry with his band Noise Addict at age 14.

“There’s the financial instability and [the dangers to] psychological and mental health, then all the worst predatory situations that you hear about … I actually had quite a supported journey with quite nice people.

Lee (far right) with his teen punk band Noise Addict.

“I was really taken under the wing of the Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth, which were both alternative bands that were not aspiring to make millions and millions of dollars. They were just trying to, like, share cool art.

“And that makes me feel like there is a place for young people to make music and express themselves and even be exposed to a wider audience, but they have to be supported by people who genuinely have their best interests at heart.”

Mark Holden, who was an original Australian Idol judge but has also worked as a music producer, also disagrees with the idea of blocking under 18s out completely.

“I think people are ready at different times in their life,” he says. “I’ve identified a young person just recently who, at 13, is not ready [to launch her career], but is so talented.

“I’ve just encouraged her parents to protect her and allow her to grow at her own speed, and I’ve offered my assistance as somebody to give advice along the way.”

So what does support look like?

Every artist spoken to for this story agreed that family was really the front line of support and advice for young musicians. And, notably, all contestants under 18 on both Australian Idol and The Voice must be chaperoned on set at all times by a parent or guardian (The X Factor is no longer on air in Australia).

A spokesperson from Seven, which airs both Australian Idol and The Voice, said that “all participants across network productions have access to psychological care before, during and after the production and broadcast period … Seven and its production partners take duty of care extremely seriously”. Contestants also have specific training and support for “engaging positively with social media”.

But Lee says he would also like to see more “long-term perspective” within the broader music industry.

“As a business, the investment you’re making in a 17-year-old songwriter should pay off over half a century, so it’s in your interest to protect and nurture that artist. Whereas if you’re thinking, you have two years to get in and out and just make all the money you can before you move on to the next trend, there’s really no incentive to protect the psychological health of the artist.”

Lily Allen, who began her career at 17 and first gained popularity via MySpace, said something similar on her BBC podcast Miss Me? last week: “We’re all obsessed with youth … and I think the reason the industry [focuses on young artists] is that you’re no longer so easy to manipulate when you’re older”.

She suggested one concrete change the industry could make is having record labels hire artists as employees rather than freelancers, so they had an actual duty of care regarding issues like mental health.

Until that happens, Lee says other artists are often the best support for those starting out. “You’re the captain in your own ship [in this industry] and that is a crazy thing,” he says. “Like, imagine a 15-year-old saying, ‘I’ve built a boat to cross the ocean!’

“It’s important to have other crazy people, who are older, who’ve survived it, to go, ‘I know what you’re feeling, and I know you got to do it, let me just point out where there are a few icebergs’.”

With additional reporting from Karl Quinn.

Support is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.