With just ten days to go until the release of his anticipated new album Konnichiwa, Skepta dropped new merch. The pieces include two black T-shirts, one with the album cover artwork on the front and the other with the words “It Aint Safe,” the name of one of the new tracks.
Recently, there has been a lot of hype around the release of artists' merch. We've seen insane turnouts from fans hoping to cop Kanye Wests's The Life of Pablo gear and Drake's Views From the Six T-shirts. While selling merch is nothing new for musicians, it has become an important revenue stream at a time when music can easily be downloaded for free.
As a Felix Carrasco, a senior director of product management at Warner Music Group explains to Fashionista, "It's changed from just being merch to a lifestyle. Since Wu-Tang Clan and Wu Wear, [merch] has been taken to a new level for the next generation at the moment. Everything is much more on point. You can't download a T-shirt. That's the main thing."
With the launch of the Wu-Tang Clan's clothing line Wu Wear 20 years ago, merch became bigger than just commemorating the concert experience—it became an integral part of building a brand. Recently, we've seen artists like Justin Bieber collaborate with designers to elevate their merch with more fashion-driven pieces. For Bieber, who teamed up with Fear of God's Jerry Lorenzo and stylist Karla Welch, that meant re-creating the streetwear-heavy looks he wears on stage during his "Purpose" tour.
"It's all tied to an experience that you might have had at a show," Lorenzo told Business of Fashion. "In fashion and in everything, people want to be attached to that real feeling, to that real emotion. People want to express that."
As Fashionista points out, tech companies are also taking advantage of the high-demand for merch. Apps like Sidestep save concert attendees the hassle of waiting in long lines by allowing them to pre-order merchandise so that they can pick it up at the show or get delivered straight to their homes.
You can pick up Skepta's new merch now at his webshop.
