Cardi B on GTA VI Has Me Wondering Whether Video Games Are the New Radio
A major rap release attached to a major game says something about where music promotion is going.
Cardi B released Don't Chart as part of the rollout for Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album. Rockstar has announced a 34-track soundtrack arriving with the game on November 19. That's a music release, but it also feels like a business story.
Think about how many hours people spend inside GTA. A record doesn't just get played once on a playlist. It can become part of a world people drive through, replay and associate with a specific moment. That's a different kind of exposure.
I don't think being on a game soundtrack automatically makes a song good. We still have to judge the actual record. But the opportunity for artists is hard to ignore: gaming can put music in front of people who aren't looking for a new single in the first place.
The question I want to follow is whether these placements create long-term fans or just soundtrack nostalgia. If somebody knows the hook because they stole a virtual car to it, does that eventually translate into streaming the artist's full album?
SOURCE REPORTINGRead original reporting and verify detailsOriginal source used for factual reporting. Commentary and analysis are 6ixtv's.
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