The document discusses Adorno and Horkheimer's theory of cultural industry and pseudo-individuality, and applies it to different music artists. It analyzes how One Direction fits the theory as the band was constructed by a record label to appeal to audiences. However, Ed Sheeran is presented as the opposite as he was not mass-produced and has maintained his authentic image without influence from corporations.

2. Throughout time, there have been an increasing number of new pop bands
emerging within the music industry. The record companies modifies
each band to create a small but noticeable difference in order to enable
the audience to distinguish the each band. Within the culture industry
Adorno and Horkheimer discuss "Pseudo Individual" which theorizes
the lack of originality amongst cultural products consumed by the
masses and the use of minor modifications to cultural products to
create a false sense of individuality. Cultural industry allows people to
become 'massers' and to be easily manipulated by capitalist
corporations and authoritarian government. This can be seen in bands
such as Spice Girls in which the girl group present their ‘pseudo
individuality’ through the use of names such as ‘baby spice’ or ‘posh
spice’.

3. ONE DIRECTION
Adorno and Horkheimer's Culture Industry theorizes that the music
industry uses an ‘assembly line’ style of method in order to create an
artist. This means the artists are constructed for the audience so the
record label can sell more albums as the artists fits into the mould that
appeals to the audience more.
Within ‘One Direction’ we can easily see the music industry’s ‘assembly
line’ style of creating a boy band as they share common attributes with
other groups that also fits into Adorno and Horkheimer’s theory. The 4-
previously 5- member group was put together by Simon Cowell during
‘The X Factor’ so his record label – Syco- could sell them better and
target them to a specific group. This has shown to be a great success
with ‘One Direction’ selling many albums and memorabilia throughout
their 5 year run.

4. ED SHEERAN
It can be suggested Ed Sheeran is opposite to Adorno and Horkheimer’s
theory and therefore goes against this idea. Ed Sheeran has not been
mass produced by a record label in order to appeal to a wider audience.
His image has not been influenced or changed since he became popular
in the music industry - Sheeran has maintained the same image
throughout. He is not similar to any other solo artist as he frequently
uses a loop machine to create his music live and he does not rely on a
band to back him up when he performs in concerts. Additionally he
does not have a capitalist corporation behind him making merchandise
of him nor a film of him, contrasting with One Direction.