The Controversy & Its Impact
Social media search at the forefront has highlighted the recent iteration of We The Fest, Indonesia’s prominent music festival, which offered more than just a lineup of celebrated musicians. The event morphed into a hub of debate and controversy, particularly surrounding the unexpected cancellation of the headlining band, ‘The 1975.’ This incident emerged following their performance at Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival, where an on-stage LGBTQ+ act placed the band in the spotlight. By employing an advanced social media analytic tool, we delve into this compelling narrative to unveil the repercussions of this decision.
Initially set to steal the limelight, ‘The 1975’ was abruptly removed from We The Fest’s schedule. The controversy began after Matty Healy and Ross Macdonald, members of ‘The 1975,’ were involved in an LGBTQ+ act during their performance in Malaysia. Their actions, which had garnered substantial social media attention with Healy being mentioned 218 times and Macdonald 200 times, elicited significant backlash. It wasn’t long before these conversations spread across social media platforms, leading to the band’s cancelation, which amassed 348 mentions, including from their slated performance in Indonesia’s We The Fest.
In response to the band’s on-stage act, some concert-goers voiced plans for a class-action lawsuit against ‘The 1975,’ painting a picture of the polarizing social dynamics involved. Netizens, utilizing the power of social media to express their opinions, extensively discussed We The Fest & ‘The 1975,’ contributing to a total of 644 conversations and generating 90,299 buzz.
A staggering 77% of this buzz was negative, with netizens branding ‘The 1975’ as a ‘problematic band.’ This illustrates the potential hazards of real-time, real-world data in our increasingly connected world, where an on-stage act can rapidly transform into a global controversy. Reports of this incident didn’t just circulate among individuals; significant media outlets also picked up the story. ‘@hai_online‘ with 384k followers, ‘@indozone.id‘ with 4.7M followers, and ‘@detikcom‘ with 4.2M followers, all reported on the controversy, earning 12,212, 11,882, and 10,549 engagements respectively.
The Resilience of We The Fest & Sheila on 7's Rise
In the wake of the cancellation, We The Fest organizers took swift action to remedy the situation by bringing in Sheila on 7 as the replacement headliner. This decision seemed to have been well-received, as it sparked 58,541 engagements on Instagram alone. Interestingly, the decision to substitute The 1975 with Sheila on 7 was mentioned 611 times, hinting at an effective strategy in managing the situation. The overwhelming majority of netizens appeared to welcome the change, with words like ‘success’ (93 mentions), ‘welcome’ (85 mentions), and ‘surprise’ (97 mentions) frequently appearing in the discussions.
This positive reaction was further exemplified when looking at the broader conversation around Sheila on 7’s inclusion. A total of 543,444 mentions stemmed from the headliner change, showing the vast reach of the event. While most of the buzz remained neutral as people shared the news, around 7.6% showed disappointment towards The 1975’s cancellation and even threw satirical jabs at Matty Healy. However, a significant portion of the buzz highlighted netizens’ anticipation for Sheila on 7, with some even ranking them above The 1975.
Evidently, Sheila on 7’s inclusion wasn’t just a fill-in but rather an enhancement, according to the delighted festival-goers. Posts celebrating them as the ‘Best Replacement’ and ‘Perfect Act’ were common, a testament to the band’s enduring appeal. As this sentiment echoed across various posts, the term ‘Sheila on F****ng 75’ emerged, representing fans’ jubilant acceptance of the lineup change. Several posts regarding the stellar performance by Sheila on 7 further indicated the high level of satisfaction.
Looking at the festival as a whole, the lineup on Day 3, featuring Sheila on 7, generated the most buzz. While other artists such as The Strokes and The Kid Laroi on Day 1, and Daniel Caesar and Sabrina Carpenter on Day 2, received their fair share of mentions, none could match the buzz created by Sheila on 7 with a staggering 7411 mentions.
This controversy underscores the value of a robust social media analytic tool like DXT360 Platform from dataxet:sonar, capable of tracking and making sense of real-time, real-world data on social media. With expertise in social media search, listening, and analytics, dataxet:sonar assists businesses in making informed decisions, even in the dynamic and fast-paced entertainment industry. Through understanding online conversations and sentiments, businesses can better navigate the often complex and unpredictable landscape of social media, enabling them to turn potential crises into opportunities, just as We The Fest managed to do in this remarkable case.
