Here is how each contestant from OT 2017, 2018 and 2020 is doing in terms of albums, EPs and singles right now (11/05/2023)!
First of all, some disclaimers and other stuff
The numbers at the bottom of the artist's name is their listeners on spotify.
The picture I chose is the most recent pic on their instagram where their face is shown; if there's none, I'll then look on google.
If an album / EP / single is in red it means it's been announced but hasn't been released yet
I'm only counting singles not in albums / EPs (for singles after the last album / EP i don't know if they're gonna be in the next one or not so i've added them just in case)
Also I'm only counting collabs when the main artist is the one discussed at that moment
I wont add any remixes or live recordings either
It'll only show stuff after OT, not before.
The order would be descendant (so the first artist shown will be the one who ended up last, and the last one will be the winner)
Keep in mind this doesn't represent an artist 'success' (whatever the fuck that means), a lot of these have branched to musicals, TV, radio, modeling, etc. Also within the music industry, maybe some are doing jobs such as being lyricists or producers etc.
This is not meant to be a comparision between them!! I just wanted to do this cause I thought it would be fun to check at all of them, that's it :)
Do you think it'd have made a difference if Louis didn't sign with Syco at the start of his solo career?
A difference to what anon? Would he be in a fundamentally different place now in terms of a sustainable career? Probably not. It wouldn't have changed the pandemic, or the interruptions in his plans due to trauma.
Really big picture - I think the only thing that has had an impact long term on Louis' career has been the fact that when he first came out he was releasing very different music from the music he wanted to make and the music he's making now. I think that if he'd come out making the music he wanted to make, then he probably would have more credibility and that would have an impact on how he was received in the music scene within the UK.
I have long thought that releasing Back to You before the album was finished was a mistake. It was always a risk to release music before he'd finalised what music he wanted to make - I don't think it was a risk that it was necessary to take. (Although it's worth pointing out that Niall took a similar risk and it worked out for him).
I think Syco probably encouraged both these things, but I think most labels would. But I don't think it was a determining factor.