He’s got his Father’s Looks and his Connections: a Rundown of Nepotism in the Music Industry

It is not coincidental that most artists nowadays seem to have the same last names as previous generations.

Assuming you are a regular social media user, you have probably heard of the term “nepo baby.” This new title is being used to describe the children of celebrities who use their relatives’ connections to get into similar business fields. Although nepotism has always been recognised in fields such as acting, it has recently been pointed out that this generation's wave of musical artists seems to have all shared those same connections. 

But what really is so bad about nepotism?

Nepotism has always been a controversial subject in the music industry, with Oasis star, Liam Gallagher’s 23-year-old son, Gene, facing copious amounts of distasteful comments after his band Villanelle opened for his father’s Definitely Maybe 30 Years tour earlier this year. Many of these disappointed criticisms involved comparisons to his father’s work, claiming he “didn’t get the talent from Liam,” and there are “many better bands that could have opened for him.”

Gene Gallagher playing with his band, Villanelle while opening for his father’s tour this year. (Image: Gary Oakley)

Despite this audience disapproval, Gene’s band has continued to grow in popularity, with an 8-stop UK tour set to begin mid-November. With his father’s hometown of Manchester already having a sold-out date before the band has even released any music, more questions have been raised regarding how deserving the young Gallagher is of this stardom he is rising to. 

The main argument against nepotism is the “unfairness” of it. Not many people in their early twenties can say they've played to 20,000 people at the London O2 without having any releases, or having spent their teenage years travelling the world to play drums for rock and roll legend Liam Gallagher, all by convenience. The truth of the situation is that artists of nepotism take from the very few spots in the inclusive industry that is music making. Each year the music industry becomes more tight-knit with the introduction of “nepo babies” and “industry plants”. This makes it nearly impossible for small and underground bands to manage to get record deals, and ultimately leads to the break-ups of thousands of bands each year. To open for a worldwide appreciated artist such as Liam Gallagher is any small band’s dream, and will remain just a dream as long as nepotism bands keep using their connections.

The quality of the music being produced by nepotism bands such as Villanelle has also been a heavily debated topic. When watching videos of their many gigs within the last year, the band had nearly all the components of a great rock group. They have baggy clothes, loudness, gritty vocals, and distorted guitar sound, yet they still lack one of the most important things in a band—passion. When watching over a Villanelle set, you can easily sense the lack of emotion and connection Gallagher has to the music. It’s something that sets bands such as Oasis and The Stone Roses apart from others. To them, music wasn’t just a side gig, and they had the determination to keep going until they reached the top. This is something that is undoubtedly missing in bands such as Villanelle, as they have already started from the top, and therefore lack that dependence on the music they make. You can't get much bigger if your career begins with you playing stadiums. 

Although Villanelle is pushing through the comments from Liam Gallagher fans, it is unlikely we will see the band open for Oasis’ world tour in July of 2025, with Liam Gallagher confirming on X (formally known as Twitter) that the band Cast will be on the opening stage again, along with former Verve frontman, Richard Ashcroft.

While nepotism is harming what is already a well known damaged industry, it is undeniable that not much can be done in its case. It is almost inevitable that a person who has grown up in a creative and musical household will eventually find interest in the field, and be supported by their parents in pursuing it. In this complex circumstance, heads are now being turned to record labels, as they are being criticised for only opening the door to artists with family history in music. This is actively making the music industry even more exclusive than it already is, rather than focusing on what it should be about—music.