“Lemonade” – Forrest Frank & The Figs

We’ve begged for broader data for years – and now that we have it, we often try to discount it. Streaming, socials, live events… we’ve never had this much visibility into what connects outside of our P1’s. Forrest Frank is one of the few artists in our format that can sell out arenas. And yet the reaction is often, ‘yes, but…’

Music tests are helpful and for years they were all we had, but they’re mostly the voice of uber-fans. Important to serve them, yes, but they don’t grow the format. If we only program to that panel, we’re building a great comfort zone for the faithful few and missing the chance to reach new listeners.

Every data point says he matters. The bigger risk isn’t playing him. It’s ignoring what the broader audience is already telling us. As I wrote recently, growth doesn’t come from staying safe, it comes from calculated risks.

That doesn’t mean we should add every Forrest Frank single. But when a song is showing up top 15 and every metric points to it being a hit, it deserves a serious look. Otherwise, we risk not just missing a moment – but missing the future.