The Franchise Model Makes Its Way to Music
Mediocre sequels aren't new, but “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2” might be more than just a mediocre sequel.
I’m starting this edition of Cansler Culture with an admission: I’m a sucker for a good movie franchise.
It can be anything from the titanic MCU to the tiny MMCU (that’s Mamma Mia Cinematic Universe, if you’re new here). As long as the original IP is entertaining — an important caveat — then those monopolistic studios out in Hollywood are free to squeeze every last dollar out of me.
From a viewership standpoint, a lot of what keeps me coming back to a franchise is the world-building. Once the original story establishes a unique “world,” all I want to do is explore it more, and every sequel, prequel, spin-off, and TV series tie-in provides that.
From a business standpoint, the franchise model is just smart. You get to take one single hit, and milk it for everything it's worth without having to create anything truly original. Especially now, in the age of streaming, the franchise model is virtually limitless. Studios can just keep churning out new works from existing franchises and let viewers decide what to consume. That’s how we end up with a “Stranger Things” spin-off podcast and more “Star Trek” series than I can keep count of.
Of course, the franchise model really only works in the storytelling format. You need to have characters, settings, and plots to build off of. You couldn’t make a franchise out of say, an album.
Or could you? Enter Calvin Harris.
The Scottish DJ, producer, and hitmaker on Friday released Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, the sequel to 2017’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, a funky, sun-soaked album featuring dozens of the biggest artists in pop and hip-hop. Vol. 1 has since become a mainstay on summer playlists across streaming services, especially hits like “Slide” and “Feels.”
Vol. 1 was also a bit of an artistic turn for Harris. Up until 2017, he’d been known for his singles, teaming up individual artists to create a radio hit. But with Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, Harris made a cohesive artistic statement, bringing in an interconnected web of artists to create a sonic universe. Funk Wav Bounces wasn’t just a group of pop hits. It was, and is, a cohesive musical world you could live inside.
It’s not surprising, then, that Harris would give Funk Wav Bounces the franchise model treatment by making Vol. 2. The first album had a distinctive sound and concept to build off-of, and Vol. 2 follows through in its promise of existing in that same sonic world. It’s still funky, it’s still sun-soaked, and it still has dozens of artists joining the cast of characters. It’s not nearly as good as its predecessor, of course, but then again, most sequels aren’t. What’s important is that it scratches the same itch as the original, and keeps its audience locked into the Funk Wav world.
It’s much more surprising that the franchise model hasn’t been applied in music before. To be sure, sequel and sister albums have existed for decades, not to mention remix albums and triple chucks deluxe editions. But the goal in those instances was to either make a new artistic statement or to get more listens for the original songs. The Funk Wav Franchise functions differently in that it is a business-oriented expansion of existing creative work. It’s about sustaining the success of Vol. 1 and giving its fans more to consume so they don’t have to seek out those vibes elsewhere.
In the streaming era, creating that sustained success is important. Before, an artist’s goal was to constantly get new people interested in their music so they could sell more albums. Now, though, success is less about getting new listeners and more about getting your current listeners to keep coming back. Sustained streaming numbers are going to do more for an artist than one short-lived hit will.
Harris seems to know that, too. Vol. 2 doesn’t exactly have a hit among its tracks, but it also wasn’t the hits that made Vol. 1 such a success. It was the fact that year after year, people just kept coming back for more.
I’m not sure people will keep coming back to Vol. 2, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the end of the Funk Wav Franchise. But don’t be surprised if the franchise model is here to stay in the music industry. It’s just smart business.
Review Roundup
It’s been a busy month for me since the last Cansler Culture, so here’s a roundup of everything else I’ve written since then:
A review of “Under the Banner of Heaven,” the true-crime miniseries about a murder that rocks a Mormon community.
For Maryland Theatre Guide, reviews of “tick, tick… BOOM!” at Monumental Theatre Company, “The Approach” at Capital Fringe Festival, and Midsummer Night’s Dream by Folger Theatre.
That’s all for the week! As always, reach out with your questions, comments, and lukewarm takes that until now you thought were hot.