Every week I make it a point to scan the new music that’s being serviced to Alternative radio. Sometimes I find a hidden gem. Sometimes it’s an established artist taking a creative turn that actually works.
And then there are the records that make you stop and ask…
“Who exactly is this for?”
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This week, that record was Meghan Trainor’s new single, “Shimmer.”
I gave it a fair shot. Actually, I listened to it twice because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something.
I wasn’t.
The song itself isn’t bad. That’s not the issue.
The issue is format fit.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Alternative radio is that it’s just another word for “anything that isn’t Country or Hip Hop.”
It isn’t.
Alternative has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. It’s no longer just guitars and distortion. The format has embraced electronic music, indie pop, dream pop, folk influences, and artists who don’t fit neatly into one category.
Billie Eilish is probably the best example.
When “Bad Guy” started showing up on Alternative stations, it didn’t feel forced. The production was dark. The attitude fit. The audience was already listening to her.
The same goes for artists like Lorde, CHVRCHES, Florence + The Machine, Twenty One Pilots, Glass Animals, and even Lana Del Rey on many stations.
None of them are traditional rock artists.
But they all share something that’s difficult to define and easy to recognize.
They sound like they belong.
That’s something you can’t fake.
The average listener isn’t sitting there analyzing EQ curves, BPMs, or production styles.
They’re asking themselves one simple question.
“Does this sound like my station?”
That’s why artist branding matters just as much as the song itself.
People don’t just hear Billie Eilish.
They hear everything Billie Eilish represents.
The same goes for Twenty One Pilots.
The same goes for Lorde.
And yes, the same goes for Meghan Trainor.
For more than ten years she’s built her career around mainstream pop. That’s not a knock on her. She’s been incredibly successful doing exactly that.
But one Alternative-leaning single doesn’t erase a decade of listener perception overnight.
As Program Directors, we’re not just adding songs.
We’re protecting a brand.
Here’s a quick exercise.
Picture this music sweep.
Green Day.
Royal Blood.
Meghan Trainor.
Highly Suspect.
Does one of those artists stick out?
If you answered yes, then you understand exactly why this matters.
Programming isn’t about whether an individual song is good.
Programming is about maintaining flow.
It’s about consistency.
It’s about earning listener trust every single quarter hour.
Now, to be fair, I don’t blame All Access for listing the record.
I don’t blame the label for servicing it to Alternative either.
That’s their job.
Labels cast a wide net. If they think a song has even a chance of finding an audience at Alternative, Triple A, Hot AC, or Top 40, they’re going to send it to all four.
Sometimes they’re right.
Sometimes a crossover record becomes one of the biggest songs of the year.
Sometimes it falls flat.
That’s why Program Directors still matter.
We’re the last filter between the label and the listener.
Another thing that’s easy to forget is there isn’t one universal Alternative format anymore.
Some stations lean heavily into indie.
Others sound closer to Active Rock.
Some are almost Alternative Pop.
Every market is different.
Every audience is different.
That’s why a record that works in Seattle might completely miss in Atlanta.
This one is an easy pass.
Not because Meghan Trainor isn’t talented.
Not because pop artists can’t cross over.
Because every add has to answer one question.
If someone tunes in for the first time, does this song reinforce what my station stands for?
Or does it make them wonder if they accidentally changed stations?
For me, the answer is pretty clear.
And sometimes, the best add of the week is the one you never make.