Let’s make one thing clear before we move on, that awful pun was absolutely necessary! Okay, now we’ve cleared that up it’s time to move on to a serious musical issue. It’s a well documented fact that the majority of second albums don’t live up to the band or artist’s debut. In some cases the second albums are that bad that it spells the end of an otherwise promising musical career. What causes this worrying trend and how can you avoid the pitfalls?

One of the biggest factors is time. When working towards a debut album you essentially have all the time in the world to hone your talents and figure out what direction you want to follow. When it comes to modern music trends it’s now the norm to release several EPs in the lead up to the big debut. This gives an artist a chance to test the waters and see what songs have the best response from the public and therefore earn a place on the full album. Once the debut is released, EPs are suddenly unfashionable and the pressure is on to try and release the follow up within a couple of years. The eagerness of fans longing for new music puts a strain on the creative process.

The pressure is also on with regards to the content of the second album. There is a fine line to walk between making progress and sticking to the winning formula. The audience want to hear more of what made the first album so appealing, but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. If you try and make it the same it will never live up to the original. What you need is something new and exciting, but if it’s something too different then you risk alienating fans.

Not everyone is affected – Adele, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin for instance made significant improvements on their second albums. But the fact that they are the exceptions to the rule suggests there is no easy way to avoid the pitfalls of the second album. When writing a debut an artist should think ahead and have an idea of where to go next. Try to keep up a high standard of songwriting and hope for the best. If the curse of the second album catches you out just try and learn from your mistakes for album number three!