> "musicians" who are promoted in the mass media don't make their own music, they are given tracks and assigned songs based on brand fit.

This is generally true (although variably so from artist to artist). However, I get annoyed that people act like this is a bad thing. Are we mad at the New York Philharmonic because they don't compose the music they perform? Of course not. Now of course, there's a greater level of transparency there, but who cares? Who cares if Bruno Mars writes his own music? He performs it well, and I like it. All there is to it.

And that certainly doesn't make them not musicians, so I take umbridge with your quotes.