Sophomore slump

A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort. It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students (second year of college or university) the performance of athletes (second season of play), bands (sophomore album), television shows (second seasons) and movies (sequels/prequels).

Causes

There are many factors that can contribute to the sophomore slump, including:

• The second album syndrome: A band may craft their first album over a period of years by writing dozens of songs, trying them out before audiences, and choosing the ten most crowd-pleasing songs to record once they get a contract; once this album is successful, however, the record company will demand that the next album be completed in about a year, giving little opportunity to play the material for an audience—and the band may record songs that wouldn't have made the cut for their first album. Alternatively, bands committed to the integrity of their work may take many years to complete the second album, losing fans in the interim.
• A musician's record label may wish to capitalize on the success of hit songs from the first album by forcing the band to produce superficially similar-sounding material for the second. If the band does not comply, the label may threaten to refuse the band's first attempt at a second album. This stifles the band's artistic growth, and fans eager for new material may find the familiar-sounding second album disappointing.
• Regression toward the mean: If a first effort is particularly outstanding, statistically it is likely that the next will be closer to average. This is often cited as the reason why many Rookie of the Year athletes go on to have subsequently unremarkable careers.
• Second-system effect in computing, a tendency to "upgrade" a compact system into one burdened with too many needless features
• When a particular aspect of a television show or movie is well received, producers often overemphasize that aspect in the second season or sequel and cut back on supporting aspects that bring the show together, so to speak.

Cultural references

• The band Grandaddy named their second studio album, released in 2000, The Sophtware Slump
• The band Fall Out Boy named one of their songs included in From Under the Cork Tree, released in 2005, "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year".

See also

• Second season syndrome