u/blankspacejrr

I remember when formation first came out a lot of people were like, “what is this?? Where is love on top Beyoncé?? Where is Halo Beyoncé??”  

and honestly, I was not as enthused for formation. that’s because in general I’m not super into hip-hop. (sidenote: Beyoncé has helped me realize that it’s not hip-hop and country I dislike. it’s just that I only like to listen to female artists and those genres are very male dominated) 

but the music video was so iconic that I had to keep listening (sidenote: a visual can absolutely hook u onto a song you might not have otherwised like. bey, pls: the visuals NEOW)

but one thing I’ve noticed about Beyonce and something I highly respect, is that she didn’t succumb to this backlash. 

I see a lot of other pop artists where, if their album or song is not positively received right out the gate, they just leave it out for dead. and pretend it never existed. it makes me kind of sad because, if you were proud enough to release something as a single or an album, you should own it and be proud of it! but at the same time, I do understand it. it is POP music, and you need it to be popular in order to keep selling tours and to continue being successful. so if you leave a song or album for dead… it’s understandable.

Beyoncé is one of the rare exceptions. Formation was not a number one like Halo or single ladies was, but the way she performs it, you would think it was a global number one. She has performed it for every tour since it came out and now it is a staple. And she won me over! I foam at the mouth every time I hear it in public and it’s a certified banger! She’s one of the few artists that say, “it’s not my job to catch up to my fans or the public. The general public/my fan base must catch up to ME. I set the bar. not u bitches.“

I highly admire it. 

the artist SHOULD lead fans to new places and challenge what they think they want. 

This is inspired by Ariana’s new album and recent output. It seems like many of her new songs (eg we can’t be friends, yes and, petal) are about how they are perceived by the public and them “taking back the narrative.”

Do we love these songs? Do we find them cringe? What are good examples of this trope and what are some bad ones?

My personal favorite is Thank u next. She addressed the speculation of her dating life but did it with wit, and did it in a way that felt universal. We are all, in some way or another, familiar with leaving an ex, growing and learning, and embracing yourself. And most importantly, that hook doesn't leave your brain after you hear it.

Another fave is Blank Space. The self deprecating nature and tongue in cheek lyrics, the great hook… and there’s something relatable in the overly clingy, ”I ruin everything“ character in that song.

This seems to be a common trajectory for every pop artist. Once they reach a certain level of fame, they address what their critics say. Taylor did it with Shake it Off and But Daddy I love Him and a lot of Reputation songs. Charli XCX with Sympathy is a Knife. Katseye and co. with Iconic by Mistake. But then you get fans missing their more relatable subject material. Just regular day to day shit like falling in love for the first time or spending time with family (Eg Fearless by Taylor). So the home grown, girl next door charm is gone and now you have a big massive celebrity having “me vs the public” subject material in their songs. Obviously artists are going to write to process what is happening to them, but I always mourn the loss of their more suburban - pre famous life - everyday struggles.

Thus, my personal opinion is that most of the time, it’s pretty Eh. But also, I have never prioritized lyrics first. The most important thing to me is if there’s a earworm hook and satisfying, interesting, or fun production.

I also saw in another discussion post that someone said, once you keep talking about your haters too much and keep defending yourself, at what point are you letting them take control of the narrative by constantly responding. I think it’s a valid thought. Sometimes I’m not even aware of a scandal or pushback or controversy until the artist sheds light on it through their music. Thoughts?

Every now and then, a character (usually a side one) will deliver a line that makes me laugh my ass off.

One of the first ones I can recall is in the Purge episode where they’re arguing over a new economy. “That’s not a real job!” “Oh, and making food is?” ”You son of a bitch.”

Idk why but the way he says you son of bitch has burrowed into my brain. It’s too good

Another one is the recent Evolution ep. “Youre pretty hung up on the shit part aren’t you?”

This came up because I’m fascinated by how artists like Renee Rapp have meme-able, funny interview moments, and come across as charismatic yet seems to not be able to break through to A list main pop girl status.

Then, you have a lot of C list pop-stars, who I have seen interviews of and I think to myself… Yeah, your personality is bland, safe, and generic. It makes total sense to me that they can’t break out into A list territory just quite yet.

I think likeability is definitely a component that is part of the popstar equation, but I cant pin down just how big it is or how small. Olivia Rodrigo seems mature, grounded, down to earth. Taylor comes across his self deprecating and chathing. But then you have artists like Beyonce who don’t participate in this game at all.

So what do y’all think? How crucial is personality in the pop game?

It’s no secret that people have a better than thou mindset on those who primarily listen to pop music.

Thankfully, poptimism and music critic discourse has countered the sentiment of “just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s bad.”

But I think certain circles still do look down on it. Let’s discuss why we think that is.

It‘s probably a flawed perspective since it’s the insiders looking at outsiders looking in. But eh. let’s do it anyways.