Why Critics Simply Do Not Matter Anymore by Shane Chandler
It has always been a certain dream of mine to be an actual music critic for People or Entertainment Weekly magazine... Hell, any magazine would be pretty cool to write for. I've been told I have a way with words and an ability to express my points of view on any subject matter with substantial eloquence, a compliment that I take very seriously. Specifically when it comes to music, which has been the center of my life for the last seven years, I feel as though I could give proper insight to the depths of the artists soul... The reason why they write and compose, the emotion put behind their performance, etc. Critics really don't seem to understand this anymore...
From what I have been seeing in music today... It's sickening and disturbing.
The day that a vapid musician like Britney Spears can get the same rating as a deeper musician like Lady Gaga is a sad day that I wish would never have come. People mock and scoff when I say that I take Lady Gaga very seriously, but she IS a better musician than Britney Spears, if not 99% of artists on the scene today. Gaga writes her own lyrics, all of them. She even aids in the producing of the songs, even when some artists (Britney, Katy, etc.) will help write their own lyrics, they do not write the music. Gaga can do that. She wrote The Fame almost as a satire, but also because she knew it would help her break into the business. The Fame Monster was her first socially conscious album as it describes the dark side of being famous, the emotional turmoil that comes with being afraid of being stalked, afraid of falling in love, afraid of sex, alcohol, et al. Born This Way is an incredibly deep album as well. If you don't like the melodies or the specific genre of music that it is, fine. That is your musical taste in action. When you listen to the lyrics you have:
Born This Way, Hair, Scheisse, The Queen, Americano, Bad Kids, Electric Chapel: Songs about personal empowerment, freedom, and acceptance.
Marry the Night and Black Jesus: Songs about her life and her love for her hometown.
You & I, Fashion of His Love, Highway Unicorn, Bloody Mary, Edge of Glory: Love songs with deeper meanings than just love.
Clearly, she put a lot of thought into this album. What was Britney Spears' Femme Fatale about? ..... Oh yeah, that's right. nothing.
How many songs does she have a writing credit on? None.
How many songs does she have a producing credit on? None.
How many songs use autotune as a crutch, rather than an extra spice? All of them.
And SOMEHOW this album is deserving of a B+, the same grade that BTW got. Okay, fine, give Femme Fatale a B+, I enjoyed the album, it was very catchy and can be listened to on repeat, but then you should probably give Born This Way an A.
Furthermore, Rihanna's album LOUD got an A- from EW magazine... It's times like this where I wonder what the actual criteria is for a pop album. Rihanna is a very good singer, I really like her voice and her presence... It's just... She still doesn't do the same things that Gaga can do. It seems like people nowadays will just grade based on virtually nothing other than who's the most popular.
Apparently Evanescence's newest album is getting bad reviews... I can't imagine why. The album is stunning. Why would they give an artist with actual talent like Amy Lee and Evanescence as a whole a bad review, but give Britney Spears a B+? It just doesn't make any logical sense.
I think that's the end of my rant for now.
From what I have been seeing in music today... It's sickening and disturbing.
The day that a vapid musician like Britney Spears can get the same rating as a deeper musician like Lady Gaga is a sad day that I wish would never have come. People mock and scoff when I say that I take Lady Gaga very seriously, but she IS a better musician than Britney Spears, if not 99% of artists on the scene today. Gaga writes her own lyrics, all of them. She even aids in the producing of the songs, even when some artists (Britney, Katy, etc.) will help write their own lyrics, they do not write the music. Gaga can do that. She wrote The Fame almost as a satire, but also because she knew it would help her break into the business. The Fame Monster was her first socially conscious album as it describes the dark side of being famous, the emotional turmoil that comes with being afraid of being stalked, afraid of falling in love, afraid of sex, alcohol, et al. Born This Way is an incredibly deep album as well. If you don't like the melodies or the specific genre of music that it is, fine. That is your musical taste in action. When you listen to the lyrics you have:
Born This Way, Hair, Scheisse, The Queen, Americano, Bad Kids, Electric Chapel: Songs about personal empowerment, freedom, and acceptance.
Marry the Night and Black Jesus: Songs about her life and her love for her hometown.
You & I, Fashion of His Love, Highway Unicorn, Bloody Mary, Edge of Glory: Love songs with deeper meanings than just love.
Clearly, she put a lot of thought into this album. What was Britney Spears' Femme Fatale about? ..... Oh yeah, that's right. nothing.
How many songs does she have a writing credit on? None.
How many songs does she have a producing credit on? None.
How many songs use autotune as a crutch, rather than an extra spice? All of them.
And SOMEHOW this album is deserving of a B+, the same grade that BTW got. Okay, fine, give Femme Fatale a B+, I enjoyed the album, it was very catchy and can be listened to on repeat, but then you should probably give Born This Way an A.
Furthermore, Rihanna's album LOUD got an A- from EW magazine... It's times like this where I wonder what the actual criteria is for a pop album. Rihanna is a very good singer, I really like her voice and her presence... It's just... She still doesn't do the same things that Gaga can do. It seems like people nowadays will just grade based on virtually nothing other than who's the most popular.
Apparently Evanescence's newest album is getting bad reviews... I can't imagine why. The album is stunning. Why would they give an artist with actual talent like Amy Lee and Evanescence as a whole a bad review, but give Britney Spears a B+? It just doesn't make any logical sense.
I think that's the end of my rant for now.