base talk NYT lists songs from 'pop music middle class' that deserve to be hits

[abrantino]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/arts/music/pop-musics-middle-class.html

 

What Happens When a Pop Star Isn’t That Popular?

 

Quote

On certain corners of the internet, “The Loveliest Time,” the Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen’s seventh album, could be confused for the biggest album of the year. But the average Top 40 radio listener probably hasn’t heard it. And when the Billboard 200 chart posted the week after its arrival last month, “The Loveliest Time” was nowhere to be found.

Quote

Online, conversation constantly bubbles about a set of singers — Kim Petras, Ava Max, Sabrina Carpenter, Bebe Rexha, Rina Sawayama, Rita Ora, Troye Sivan and others — who are debated and adored, often becoming trending topics. To their loyal fans, many of whom are women and queer men (who have always worked hard to valorize underappreciated divas), they are, in the parlance of the internet, pop stars.

Quote

Rita Ora has built a devoted fan base based on the fact that she seems unable to get a foothold in the United States

Quote

Artists like Sawayama and Caroline Polachek make music that has little commercial impact, but they have manipulated a pop-leaning sound that allows them to mount pop-style live shows and toy with pop aesthetics, while artists like Sivan and Carpenter always seem as if they’re teetering right on the edge of genuine megastardom, occasionally getting a hit to the lower echelons of the Hot 100, but rarely any higher.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by abrantino

[WildAmerican]

"Pop's middle class" 

 

babe wake up new atrl insult just dropped 

[Virgos Groove]

Quote

Rita Ora has built a devoted fan base

[citation needed]

[mystery]

The most questionable thing about this article is the claim that there is significant online conversation and a devoted fanbase around Rita Ora.

Edited August 14, 2023 by mystery

[Kylie Jenner]

Now leave Ava Max out of this. The queen of pop is second to none.

[AMIT]

What is their point exactly? I would read it but it's behind a paywall. 

[GraceRandolph]

A lot of these publications are to blame. They’ve basically spent the last decade venerating Taylor and Beyoncé while paying artists like Cupcakke, Charli, and Carly dust. 

[Vixen Eyes]

LMFAO

[Kern]

Which perma banned angry ATRLer wrote this? 

[Just a Gay on ATRL]

"Pop's middle class" is such a problematic statement like... whoever wrote this is a mess and indirectly insulted their middle class readers. Yikes. 

 

It just seems like such an unfortunate way to think about music consumption like it's a ranking system. These writers really suck all of the fun and pure joy out of music sometimes.

 

[Beyonnaise]

Where is the lie? None of the artists mentioned are A-list megastars.

 

7 minutes ago, mystery said:

The most questionable thing about this article is the claim that there is significant online conversation and a devoted fanbase around Rita Ora.

True, yeah. It feels dated in that sense, like maybe in 2012 when Jay-Z was touting her as the next Rihanna  

[abrantino]

5 minutes ago, AMIT said:

What is their point exactly? I would read it but it's behind a paywall. 

really? there's no paywall when I opened it

but yeah tbh not sure what the point of the article is either

[TheFireLexus]

12 minutes ago, abrantino said:

Artists like Sawayama and Caroline Polachek make music that has little commercial impact

That's putting it generously  

[Redstreak]

My poor girlie Allie X can’t even get a pop middle class mention. A TRUE underrated queen

[SLIME]

2 minutes ago, Jaded. said:

"Pop's middle class" is such a problematic statement like... whoever wrote this is a mess and indirectly insulted their middle class readers. Yikes. 

 

Yes it's icky to me too. They're getting a little close to telling on themselves.

[GraceRandolph]

1 minute ago, Redstreak said:

My poor girlie Allie X can’t even get a pop middle class mention. A TRUE underrated queen

I’ve heard nothing but horrible stories about this girl, but she has some bops.

[Archetype]

This article reads like this NY Times author just discovered what an "indie" artist is. 

They have notable cultural impact but little to no major commercial success, large dedicated followings but don't make purely commercial music.

 

21 minutes ago, abrantino said:

Caroline Polachek make music that has little commercial impact

But she stays majorly acclaimed and talented 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Archetype

[wish]

The article is a kii and all, but… it’s kinda sad that these major news sources would NEVER write about a smaller artist unless it’s to make fun of them and devalue their art as “middle class”

[WEEKND]

Well none of those girls are one of one 

[TheFireLexus]

8 minutes ago, GraceRandolph said:

I’ve heard nothing but horrible stories about this girl, but she has some bops.

Just what are these stories and who is spreading them? Unless it's about that ridiculous dog incident

[worldwide angel]

the new york times is so tacky 

[GraceRandolph]

1 minute ago, TheFireLexus said:

Just what are these stories and who is spreading them? Unless it's about that ridiculous dog incident

People messaged me years ago about her taking advantage of fans for free labor basically.

[Attitude]

Their fans are loud but don't buy their music. 

[Blade Runner]

And of course most of the examples are women (and a bottom top). So pathetic. 

 

What a weird way to frame an otherwise interesting conversation about success. Not everything is for the masses and not everyone has the opportunity to be f+cking Taylor Swift. It's okay to be niche and that's something it enriches culture in general. The NYT should know better. 

 

So nasty. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Blade Runner

[Mitsouko]

I don’t even like these broads but what’s wrong with a “middle class” in pop music? **** does that even mean? Using that term as if being middle class means you have less integrity and are deserving of less respect than someone richer or more successful than you?

 

The Times BEEN a bunch of snobs.