Keep Climbing!; The Songs We Wanna See Go Higher

We are ALL about diversifying the POP landscape... & let's face it, the Billboard Hot 100 could certainly use some more variety. Recently, we've noticed a shift in popular tastes in our native USA. We hope that this trend continues, & by doing so, adds some spice & flavor to the POP music charts & airwaves. Here are the 6 songs to which we scream "keep climbing!"

Calvin Harris - Feel So Close (#15) - Oh Calvin! The Scottish raver behind international hits deserves another chart-topper of his own. It's that simple. And after the smash success of We Found Love, America will easily welcome him with open arms & neon disco balls (we feel so close to you Calvin, it's a force-field).

Fun. - Some Nights (#70) - Although a bit more complex than other tracks on their second record, Some Nights has the potential to become a collassal hit-- especially with its accessible chorus & witty lines like "here they come again to jack my style." But for now, Fun.'s current reign at #1 with We Are Young will continue to reinvigorate the POP-friendly indie band.

M83 - Midnight City (#75) - Fellow blogger Nico Lang wrote an excellent article entitled "Why We Should Make M83's 'Mightnight City' the #1 Song in America," encouraging POP-savants to mobilize behind Anthony Gonzalez's alternative masterpiece. We completely agree with him. Midnight City has earned an outpouring of critical acclaim since the release of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming last year. M83 has produced some incredible cult classics during its 10+ year lifespan, & it is about time for the band to reach popular music audiences. The beautiful & expansive Midnight City could be the ticket.

Adele - Rumor Has It (#44) -We're so proud of Adele. As someone who started as an indie singer-songwriter and catapulted to mainstream stardom, she hasn't compromised her vision nor her sound. She's still writes from the heart and puts out singles that aren't standard POP tracks in the vein of Rihanna or Katy Perry. Though she works with some big name producers, she's able to get a sound of out them that is unlike anything they've done for their other POP clients. Rumor Has It is the best example. Produced and co-written with Ryan Tedder, the One Republic frontman behind Beyonce's Halo and Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love, Rumor Has It is missing his signature synths and bum ba da bum bum bang beat, instead sounding like a bluesy time-capsule to another era. Our favorite part is the bridge, when Adele puts the uptempo attitude on pause and balladeers with a piano accompaniment. Without a doubt, this is the best song on the album. It most definitely deserves the top spot on the Hot 100.

Ellie Goulding - Lights (#66) - Across the pond, Ellie Goulding has turned her electro-folk into a POP staple. She's a bit like Taylor Swift, but with a larger vocabulary, writing songs that possess catchier hooks and more experimental song structures than any of Swift's recent singles. Lights is Goulding's most straightforward pop song to date, written with and produced by Richard "Biff" Stannard, the man behind the Spice Girls' biggest hits. Together, they've created a track about Ellie's childhood fear of the dark. Cute.

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know (#4) - Though this song has finally made it to the Top 5, it's still not regularly played on Clear Channel stations, which boggles our minds. Such a high climb without much airplay indicates that it would be a surefire hit on radio. Times are-a-changin'. We're entering a '90s like period where indie bands (Fun., Foster the People) and singer-songwriters (Adele, Gotye) sit beside manufactured POP on the Hot 100. It's time for radio to catch up.

Unapologetically,

Gregory & Minna

And When I Feel Like I Don't Fit In...

...I'll Be Glamorous In My Own Way

Here are pictures of POP stars who dress in their own way. Some people may think they look "weird," but I see them as utterly glamorous because they ARE utterly glamorous. These people may not have looked that great if they primped themselves in an ordinary manner to suit society's standards of beauty, so they created a style all their own that highlights their unique beauty. These are our role models, not just in fashion, but in life, because with their aesthetics, they teach us to carve out our own paths when we're unable to tread smoothly down those that everyone else follows.

Elly Jackson - La Roux

Annie Lennox

Florence Welch - Florence + the Machine

Adele

Robyn

Peaches

Alanis Morissette

Fred Macpherson - Spector

Lady GaGa

Sir Elton John

& Her Fabulousness Miss Piggy

Pop Levi

Amy Winehouse...RIP

We applaud these artists for their expression of proud individuality. Minna and I are learning to follow their inspiring lead, aesthetic and otherwise. Join us!

Unapologetically,

Gregory

Grammys - Album of the Year NomNomNoms

Holler!

Did any of you watch the Grammy nominations show on CBS? I did! (Obvi.) I want to talk about my fave category: Album of the Year. This post will focus on my thoughts regarding the nominees.

In my opinion, an Album of the Year nominee should meet at least one of the following two requirements:
1. The album should be innovative / ahead of the curve.
2. The artist has taken risks, trying out musical/production/vocal/lyrical styles that are completely different from what's out there (and/or what's expected of him/her).

With that said, I totally agree with the following two nominations:

1. 21 by Adele: This record has been the best-selling album of the past year, and I think one of the many reasons why is because it's so refreshing. As I've mentioned previously, Adele's music is emotionally forceful and confessional. Girlfriend is obviously one of the most vocally talented artists, but she's also a solid songwriter (Adele has said that she may write and produce her third album without any outside help, which would be QUITE a challenge. I hope she goes through with it. I'd love to hear what it will sound like). Furthermore, 21's songs contain an eclectic mix of soul, blues, and POP, which contrasts with the current electro-POP landscape. Many people may disagree with the following statement, but 21 is an album full of indie/alternative spirit. As JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds album kicked off the dance craze, creating a space for albums like Britney's Blackout and Lady GaGa's The Fame, Adele's 21 will be the catalyst for the return of the indie/alternative genre, which reigned most powerfully during the early '90s with Nirvana's Nevermind and Alanis Moorisette's Jagged Little Pill, among other albums. 21 meets requirements #1 and #2. Adele and her writing/production/engineering team deserve the hardware on Grammy night more than any other artist.

2. Born This Way by Lady GaGa: As the Lady has said herself, she's talked the talk, but never incorporated her fight for the outsider and LGBTQ community into her music until now. While the Born This Way album hasn't penetrated pop-culture as deeply (hehe!) as The Fame or The Fame Monster, its lyrical content is far superior. GaGa sings about being yourself, no matter your sexual orientation or ethnicity on Born This Way, claiming your identity on Hair, and illegal immigration on Americano. This is a POP album with a strong emphasis on social justice, which we haven't seen since Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 in 1989. With the song Born This Way, Gaga doesn't beat around the bush as Katy on Firework, Ke$ha on We R Who We R, or P!nk on Raise Your Glass. Those are all great songs, but none of those artists had the chutzpah to address the LGBTQ community directly. GaGa's Born This Way is the first Billboard Hot 100 #1 with the word "transgender," so kudos to her.

While sonically, I prefer GaGa's first two albums, I can't deny that she's taken musical risks on this record, completely unlike her co-reigning POP divas Katy, RiRi or Ke$ha. She's fused industrial electro, rock, and POP in completely unexpected ways. This album is what Bruce Springsteen would sound like if he made a record for the gay clubs. Only GaGa would come up with such a concept. The Born This Way album meets requirement #2. While it's definitely more sonically risky and experimental then her first two, those records were ahead of the curve, influencing the dance tracks that came after (from other POPsters). This album's production and sound won't strongly influence other artists' future work. It's too experimental. In this regard, GaGa's creativity works against her.

The following albums should have gone without the nomination:

3. Loud by Rihanna: This album is one of my favorites of the year, but it doesn't deserve a nomination for the top prize. It's a great record, but it's not innovative or experimental/risky. Let's be real for a sec. Rihanna may be fly, and we love her for that, but she's not super-creative. Her music is composed by others. That wouldn't be an issue if those songwriters and producers tried to make music that was outside of the box, like Beyoncé's did on 4. I didn't like 4 very much - it was a bit too out there for me, and apparently for others too - none of the singles charted in the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100. In other words, none of the songs were hits. However, the album was gutsy. Beyoncé may not be a songwriter or producer (even though she unfairly manages to get her name into the credits, according to Ne-Yo and others who've worked with her - a story for another day), but she is willing to take musical risks with the help of others. Bey and her songwriting/production team deserve some props for that.

By contrast, Rihanna's songwriters and producers aimed to create radio hits for Loud. Yes, some of the songs feature cool synths and bits of West-Indian spice, but on the whole, there was no out-of-the-box thinking during the writing, recording, and production of Loud.

4. Wasting Light by the Foo Fighters: I don't mean to be rude, but who cares? I'll admit that I haven't listened to any of the album, so I can't offer a fair assessment, but does anyone seriously think the Foo Fighters are still relevant? If yes, you can stick yourself back into a time machine and press 1995. It seems as though some of the Grammy voters just woke up from their decade and a half hibernation period. I know relevance isn't everything. I like my fair share of indie artists, but the Foo Fighters never set out to be a nice little indie project like Bon Iver. Dave Grohl consciously cashed in on his Nirvana fame by forming his own group, except the plan isn't working anymore (because no one cares), so go away. This spot belongs to everyone, and anyone, else.

I have mixed feelings about the last nomination:

5. Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars: Bruno is so talented. His voice is smooth, and despite some calling him a baby face, I'd do him in a second. He drips sex. However, I don't like that he was stupid enough to get caught with a bag of blow in the bathroom of the Vegas Hard Rock, and cocky enough to think he'd get away with it. The whole situation smells of douche bag. This all went down after a performance before his album even came out. Does he know anything about publicity? Establish who you are before looking like a mess - your audience is middle America. If you're going to powder your nose, that's your business, but go do it in your hotel room where you won't get caught. I think of Bruno as the new John Mayer - so, so talented; so, so, charming; and so, so douchey. Ugh, almost everyone in music is an a$$-hole. Whadaya gonna do?

Anyhow, all of this is irrelevant to his album nomie. Grenade is a fantastic, catchy, and beautifully produced song. Just The Way You Are has grown on me with time, and now, I love it. I haven't listened to the whole album, but I'm sure the vocals are heavenly, because as I said, he's a great singer. He's also a proper musician, having composed all the melodies and produced them with Phillip Lawrence and Ari Levine, who together make up the songwriting and production trio known as The Smeezingtons. With all of that said, I don't think his music is particularly risky or experimental. I'm not sure if it's innovative and ahead of the curve. I don't think it is, but time shall tell. Hence my mixed feelings.

Check out tomorrow's entry, "Grammy Album Of Year - What SHOULD Have Been Nominated?" to see which albums we would nominate in place of Loud, Wasting Light, and Doo-Wops & Hooligans.

Unapologetically,

Gregory

BritPOP

Holler!

No, the title’s not a reference to Britney. My apologies.

Every time I pen a song, I think of British POP stars.  When the result doesn’t sound traditional, I don’t feel upset or peeved, but rather, like an individual. This would most certainly not be the case if I had never been introduced to artists like Marina & the Diamonds, Ellie Goulding, and Paloma Faith, among innumerable others. I consider British music and its consumers (primarily the British public) to be far more open-minded than those who only listen to American radio. The Brits (sorry for generalizing – I’m doing it for the sake of the article) have always loved some American POP tunage, whether it comes from super-creatives like Prince, Michael Jackson, and GaGa, or those who just sing sugary goodness, like Britney and Rihanna.  However, unlike many Americans, they are open to, and aware of, so much more. Their POP charts range from the super commercialized and pre-calculated, written and recorded solely for the purpose of getting your money, to the supremely artistic. They embrace everything, from mindlessly fun POP groups, like The Saturdays, to artists with emotionally intricate lyrics/rhymes, like Plan B (check out Prayin & She Said).  The Brits don't necessarily have better (or worse) taste in music. Its simply wider.

Much of the diversity in the British music scene results from the power and prominence of the BBC.  The UK singles chart is determined solely by sales, but consumers' purchases are obviously influenced by radio airplay.  In the States, the Billboard Hot 100 is assembled using a statistical combination of radio airplay and sales. The stations with the largest influence on the American charts are owned by Clear Channel Communications (i.e. KISS 108 in Boston, Z100 in New York, etc.)  Clear Channel stations tend to play the safe choice - recent chart-topping artists.  When a new artist arrives on the scene, he or she is much more likely to get played if his/her song was composed by/with a hit-maker producer, like Dr. Luke or Stargate (whom we LOVE, but that's beside the point).  Usually, the few alternative artists who make it to the top of the American charts are first played on independent stations, then on Cumulus Media and/or CBS Radio stations (the second and third largest radio conglomerates in the United States, respectively), and finally on Clear Channel stations.

The most recent examples of such rarified occurrences are Adele, with the #1 hits Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You, and Foster The People, with Pumped Up Kicks, which tapped out at #3. One artist who reintroduced this trend (that ebbs and flows through the years - Nirvana is an example from the early '90s) was Amy Winehouse with Rehab, which peaked at #9. I'm certain that Adele's record label poured blood, sweat, and tears into getting her music onto American radio. (This was despite her second album, 21, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart based on pure demand built from her internet presence, performances on American television, and awards from her debut, 19.) I doubt it was an easy feat, as she's a singer-songwriter who, aesthetically, doesn't fit the POP star mold, lacks any synths in her music, and works with producers like Paul Epworth, who is renowned in the UK but unheard of by the American radio elite. The fact that her songs are spun is intriguing, particularly because, like Amy, she was unable to get her first album's singles played on Clear Channel's stations. Alternative radio has continuously given her props, and even CBS radio played songs like Cold Shoulder a few years ago, but Adele couldn't quite get the mainstream airplay she deserved from Clear Channel... until now. Amy most likely achieved the feat through similar efforts from her label, as well as the adoration and support of the hip-hop community, which has for the past 10+ years received a great deal of spins from Clear Channel. 

As we all know, corporations set out to make a profit. Therefore, Clear Channel stations play what executives feel will make the most money. Unfortunately, this often leads to a great deal of monotony.  By contrast, the BBC (also a money-making business) is partially state-controlled. It thereby has an additional socio-cultural obligation to promote the arts. In other words, British radio views music not only as a product, but also as an art form.  As a result, artists who are left-field get a fair shot at success in the UK. For example, Florence + the Machine's first single, Dog Days Are Over, off of their debut, Lungs, received a similar amount of BBC 1 radio airplay as that of a mainstream track, like I Kissed A Girl.  This was obviously not the case in the United States.

Some may respond by saying that there are independent American stations playing alternative POP, but these stations are small by comparison. The BBC is the largest, most powerful communications/media company in the UK, so what its stations play has a far greater effect on left-field artists' sales and overall success.  If you've looked at the Top 10 on the UK singles chart this past year, you've seen a lot of variety - everything from American Top 10 staples like Rihanna's We Found Love and Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger, to Ed Sheeran's The A Team and Charlene Soraia's Wherever You Will Go. Even American artists whose songs don't get their deserved attention stateside, like Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts and Lana Del Rey's Video Games, reached the UK Top 10.

It is worth noting American POPsters whose stars don't shine as bright on American soil.  More and more American artists with a tinge of the alternative are seeking British recording contracts.  POP musicians like The Scissor Sisters, Alex Winston, and Lissie have used this methodology to succeed without compromising their musicality and styles.  Those three bands/artists are completely different from one another, but all have been embraced by British audiences.  However, they've all struggled in America because the biggest key to their success, radio airplay, has been missing.

So is it understandable that Minna subscribes to the BBC to listen to a wider variety of popular music - from dubstep to female singer-songwriters? I think YES.

Unapologetically,

Gregory


(c) Unapologetically POP, 2011

The Beauty Construct, Deconstructed

Holler!

This is an oft-discussed subject, so I’m not going to delve too deeply into it, but I would like to briefly write about the beauty construct presented to us by the media. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been really self-conscious, and with my life currently feeling like a mess, that insecurity is boiling over. I love my glam POP gals & guys, but I’m just tired of the same body image being repeatedly thrown around. The sad part is that it’s our fault, because this is a capitalist society. We, as consumers, empower and enforce a cycle of six pack abs after six pack abs. If we didn’t want it, we wouldn’t buy it, or maybe we just haven't known any better. That goes for me, too. I love Rihanna, and I love how she looks, the skinny binny that she is, but that’s part of the point. Just because I want to diversify the beauty ideal, doesn’t mean I want to completely throw it away. I simply want to add more to the equation. Rihanna is beautiful, but so is Adele, and I don’t think the "Rolling In The Deep" singer would look better skinnier - her full figure suits her and enhances her beauty. Adele is absolutely radiant, and I wish we were presented with more examples of such beauty. Robyn, who I’m planning to write an entry about, is an example of beauty in the form of androgyny. I think her short hair and fun, playful clothing makes her adorable and gorgeous. It's the best look for her. That’s why I was upset after watching her "Indestructible" video. While her multi-colored water suit is to-die-for, the rest of the viddy does not live up to girlfriend’s creative open-mindedness. It's filled with people having sex with each other, which is fantastic (depending on the age of the video’s intended audience), but all of those actors look like models. There's no diversity among their body types. I don’t want Robyn to get rid of them, but I would like her to bring more variety into the mix. It would be nice to see some people who are hairy, who are full figured, and who have lots of freckles. The ideal would be to mix the partners in the video – a skinny with a full figure, a non-freckle with a freckle, a baldy with a full head of hair. We all deserve to feel sexy, beautiful, and loved. Therefore, we all deserve to be presented with videos that make each and every one of us feel like we ARE sexy, beautiful, and lovable.

Some of you may think I wouldn’t care if I fit the ideal, and you’re probably right. If I wasn’t hairy everywhere on my body, including all over my back, had a six pack, and didn’t have a receding hair line, maybe I would enforce the ideal and make fun of those who didn’t fit it (the insecure a$$ that I can be), but the fact is I don’t (and I can’t afford the operations in order to). Neither does most of the world’s population, for that matter, so why don’t we evolve our purchasing patterns in order to see more representations of ourselves in music, film, television, and fashion? Why do we keep buying into this ideal and pushing it forward, in turn escalating our insecurities and self-image issues? Doesn’t this seem particularly unhealthy? Maybe it’s time we stop buying that Vogue or People Magazine on the shelf, as hard as it may be to resist, until those publications redefine beauty by throwing in some diversity. In a capitalist society, the most effective form of protest is boycott, because companies will only change if they think that doing so will make them more $$. And maybe, when we’re upset with a POP star we love for a video that makes us self-conscious, we should tweet them about it, so that’s what I’ll do for now – take it day by day, moment to moment. 

Unapologetically,

Gregory