New M.I.A. album - June 29, 2010

[VintagePunk]

Jeez, you make it sound like it's some sort of nasty virus.

I'm not kidding. I heard of the song My Humps for a good 6 months before I ever heard the actual song. I just don't listen to any radio stations that would play songs like that, nor do I watch Much Music (which actually stayed good long after your MTV did, by the sounds of it). I hear parts of songs as I'm scanning past on my car radio? And if something catches my ear, I either continue to listen, or I try to find it on You Tube later. : oldschool:

 

[cobl04]

Getting knocked up by (and then marrying) a rich record executive's son = sellout.

ZERO indie cred, whatever Pitchfork thinks.

you get caught up on some weird shit sometimes, man.

looking forward to this one.

 

[lazarus]

I'm right there with you, VP. I still don't know if I've ever heard My Humps, that Milkshake song, Umbrella, all these other modern R&B hits, and I hadn't heard anything from Gaga up until a couple months ago (not impressed). I don't listen to the radio or watch any music on television, and the only pop acts I really follow are Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, and Nelly Furtado if she ever comes back.

 

[corianderstem]

My Humps is indeed a horrible virus to be avoided at all costs.

Laz, what is it about Christina Aguilera that you like, whereas you dislike Lady GaGa? I enjoy a good handful of her songs, but I don't think she's doing anything that interesting.

 

[lazarus]

you get caught up on some weird shit sometimes, man.

I think record labels are pretty widely-despised, so I don't think this is just a case of her marrying some random rich guy. Of course, I'd still think she was a sellout anyway but it wouldn't be so ridiculous.

 

[lazarus]

Laz, what is it about Christina Aguilera that you like, whereas you dislike Lady GaGa? I enjoy a good handful of her songs, but I don't think she's doing anything that interesting.

Being arguably the best pop vocalist since Streisand, maybe? And Gaga is about the fashion and videos first, the music second. You could say that about Madonna, but she like, did it first?

Conversely, while Aguilera certainly cultivated a certain bad girl image back in the day, I always felt that her attention was to the song and the vocal over everything else, and not trying to blow you away with the most avant-garde music videos.

 

[VintagePunk]

I'm right there with you, VP. I still don't know if I've ever heard My Humps, that Milkshake song, Umbrella, all these other modern R&B hits, and I hadn't heard anything from Gaga up until a couple months ago (not impressed). I don't listen to the radio or watch any music on television, and the only pop acts I really follow are Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, and Nelly Furtado if she ever comes back.

YES, my people! I just...don't watch or listen to anything that exposes me to the next big pop music thing, I guess. I saw Justin Bieber (or however you spell if) as a trending topic on Twitter for months before I got curious and googled who he is. And unbeknowst to me, he's the Next. Big. Thing. who was born and raised in a small town an hour from me. And me? I still don't give a shit. Why would anyone care who any of these people are??

 

[corianderstem]

Being arguably the best pop vocalist since Streisand, maybe?

I don't disagree that she's got an amazing voice ... when she reins that shit in and doesn't oversing, which she unfortunately tends to do way too much, at the expense of the song, in my opinion.

Why would anyone care who any of these people are??

Because they enjoy the music, or even like having a teen dream crush they can squee over? I'm not sure if that's a serious question or not. You may not care about them, you might hate the music, but I don't know, why are you asking that?

That seems like a strange question to ask. It might be only 13 year old shrieking girls who care, but hey, good for them.

(for the record, I am baffled by the appeal of Justin Bieber.)

 

[VintagePunk]

My Humps is indeed a horrible virus to be avoided at all costs.

Laz, what is it about Christina Aguilera that you like, whereas you dislike Lady GaGa? I enjoy a good handful of her songs, but I don't think she's doing anything that interesting.

Being arguably the best pop vocalist since Streisand, maybe? And Gaga is about the fashion and videos first, the music second. You could say that about Madonna, but she like, did it first?

Conversely, while Aguilera certainly cultivated a certain bad girl image back in the day, I always felt that her attention was to the song and the vocal over everything else, and not trying to blow you away with the most avant-garde music videos.

My Humps - bleh. But then by the same token, it was while scanning through my car radio that I happened upon a song that did catch my attention, and I listened to it and checked it out further. Turns out it was Fergie solo, and I absolutely love her solo songs - who would have thought from the BEPs that she's actually a talented vocalist?? - and so that was a big lesson learned for me.

As far as Christina goes, I do recognize that she's exceptionally talented. I just don't enjoy much of her material.

 

[corianderstem]

I was kind of surprised by Fergie's solo stuff and her singing as well, considering how much BEP annoys me.

Another comment on Christina's singing, and then I'm off to bed - back to argue more again tomorrow.

A lot of people look at her extended melismas as showing off, like she's demonstrating how amazing she is. Me, when singers start singing 15 notes instead of 1 too often, I start suspecting they're doing to hide the fact that they can't hold a solid note for that long.

Less is more, darling. Lay off the runs.

 

[lazarus]

I don't disagree that she's got an amazing voice ... when she reins that shit in and doesn't oversing, which she unfortunately tends to do way too much, at the expense of the song, in my opinion.

Yeah, I was reading an interview with Linda Perry (or one of her producers) and they were talking about having to stop her again and again when she did that too much.

Seems she's grown out of it a little.

I think Beautiful was one of the best pop recordings of the last decade, though, whatever its vocal faults. How that failed to win Song or Record of the Year (considering the taste of the NARAS voters) is beyond me. Fucking Coldplay? And that Luther Vandross award was clear sympathy bullshit.

 

[corianderstem]

That's definitely one of her highlights. It's a great song. I actually like almost everything on that album.

All right, off to bed. G'night, Gaga haterz.

 

[VintagePunk]

I don't disagree that she's got an amazing voice ... when she reins that shit in and doesn't oversing, which she unfortunately tends to do way too much, at the expense of the song, in my opinion.



Because they enjoy the music, or even like having a teen dream crush they can squee over? I'm not sure if that's a serious question or not. You may not care about them, you might hate the music, but I don't know, why are you asking that?

That seems like a strange question to ask. It might be only 13 year old shrieking girls who care, but hey, good for them.

(for the record, I am baffled by the appeal of Justin Bieber.)

No, I agree, for every pop star there's a fan, and someone who appreciates their music. I guess it's just this crazy resentment that I have that I should keep up with all these people? And for the record, I've still never heard a word sung by Justin Bieber, and he still annoys the hell out of me.

I was kind of surprised by Fergie's solo stuff and her singing as well, considering how much BEP annoys me.

Her solo stuff has actually opened me up to more of the BEP material. I sort of argued for their validity as U2 openers last year (certainly of all those openers, I would have preferred them, at least they're different and not generic), and now I actually like a few of their songs (I've Got a Feeling).

 

[corianderstem]

Don't tell anyone, but .... ..... I feel slightly the same way about BEP. They still annoy me on general principle, but the crowd really got into them as an opener, and I do guiltily groove to a few of the songs on their latest album.

Re the resentment: at some point, you just have to let go of the feeling that you can/will keep up with all of pop culture. And then you have to shake your cane and yell GET OFF MY LAWN!



Okay, really and truly going to bed now.

 

[VintagePunk]

Don't tell anyone, but .... ..... I feel slightly the same way about BEP. They still annoy me on general principle, but the crowd really got into them as an opener, and I do guiltily groove to a few of the songs on their latest album.

Re the resentment: at some point, you just have to let go of the feeling that you can/will keep up with all of pop culture. And then you have to shake your cane and yell GET OFF MY LAWN!



Okay, really and truly going to bed now.

For when you're awake - what is the general principle under which they bug you? How can their brand of pop/hip-hop/whatever be any worse than Lady Gaga's?

Oh, I've been shaking my cane. The young 'uns just aren't listening.

 

[Saracene]

Great to hear that new M.I.A. album is coming out soon-ish

Couldn't care less who she married.

 

[If you shout...]

And Gaga is about the fashion and videos first, the music second.

Yes, but she's (possibly) heard of GISM. Insta-cred.

DOOM, too!

 

[corianderstem]

For when you're awake - what is the general principle under which they bug you? How can their brand of pop/hip-hop/whatever be any worse than Lady Gaga's?

A) I just don't like their songs as much as pop songs by other groups/singers

B) I find them just kind of generally annoying.

 

[u2popmofo]

Pitchfork: Awesome New M.I.A. Images

 

[corianderstem]

Er .... okay.

 

[lazarus]

Avatar bandwagoner. I'm surprised she didn't paint her face blue on top of it.

 

[LemonMelon]

Pitchfork: New M.I.A.: "Born Free"

The fuck?

 

[corianderstem]

Dang, video's gone already.

 

[LemonMelon]

Try this link:

New M.I.A. - "Born Free" | TwentyFourBit

 

[BVS]

Nice

 

[u2popmofo]

And the vid...

Pitchfork: Watch the Extremely NSFW M.I.A. Video

 

[corianderstem]

Wow, I do not care for this new song.

 

[phanan]

That is one fucked up video.

 

[powerhour24]

Get the Gaga talk out of hear, this is about the awesomeness that is M.I.A.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I'm a free bitch, baby.