Poppy?

[playtheblues]

I was having an argument with someone about U2 the other day, and the person ended the argument by saying to me "I don't have a problem with U2, I just want you to admit their poppiness."

The word "poppy" gets thrown around all the time, even I've used it before. But when my friend said this, two questions arose for me. First of all, what does "poppy" really mean? Does anyone know? I've heard it used to describe so many different kinds of music, I just don't really understand it.

The second question ... is U2 poppy? Has any of their stuff been widely considered poppy?

Thanks for the help.

 

[martha]

I may catch some crap for this, but most of the last album was pop. Elevation and Walk On rocked, and sometimes Beautiful Day, but most of the other songs had a pop feel to them. Stuck, Little While, Wild Honey, POE, and even Kite sounded pop to me when I first heard them. They still do. Even the band has said that the next album will rock more.

I think rock music has more guitars and a heavier rhythm to it. Pop has a lighter sound, a lighter touch. For me, it doesn't have too much to do with lyrics and message. I listen for the sound.

Oh well, but what the hell do I know.

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They say that magic and the science world collide
Oh, but Einstein saw me lookin' at her and he joined my side

Jonathan Richman
"A Higher Power"

 

[SkeeK]

ATYCLB is pretty pop.. i dunno really what makes pop...very nice easy melody, simple structure, lighter instrumentation maybe.. generally easily accessible by the public

 

[mbi16]

Yeah it's really hard to define, I tend to think of it as an overall general feeling. In which case I do agree with martha. ATYCLB is very poppy.

However, to me the extremes aren't pop and rock but rather just pop and not pop. Like I think pop is determined more by does it sound like most of the things out in the market or does it stand out? And then this can get really genre specific. Like altough rock is not exactly pop Limp Bizkit and Korn can be considered poppy when compared to Radiohead and Tool for example.

I don't know if that helps but that's how I see it.

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Long live the lemon!!!

 

[Saracene]

Some people think that U2 are too "poppy" because they don't raaaaaawk like AC/DC do, and they don't mean that only in regards to ATYCLB. From some comments I've read, I get the idea that for some people "rock" means something really hard-sounding and super-macho, and U2's sound is much more melodic and even "feminine" in comparison. As for what "pop" really means, it's a bit of a murky issue. I've read several Nirvana articles where it was noted that the "Nevermind" songs had a strong pop sensibility to them, so I guess sometimes it refers to the structure behind the songs rather than the overall sound. And if "pop" means "melodic and accessible", well then most of The Beatles' catalogue fits under this description, yet they're regarded by most people as a rock'n'roll band.

 

[Salome]

I think everything that is obviously written to accomodate a marketing trick is poppy

U2 is not poppy

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[Dustybot]

I actually felt my stomache wrench when the above poster called Kite poppy.....no offense of course, but nothing that soulful and heartfelt could be pop to my ears.

I think in this sense U2 really can't win. POP (ironically enough) was the hardest "rocking" album I think U2 have ever put out, but we all know how that was received. Now U2 come out with a heartfelt, yet very upbeat and guitar-driven album that's being called too poppy. I'll agree Stuck could use a tiny bit more guitar (much like it gets live), but pretty much everything else is U2's brand of rock.

I guess we really shouldn't feel the need to categorize music like this. It's either good or not, and I happen to think ATYCLB is beyond excellent.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i don't know what poppy means, but i know i am poppie. people can vouch for me on this.

Originally posted by mbi16:
ATYCLB is very poppy.

indeed it is.

which is why i never listen to it. don't hate.

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there is no tomorrow, only tonight...
ME!

 

[Hewson]

Well pop music and "poppy" sounds are derived from "Popular", so by strict definition, U2 is poppy, as were The Beatles.

But as for the more loose definition of pop music (i.e. N'Sync, Madonna, Mariah et al), U2 is kind of on the cusp, a bit pop, a bit more rock.


[This message has been edited by Hewson (edited 01-17-2002).]

 

[SkeeK]

But there's more to it than just rocking/or slow and poppy.. look at the million dollar hotel stuff... it's pretty mellow but definately not poppy as far as i can see. I think another thing that gives music a pop sound is when it's overproduced.. and that doesn't mean lots of samples and electronics.. there's electronic music that sounds very raw.