| | | | Prince at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, Calif, on Feb. 19, 1985.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) | | | | | | “So much has been written about me, and people don't know what's right and what's wrong. I'd rather let them stay confused.”
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| | rantnrave:// Whither all the bad reviews? For years, music journalists churned out a torrent of roasts and takedowns—these days, according to an article in the WALL STREET JOURNAL by NEIL SHAH, that downpour of critique has shrunk to a light drizzle. “It’s actually news at this point when an album does get a bad review,” says DAN OZZI, a writer at NOISEY, referencing the hubbub surrounding negative PITCHFORK reviews of DIET CIG and ARCADE FIRE. But what’s driving this positivity? Shah’s piece suggests several factors, including surprise album drops that neutralize critics’ advantage in responding thoughtfully, and the overwhelming backlash to critiques from fans on social media. And, of course, there’s good ol’ clicks: “If a star re-tweets or puts on FACEBOOK a positive review or think-piece, he or she can drive millions of fans to a website,” Shah writes… On twitter, veteran critic MAURA JOHNSTON threw some cold water on his hot take, noting that the article relied heavily on the review aggregation website METACRITIC, which “capriciously makes up scores for outlets that don't give them.” She also argued that many “lickspittle rant[s]” from the olden days of criticism don’t hold up: ”Read one now and you'll often find an adolescent tantrum, tainted by the prejudices of old and full of unexamined assumptions.” JOHNSTON has a point, but ultimately Shah is on to something crucial that can’t be overlooked. That Arcade Fire album? A total mess, and JEREMY LARSON’s ruthless disembowelment of its bombast helped me understand why. As a teen, negative reviews helped me develop pieces aren’t just for writers to blow off steam—they play an important role in raising the industry to a higher standard. When artists and fans push back against reasonable pieces—like CHANCE THE RAPPER’s manager demanding MTV NEWS pull a piece—it stifles dissent and renders the conversation boring and toothless. Positive herd mentality surrounding marquee albums from huge stars (who don’t need good reviews to make money anyway) is a waste of everyone’s time. If nobody’s willing to publish critical thought, what’s the point of doing anything other than re-posting press releases? … DJBOOTH explores a fascinating development in behind-the-scenes industry horse-trading: ROYALTY EXCHANGE. It’s an online marketplace for song royalties, allowing investors to bid on the rights to songs that have already come out. CHARLIE PUTH and WIZ KHALIFA’S hit “See You Again” recently sold for $108,000. … Sticking with its tradition of musician CEOs, PANDORA has hired guitarist ROGER LYNCH to replace TIM WESTERGREN as chief executive. In addition to playing with DENVER band THE MERGER, Lynch worked a day job as CEO of SLING TV... PRINCE has his own color: Pantone’s Love Symbol #2, “inspired by his custom-made Yamaha purple piano.” The rich lavender hue offers the perfect shade for dyeing your freak flag and letting it fly. | | | - Matty Karas, curator |
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| | | bed's on fire, your fate is sealed |
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| "The plan for us and a lot of these queens is global domination.” | | |
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| Films have highlighted the festival, tied to the Rumble in the Jungle, but now there's a proper recording of the African artists who made it matter. | | |
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| We spoke wth Royalty Exchange about how they've completely changed with world of buying and selling publishing. | | |
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| For several years now, the country-radio format has been notoriously stingy toward new female acts seeking airplay. Only one woman who's arrived on the scene this decade has been able to establish a pattern of radio success, and that's 23-year-old Kelsea Ballerini. | | |
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| A federal jury on Monday found that a former radio show host groped singer Taylor Swift before a 2013 concert in Denver, and it awarded her a symbolic $1 in damages. | | |
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| This is the chord that shouldn't work, but does, in the right context. It's so exciting and beautiful and I think you'll love it! Using the tune, "My Romance," we walk through how to play this gorgeous chord in all 12 keys. | | |
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| Andrew Ryce travels to Manhattan to meet a lifelong vinyl obsessive. | | |
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| Project Magenta, a team at Google, is crossbreeding sounds from different instruments based on neural networks and building networks that can draw. | | |
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| The Svengali producer and the singer have officially severed ties after a messy legal imbroglio. Kesha is soaring with a new album, ‘Rainbow,’ while Dr. Luke is merely a sound of the past. | | |
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| It was an eventful Friday when Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich called in for our scheduled interview. The group's most recent album, "Hardwired to Self Destruct," had been certified platinum that morning, and that night they played to more than 63,000 fans at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. | | |
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| | | you're so tired and the reason is camille |
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| The former Beastie Boys roadie from Indiana makes good in high fashion. | | |
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| The 51 masters of the independent music business, led by the California-born owner of race cars -- who has driven Taylor Swift and Florida George Line up the charts. | | |
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| Organisers say they are "at a loss for words" after the incident, which took place on Sunday morning (Aug 13). | | |
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| They are persecuted in their home country. But music is now changing their lives. Meet the Tanzanians who play with sledgehammers, chant in Swahili -- and dance till they drop. | | |
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| From maximalism to minimalism, and everything in between. | | |
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| The band that always said they'd never reunite took the stage in San Francisco this weekend, and got the welcome they deserved. | | |
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| “Love Symbol #2” will be the official color across the brand he left behind. | | |
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| The British bands Slowdive and Ride both achieved critical acclaim in the 1990s and recently released new albums that have reverberated on both sides of the Atlantic. | | |
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| This story first ran in the July 1998 issue of "Spin." In honor of the 20th anniversary of the "The Backstreet Boys," we're republishing it here now. | | |
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