I didn’t do my own list this year - other than a sort of best of my weekly playlists - because I’m not sure that these lists mean anything. You’ve put your finger on the problem - lists can be hive mind, follow the pack, listings of what marketing have decided we’re supposed to like this year.
Yet there is value in your own music list - several songs there I want to follow up on, so there is value when we can move beyond being a human algorithm.
I often fall into writing about matters other than the music, the performance, the song. There’s a place for considering wider personal and cultural issues, but the bedrock is music and a challenge for me - us as writers - this year is to focus more on Music with a capital ‘M’.
This year Spotify gave me the "compliment" that I only listen to my own playlists "because they're great!" Hmmm. I think they're mad I don't listen to what they want me to listen to.
Last year, I figured out a few things about Spotify's algorithm and how popular things are popular because they are popular. I bet that Lana del Ray song is "the best" because it was popular. I wrote a thing about how my top artist last year was not someone I ever chose to listen to. https://artiststruggle.wordpress.com/2023/03/20/how-to-be-a-spotify-top-artist/
Anyway - thanks for your (actually meaningful) lists!
You utterly captured my “Why TF is this popular?” -- and then I chastise myself for being old, and explain the answer to Why with Because it pisses off old people, same as it ever has (since the early 20th century dawn of popular mass-marketed music).
In addition to Lana Del Rey, other Q musicians (after all, it’s me, so, obviously) I mostly just can’t get behind for coldness (as I’ve come to think of it) include Bright Light Bright Light and St Vincent. And I’ve tried. Oh, how I’ve tried.
For me, The exemplar of this cold/Xanax overlay among non-Q folks is Bleachers / Jack Antonoff. I suspect I’m out on a limb to say so. But I’ve literally not recognized that tracks I liked a lot by people covering Taylor Swift were in fact cover songs. I later figured out it’s due to how to my ears Antonoff’s production covered the basic quality (the soundness, if you will) of her song. Of course Swift is no victim here, but I teeter away from her championing and popularizing and mainstreaming aspects of XanaxCore.
Those Lana Del Rey and Ice Spice songs are the musical equivalent of DeLillo's "most photographed barn" (ha, who's an insufferable white dude now, Fletcher!?!). I really look forward to digging in to your lists, even if only because, as noted, so many of the lists I've been checking out are really just the same list! Also, I know it's a cliche to question your picks, but I can't help myself... Panera Bread?!? Seriously?!? Their salads/produce have taken a serious nosedive through the COVID era and haven't found the bottom yet. Their earlier stuff was better!
Righteous Gemstones was so good. Also What We Do In The Shadows is the best. If you want some hilarious, dry Aussie humor, "Fisk" on Netflix was a delight. And I don't usually watch "typical" sitcoms but we just started watching Abbott Elementary and it's legit hilarious.
I didn’t do my own list this year - other than a sort of best of my weekly playlists - because I’m not sure that these lists mean anything. You’ve put your finger on the problem - lists can be hive mind, follow the pack, listings of what marketing have decided we’re supposed to like this year.
Yet there is value in your own music list - several songs there I want to follow up on, so there is value when we can move beyond being a human algorithm.
I often fall into writing about matters other than the music, the performance, the song. There’s a place for considering wider personal and cultural issues, but the bedrock is music and a challenge for me - us as writers - this year is to focus more on Music with a capital ‘M’.
Great post, thank you.
This year Spotify gave me the "compliment" that I only listen to my own playlists "because they're great!" Hmmm. I think they're mad I don't listen to what they want me to listen to.
Last year, I figured out a few things about Spotify's algorithm and how popular things are popular because they are popular. I bet that Lana del Ray song is "the best" because it was popular. I wrote a thing about how my top artist last year was not someone I ever chose to listen to. https://artiststruggle.wordpress.com/2023/03/20/how-to-be-a-spotify-top-artist/
Anyway - thanks for your (actually meaningful) lists!
XanaxCore!!
Lololol!
Gotta love that!
You utterly captured my “Why TF is this popular?” -- and then I chastise myself for being old, and explain the answer to Why with Because it pisses off old people, same as it ever has (since the early 20th century dawn of popular mass-marketed music).
In addition to Lana Del Rey, other Q musicians (after all, it’s me, so, obviously) I mostly just can’t get behind for coldness (as I’ve come to think of it) include Bright Light Bright Light and St Vincent. And I’ve tried. Oh, how I’ve tried.
For me, The exemplar of this cold/Xanax overlay among non-Q folks is Bleachers / Jack Antonoff. I suspect I’m out on a limb to say so. But I’ve literally not recognized that tracks I liked a lot by people covering Taylor Swift were in fact cover songs. I later figured out it’s due to how to my ears Antonoff’s production covered the basic quality (the soundness, if you will) of her song. Of course Swift is no victim here, but I teeter away from her championing and popularizing and mainstreaming aspects of XanaxCore.
I suspect your mileage will vary. 🙂
Those Lana Del Rey and Ice Spice songs are the musical equivalent of DeLillo's "most photographed barn" (ha, who's an insufferable white dude now, Fletcher!?!). I really look forward to digging in to your lists, even if only because, as noted, so many of the lists I've been checking out are really just the same list! Also, I know it's a cliche to question your picks, but I can't help myself... Panera Bread?!? Seriously?!? Their salads/produce have taken a serious nosedive through the COVID era and haven't found the bottom yet. Their earlier stuff was better!
Righteous Gemstones was so good. Also What We Do In The Shadows is the best. If you want some hilarious, dry Aussie humor, "Fisk" on Netflix was a delight. And I don't usually watch "typical" sitcoms but we just started watching Abbott Elementary and it's legit hilarious.