Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Vapid Super Bowl Performance
- Thread starter Basslice
- Start date
- Status
Radio airtime was easily manipulated by Payola. The New York Times Bestseller list is easily manipulated by media companies buying up stacks of books they publish in order to inflate their sales numbers. Anything can be manipulated, but that's not the point here.
"Streams" then. "YouTube plays". "Social media hits" and "trends". Whatever specific nomenclature you want to use, we'll apply it in this case.
There was a statement made earlier in the thread about The Weeknd lacking merit, and another which spoke of record sales not equating to artistic merit (or whatever today's equivalent term for "sales" is given current business models... you may choose from the above list or substitute your own.)
If we're using the literal definition of the word "merit" (the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward), my argument is that the ENTIRE CONCEPT OF MERIT IN CONTEMPORARY POPULAR MUSIC revolves around exposure, consumption, and recognition. To be successful is to be famous, and to have your creations consumed on a large-scale.
An extremely large number of people, even if you don't know them or speak with them personally, have at least a passing familiarity with The Weeknd. The man is in the top-ten of artists streamed last year. He has won and been nominated for literal HUNDREDS of awards. If we're defining The Weeknd as whatever the contemporary idea of a mainstream pop-star is, than the notion that he lacks "merit" is complete nonsense.
The problem, as I see it, is that people mistake "personal taste" for "artistic merit". Those are not the same thing.
The old fart clulessness is heavy on this thread.
Half of the talkbass threads are OK Boomer threads who somehow see the 80's as the pinnacle of all that was awesome.
Watch HBOs " Fake Famous" if you're interested in learning the seedy side of media hits, click rates and fame.
Hey. I don't hate The Weeknd. I don't know him and listened to all of his top hits on Spotify just now. Didn't care for it. Like I said if they cared, the league and network could have taken things in a different direction but chose this guy. His performance is not garnering high praise online right now so I am not alone. Though me listening to his top songs just garnered him more clicks and that is all of what this about. I bet they will list my clicks as sales Little to do with talent anymore.
In my close to 50 years on this earth (I will be turning 49 on Friday), I have learned that when someone recommends a band/artist to me and the first thing they mention is how technically proficient the band/artist is, I should run in the opposite direction.
Well, it was. But not for the reason most of the people on Talkbass think it was!
I actually liked his performance. More of it was "live" than any in recent memory. Also no social commentary in it, he just showed up, played and that was the end of it. But I actually like pop music, well some of it at least.
The Miley things was good too. Real live amps on stage as well.
I think we are becoming fairly immune to spectacles of any kind. Superbowl Halftime shows are just another thing to watch on a big screen while casually multi-screening on our phone or tablets.
I think the halftime show hit its stride in the late 80s and early 90s when seeing a famous artist live on TV was still somewhat of an occasion. Now you can watch numerous live performances on youtube whenever you want.
Given that, I think The Weeknd has songs that will stick around since they aren’t really stuck in any era or moment in culture. I think the problem with the performance is that perhaps it was a little too challenging for the audience from an artistic standpoint.
The Weeknd emerged as a silhouette from a cavern of light with a stage full of programmed robots exalting or promoting him? Hmmm.
Then he moves to the “trapped in the hall of mirrors” section where he runs into the mob of bandaged people. Perhaps a reference to vanity and our desire to see ourselves reflected endlessly? Or is it a reference to the algorithm echo chamber that media and the internet provide creating dupes and reflections of nothing new except ourselves and what we already are?
There was another section that was just him on a stage.
For the finale, he takes the field with his mob of white-bandaged clones, and they alternate between orderly choreography and sudden disorder.
Given recent events in The United States, all of this imagery has a lot of relevance, yet I think the casual viewer probably won’t look into it this deeply. And perhaps I am reading too much into it.
I give the show props for not putting the stage in the middle of the field as is usually the setup. Also, they had a few musicians at one point, but I like how they didn’t make a charade that people were playing instruments except at one point where I saw a few people playing real instruments, I am not counting the pretend violining.
It was still more interesting than the Bruce Springsteen or Red Hot Chili Peppers performances from a few years back.
I think the halftime show hit its stride in the late 80s and early 90s when seeing a famous artist live on TV was still somewhat of an occasion. Now you can watch numerous live performances on youtube whenever you want.
Given that, I think The Weeknd has songs that will stick around since they aren’t really stuck in any era or moment in culture. I think the problem with the performance is that perhaps it was a little too challenging for the audience from an artistic standpoint.
The Weeknd emerged as a silhouette from a cavern of light with a stage full of programmed robots exalting or promoting him? Hmmm.
Then he moves to the “trapped in the hall of mirrors” section where he runs into the mob of bandaged people. Perhaps a reference to vanity and our desire to see ourselves reflected endlessly? Or is it a reference to the algorithm echo chamber that media and the internet provide creating dupes and reflections of nothing new except ourselves and what we already are?
There was another section that was just him on a stage.
For the finale, he takes the field with his mob of white-bandaged clones, and they alternate between orderly choreography and sudden disorder.
Given recent events in The United States, all of this imagery has a lot of relevance, yet I think the casual viewer probably won’t look into it this deeply. And perhaps I am reading too much into it.
I give the show props for not putting the stage in the middle of the field as is usually the setup. Also, they had a few musicians at one point, but I like how they didn’t make a charade that people were playing instruments except at one point where I saw a few people playing real instruments, I am not counting the pretend violining.
It was still more interesting than the Bruce Springsteen or Red Hot Chili Peppers performances from a few years back.
I will have to strongly disagree with that, as I can only speak of the 80's as good in a sarcastic way. Hair bands and mullet rock for the most part.
Probably mentioned by this point in time, but the weekend has 70M monthly listeners on Spotify. That has to be at or very near the top. It's the audio/musical equivalency of McDonald's. Too sweet/salty for a refined palette, but satisfies the masses. Year after year, people who are into music for that art of it seem shocked that the most mainstream sporting event in the world opted for the most mainstream musical act to provide entertainment.
What did you expect?
What did you expect?
You know what? You're right. It's all one massive conspiracy. 10 years of one man's continued acclaim and success has all been due to the nefarious machinations of "THEY".
Obviously well all have our opinions - and mine is just another one. But I think the post-punk and indie music that came out in the 80s was amazing. But as my avatar is Steve Hanley, I would think that.
Can't we have a serious conversation without name calling or gaslighting me because you disagree? Maybe you just don't really have a point to make.
Zombie Jaco Pastorius playing "A Portrait of Tracy" with his tongue, backed by a children's choir, I guess.
Exactly. And "They" must also be responsible for not having any more middle-of-the-road rock bands on there anymore. I have to laugh when people are still acting as though U2 would be exciting. It's a hip-hop world out there, now, has been for a long time.
Yes. I hate KISS, but Gene Simmons was right when he said rock was dead (see other thread on Talkbass).
- Status
