Hot Take/ Musical Confession Thread!

wokeupnew said:
I have not listened to the new Beyonce album. I don't like pop music that much tbf. However, I've seen some thoughts around the internet and over at r/indieheads about Beyonce being #1 on A LOT of lists. The thing is, the high praise for albums from Alvvays, Big Thief, Soul Glo, Jockstrap, etc. might help those bands gain even more exposure, those I mentioned are not really struggling, but it could help them sell more records and become moderately successful. On the otherhand, does Beyonce care that she's the #1 album on Pitchfork, NPR, etc.? I doubt it. She may not even know half these publications. She's the biggest pop star on the planet outside of maybe Taylor Swift. She doesn't need the extra exposure. Picking a very, very, very, very, very famous pop star as your #1 album of the year regardless of whether it's good or not is boring. Buck the mold and be bold. Give praise to someone who's equally as deserving. Music is sooo subjective and there's soooo many lists out there that it doesn't really matter. And heck, a publication that gives a "controversial" #1 pick would maybe get more clicks instead of me glancing over and seeing "oh another #1 for Beyonce..."
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Why should that matter though? If it’s the best album or if it’s that publication’s favorite album then it deserves that number one spot. I would rather have the actual opinion on what’s #1 then them picking a different album just to be cool/different. This also isn’t the first year an artist has run away with the top spot but this is the first year I’m hearing this kind of discussion and that really leads me to believe that it’s less about the situation in general and more about people not wanting to admit an artist as big as Beyoncé can put out an album this good
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
Why should that matter though? If it’s the best album or if it’s that publication’s favorite album then it deserves that number one spot. I would rather have the actual opinion on what’s #1 then them picking a different album just to be cool/different. This also isn’t the first year an artist has run away with the top spot but this is the first year I’m hearing this kind of discussion and that really leads me to believe that it’s less about the situation in general and more about people not wanting to admit an artist as big as Beyoncé can put out an album this good
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I don't have any opinion on Beyonce as I haven't heard it. For the record, I don't think that she doesn't deserve it.
wokeupnew said:
Buck the mold and be bold. Give praise to someone who's equally as deserving
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It's because music journalism has become so homogenous nowadays. Every best of list is pretty much the same. Independent music magazines are including lots of not independent music whereas 10-20 years ago they likely would not. Not that it matters whether a band or artist is "indie" or "mainstream" because music consumption in the streaming age has broken down those barriers completely.

I think that there are many good albums out there that could 1) increase the publication's ever-important readership by being different. It's why people still talk about how SPIN magazine gave their #1 album of 1991 to Teenage Fanclub instead of Nirvana's Nevermind. Nevermind was on EVERYONE's list and 2) it would increase exposure for someone less popular than Beyonce. Teenage Fanclub broke out because of that bold choice to not rank Nevermind #1. It's an equally as deserving album.

This is the hot-take thread and I stand by what I said.
 
wokeupnew said:
I don't have any opinion on Beyonce as I haven't heard it. For the record, I don't think that she doesn't deserve it.

It's because music journalism has become so homogenous nowadays. Every best of list is pretty much the same. Independent music magazines are including lots of not independent music whereas 10-20 years ago they likely would not. Not that it matters whether a band or artist is "indie" or "mainstream" because music consumption in the streaming age has broken down those barriers completely.

I think that there are many good albums out there that could 1) increase the publication's ever-important readership by being different. It's why people still talk about how SPIN magazine gave their #1 album of 1991 to Teenage Fanclub instead of Nirvana's Nevermind. Nevermind was on EVERYONE's list and 2) it would increase exposure for someone less popular than Beyonce. Teenage Fanclub broke out because of that bold choice to not rank Nevermind #1. It's an equally as deserving album.

This is the hot-take thread and I stand by what I said.
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I’m not saying you specifically aren’t valid in your feelings towards it, I disagree but not enough to care. It just seems disingenuous in the overall conversation such as on indie heads, that they want variety in the year end lists this year but I didn’t hear the same conversations with Kanye in 2010/2013, Kendrick in 2015/2017, Bowie in 2016 and Fiona apple in 2020. All artist who realistically don’t care about year end lists ran away with the top spots but it was ok because they were indie head approved artists. As someone who frequented indie spaces and used to have an extreme bias against Beyonce, those places really do hate to see her succeed so I don’t believe them that they are generally arguing for diversity in year end lists. Beyoncé is on a different level of fame than Fiona and 2016 Bowie but they also didn’t need a #1 push, and Kanye/Kendrick largely are on the same plain as Beyoncé and didn’t need the push.
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
I can’t think of any other album this year that is more worth my of the #1 spot.
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Here' a list of albums more Renaissance than Renaissance or otherwise deserve a spot above Renaissance:
  • Chat Pile God's Country
  • The Mars Volta S/T
  • Snoop Dog Snoop Dog Presents Death Row Summer 2022
  • Beach Bunny Emotional Creature
  • Black Midi Hellfire
  • Wet Leg S/T
  • Special Interest Endure
  • Harry Styles Harry's House
  • Pedro The Lion Havasu
  • Dream Unending Song of Salvation
  • The Smile A Light For Attracting Attention
  • Inclination Unaltered Perspective
  • Tears for Fears The Tipping Point
 
Viking Dan said:
Here' a list of albums more Renaissance than Renaissance or otherwise deserve a spot above Renaissance:
  • Chat Pile God's Country
  • The Mars Volta S/T
  • Snoop Dog Snoop Dog Presents Death Row Summer 2022
  • Beach Bunny Emotional Creature
  • Black Midi Hellfire
  • Wet Leg S/T
  • Special Interest Endure
  • Harry Styles Harry's House
  • Pedro The Lion Havasu
  • Dream Unending Song of Salvation
  • The Smile A Light For Attracting Attention
  • Inclination Unaltered Perspective
  • Tears for Fears The Tipping Point
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I completely disagree with you, and so do many others. I could say plenty negative against numerous albums you’ve listed but I won’t because I don’t care and it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to dismiss you or anyone else for liking these albums or not liking Beyoncé. It’s the way you are being dismissive that I have the issue with
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
I completely disagree with you, and so do many others. I could say plenty negative against numerous albums you’ve listed but I won’t because I don’t care and it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to dismiss you or anyone else for liking these albums or not liking Beyoncé. It’s the way you are being dismissive that I have the issue with
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Its a fine Beyonce album and has its merits.
Beyonce' is always a hot topic + this is not her best album + the ubiquity of it very high/#1 on a number of lists = perfect Hot Take fodder.

I do truly think there is a heavy dose of bey-hive ire avoidance by the publications and it was not THE release of the year...but this is the Hot Take thread and so I purposely drop a heavy dose of "come at me" vibes on anything I post here.
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
I’m not saying you specifically aren’t valid in your feelings towards it, I disagree but not enough to care. It just seems disingenuous in the overall conversation such as on indie heads, that they want variety in the year end lists this year but I didn’t hear the same conversations with Kanye in 2010/2013, Kendrick in 2015/2017, Bowie in 2016 and Fiona apple in 2020. All artist who realistically don’t care about year end lists ran away with the top spots but it was ok because they were indie head approved artists. As someone who frequented indie spaces and used to have an extreme bias against Beyonce, those places really do hate to see her succeed so I don’t believe them that they are generally arguing for diversity in year end lists. Beyoncé is on a different level of fame than Fiona and 2016 Bowie but they also didn’t need a #1 push, and Kanye/Kendrick largely are on the same plain as Beyoncé and didn’t need the push.
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Tbf to indieheads, it was the minority comments that I noticed but it made me think about it and somewhat agree. There’s LOADS of people who love Beyoncé there and don’t have any disagreements with most lists. Like I said before, I feel like being “indie” doesn’t really matter anymore since everything is equally as accessible. You get a lot of people who love Beach House, Angel Olsen, Alvvays, Mitski as well as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Harry Styles, etc. So, because of the barrier between indie and mainstream pop being broken down by listeners these publications are changing along with their readers and followers. Hence why we see Pitchfork and the like making lists that are very similar to everyone else. Nothing really has a niche anymore.
 
Viking Dan said:
Its a fine Beyonce album and has its merits.
Beyonce' is always a hot topic + this is not her best album + the ubiquity of it very high/#1 on a number of lists = perfect Hot Take fodder.

I do truly think there is a heavy dose of bey-hive ire avoidance by the publications and it was not THE release of the year...but this is the Hot Take thread and so I purposely drop a heavy dose of "come at me" vibes on anything I post here.
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I’ll just have to treat the album the way I treat Lana/FJM. Whenever I see someone talking shit on it, I’ll just love it even more to spite em lol. It’s the only album this year I’d give over a 9 in rating and even though I think Lemonade is her best, this is my favorite by her. Our discussion has me bumping her up to 9.8 in rating lol
 
You know it's a good hot take when you get one reaction and then angry replies, well done Viking Dan.

I will say, I'm fully with wokeupnew on the larger media point. It seems once momentum has been set, the later lists rarely have anything insightful or useful or different to add to the equation and it becomes a substantial combination of group think and fear of retribution. Maybe a little less so among the genre focused lists and niche publications but wokeupnew's on point with the breaking down of those walls and it very much feels like a lot of those publications will look for a representative album from genres/artist types they don't particularly care about so they can have them on their list and then ignore the rest.
 
I think your all missing the spot on a Beyoncé Hot Take. I feel this thread is more aligned to …..

Ive never heard one single Beyonce Tune on TV or the radio that hasn’t been mehhh and at best average and almost Instantly forgettable.

I don’t get it.

I thank you, good night, thanks for all the fish.
 
ByersVinyl said:
I think your all missing the spot on a Beyoncé Hot Take. I feel this thread is more aligned to …..

Ive never heard one single Beyonce Tune on TV or the radio that hasn’t been mehhh and at best average and almost Instantly forgettable.

I don’t get it.

I thank you, good night, thanks for all the fish.
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Sorry, but you are not allowed to use Douglas Adams to dis Queen Bae. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.
 
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Beyoncé is a brand. A corporation that employees teams of writers and musicians to craft an image. Not only that, but they fail to credit collaborations properly which really grinds my gears.

You're free to like Beyoncé all you want, but to attribute any more to the brand than "I like the way this music sounds" to give Beyoncé the person some sort of elevation as anything other than an aggressively marketed product is like being a super fan of Ronald McDonald the character because you love what impact McDonalds has on the fast food market.
 
Max Sterling said:
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Beyoncé is a brand. A corporation that employees teams of writers and musicians to craft an image. Not only that, but they fail to credit collaborations properly which really grinds my gears.

You're free to like Beyoncé all you want, but to attribute any more to the brand than "I like the way this music sounds" to give Beyoncé the person some sort of elevation as anything other than an aggressively marketed product is like being a super fan of Ronald McDonald the character because you love what impact McDonalds has on the fast food market.
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Is this a Hot take ?

Has anyone ever eaten a McDonalds Breaksfast. They loolk really bad and ive never ever been brave enough.
 
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