Legendary artist Grace Jones criticizes new pop singers including Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Nicki Minaj in her new autobiography, ‘I’ll Never Write My Memoirs’.
She alludes that today’s pop idols are after shallow fame & money:
“I have been so copied by those people who have made fortunes, people assume I am that rich. But I did things for the excitement, the dare, the fact that it was new, not for the money, and too many times I was the first, not the beneficiary.”
She points out trend chasers:
“There’s a lot of that around at the moment: ‘Be like Sasha Fierce. Be like Miley Cyrus. Be like Rihanna. Be like Lady Gaga. Be like Rita Ora and Sia. Be like Madonna.'”
“I cannot be like them – except to the extent that they are already being like me.”
Lastly, she talks about dress & the status quo:
“They dress up as though they are challenging the status quo, but by now, wearing those clothes, pulling those faces, revealing those tattoos and breasts, singing to those fractured, spastic, melting beats – that is the status quo.
“You are not off the beaten track, pushing through the thorny undergrowth, finding treasure no one has come across before.”
“You are in the middle of the road. You are really in Vegas wearing the sparkly full-length gown singing to people who are paying to see you but are not really paying attention. If that is what you want, fine, but it’s a road to nowhere.”
Will the younger generation of artists take advice from Grace Jones? Challenge the status quo and create for the sake of creating. Don’t chase after shallow fame & money.
Victoria are a London five piece that have set out to create their own style of pop music. They released the first two singles ‘Into The Wild‘ and ‘Summertime‘ and will soon release a third single as they head into the fall & winter season. Blog love and their live performance very well may take this act to the next level.
lottie@omg-music.com
This London act has come up hooks and the melodies that challenge some of the most popular songs on the charts.
Lots of buzz around Brooklyn indie act Spirit Animal who just signed with New York City based Wind-up Records. The band created a buzz with their debut EP, This Is A Test, and the track “The Black Jack White” which garnered 1 million+ plays on Spotify followed by lots of blog love from NYLON, Bullett, Prefix, Consequence of Sound, and USA Today. The band will join the Swedish- Australian band Say Lou Lou and Phoebe Ryan at The Roxy Theatre on September 24th in Los Angeles. Other dates include Pop Shop at Brooklyn Bowl, New York on September 12th & All Things Gold Fall Classic Official Pre-party at U Street Music Hall, Washington DC on October 8th.
Wind-up Entertainment President Ed Vetri says “Every so often, you stumble upon a live show that makes you feel like you got hit by a thunderbolt, that’s the essence of Spirit Animal. Accompanied with powerful, melodic songs, Spirit Animal promises to rock our world!”
Kings favorite Colour of London is back with a brand new track “Cool With That“. They stay true to themselves with their unique brand of slick pop rock but they are inching closer & closer to breaking out.
colouroflondonmusic@gmail.com
The former Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde is pulling no punches when discussing the pop singers of today. During an interview on BBC’s Woman’s Hour the legendary singer says:
‘I don’t think sexual assault is a gender issue as such, I think it’s very much it’s all around us now.
‘It’s provoked by this pornography culture, it’s provoked by pop stars who call themselves feminists. Maybe they’re feminists on behalf of prostitutes – but they are no feminists on behalf of music, if they are selling their music by bumping and grinding and wearing their underwear in videos.
‘That’s a kind of feminism – but, you know, you’re a sex worker is what you are.
Many pop singers today wouldn’t disagree with Hynde. In fact Adele said ” I make music to be a musician not to be on the cover of Playboy”