Biggest music sellouts?

[Philo 324]

Who do you consider the biggest sellouts in the current music industry? IMO,

Maroon 5: I’m not very familiar with them but it’s astonishing how their first singles sound massively different and better from their latest output.

Rosalia: I love and live for her but she was really quick to switch up the flamenco-pop sound to urban Latin (apart from a few odd-one songs she releases).

Panic! at the Disco: the Death of a Bachelor album is one of my favourite albums of all time, and he did see critical and some low-key commercial success with it, compared to his previous work, and drunk by the success and acclaim, Mr. Urie followed it up with the soccer mom-appealing Pray for the Wicked which worked as the era delivered 2 megahits, probably his biggest smashes ever (High Hopes, ME!), but I find the sound of the era quite questionable.

Pink: Leaving her former risk-taking persona to serve some adult contemporary/soccer mom anthems. I get that she got older and thus changed, but I feel like she only plays safe anymore.

Madonna 2008-2015: I stan her but queen really did say quick little singles over great bodies of work.

Kylie Minogue after 1997: after switching up her commercial sound, her two most genuine and indie (also arguably her best) albums flopped and she did say she would never go the indie route again. Her saving grace is that the music that followed slapped hard too.

[jacs vs looser 1,405]

Allie Maine. 

How did she go from ARUTW to Why did you do that? 

Edited October 16, 2020 by jacs vs looser

[SHALLOW 12,636]

I used to love Maroon 5 when i was little and now...

[FfFfFfFF 41,571]

Pink and Sia. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by FfFfFfFF

[Bambino 19,855]

Shakira: She radically changed her look to fit into the stereotypical blonde pop star upon her crossover to the US and international markets. Go look up what she looked like before the Laundry Service era. She basically became a copy of Britney/Xtina/Jessica and every other blonde diva. She kept her voice and Latin roots though.

Thalia: She made great music in the 90's and early 00's but recently all she's been doing is looking for trendy artists to record a floppy reggaeton duet with, hoping to get another #1. It's becoming very repetitive and she's losing her creativity and authenticity as an artist.

Enrique Iglesias: Same as Thalia.

Edited October 16, 2020 by Bambino

[HotLikeMexico 2,154]

Katy Perry.
 

Granted she was always pop but One of The Boys was a cute pop rock album with the pin-up aesthetic then she went very kiddy almost. 

 

Taylor Swift. She became way more bubblegum pop. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by HotLikeMexico

[baazyll 3,411]

Liz Phair 

Exile in Guyville is one of the best albums of the 90s. And then Why Can't I.mp3 happened 

[Bonkers 13,584]

I don't think there's really any such thing as selling out. 

That accusation usually comes from musicians who are so obsessed with making their music original and unique that you have actually understand what they're doing to appreciate it. 

Just wanting to make music that is easy to listen to, quick to like - i don't think there's anything wrong with that, and I don't think it's selling out. 

[YourWhiskyMouth 3,600]

Agreed on Maroon 5. To go from this..

to this, so quickly. It’s sad.

 

[Lord Temptation 11,207]

I agree with your points except for Kylie after 1997 and Madonna in 2008. In my opinion 2003’s Body Language is the last great Kylie album where she tried to do something different (r&b with mid-80s new wave and electro funk influences). So altogether I think of 1997-2003 as peak Kylie, starting with her ravey post-grunge magnum opus Impossible Princess.

And for Madonna, I think that Hard Candy is her last album where she tried to do something different, when she embraced late-2000s experimental (Timbaland, Kanye, Neptunes) hip hop influences. It feels like her last fun, self-conscious free album where she did it because she felt like it rather than to make some important statement about her career. I’m a huge fan of Hard Candy, I won’t lie. And I think in time it will become better appreciated.

I also think Janet Jackson’s Discipline from the same year (2008) is her last great album and after that she has just been rehashing old songs. And as others have noted, Taylor Swift, Pink and Sia have all sold out. I would add Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Eminem and Justin Timberlake to that. 

For the indie artists, I used to love Chvrches and Grimes but their last albums have been rubbish. I’m trying to think of more but i’m really tired. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Lord Temptation

[MaMaMarryTheNight 1,867]

Gaga 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i just wrote that to see the reactions 

[Juanlittlem 721]

9 minutes ago, Bambino said:

Shakira: She radically changed her look to fit into the stereotypical blonde pop star upon her crossover to the US and international markets. Go look up what she looked like before the Laundry Service era. She basically became a copy of Britney/Xtina/Jessica and every other blonde diva. She kept her voice and Latin roots though.

Thalia: She made great music in the 90's and early 00's but recently all she's been doing is looking for trendy artists to record a floppy reggaeton duet with, hoping to get another #1. It's becoming very repetitive and she's losing her creativity and authenticity as an artist.

Enrique Iglesias: Same as Thalia.

Thalia went from Equivocada (a fav of mine) to No Me Acuerdo. I mean, it's a bop but girl you were doing so good.

[brizoda 2,517]

Also The Black Eyed Peas

They're doing such horrible songs now

[brizoda 2,517]

another is Diplo

Her last 4 years he has lost any originality and now sounds indistingible to other artists making this ''sepia house music''

And the same goes for all the Trance DJS that are doin this same sepia house music (at least I'm happy because I hate Trance deeply)

Edited October 16, 2020 by brizoda

[LaLuna 8,988]

19 minutes ago, SHALLOW said:

I used to love Maroon 5 when i was little and now...

Same. Songs about Jane is actually a great album, I remember when This Love came out, that sh*t was my jam. Now their music is so bland and they rely a bit too much of Adam Levine's supposed hotness.

Edited October 16, 2020 by LaLuna