Solar Power and Lorde

[LilyLark 10,079]

Normally, I find stans criticizing critics cringe as f*ck and delulu. And yet I absolutely do feel that on occasion some critics can be needlessly mean and or petty (Joe Caramonica from the NYT re: Lana, at times Gaga & Bey, etc.). Anyway, I believe Solar Power has some major flaws (a lot of stuff that's derivative of 90s soft rock, etc.) but I also think some of the critics are being weirdly vicious in their criticism....does anyone else feel that way? It definitely seems to have a gendered factor, too, as male artists generally don't seem to garner this almost personal derision some critics feel towards female artists.

 

[Hyperobject 66,771]

What I find weird is that fact that some critics criticizing her views and values, but not music itself

Like if you don’t agree with Ella’s vision it’s not her problem

Talk about music, and stop comparing it to Melodrama also 

[js4754394o9823 6,882]

everytime you make a slower record with hippie vibes, some people are going to hate it

idk why, but i've seen it before

[tomsches 17,388]

Well, critics need their monthly income too. Nobody's gonna read their articles if they're just like "everything's fine." or "It's great but it has some flaws". Their job is it to get a reaction out of their readers, especially when they are reviewing an album that is THAT highly anticipated.

I appreciate critics a lot. I am one of those people who frequently check a new albums metacritic page. Even if I disagree with them 100%, I still like reading their opinions. And I can enjoy an album even though I know it's not a great album if that makes any sense. Also, I can listen to an album and say: this is a great album, but it's not for me. So I think people should stop freaking out when their favs don't get 85+ points for everything they release.

Also, male artists get just as much of harsh criticism as female artists, in my opinion.

[Flawless 2,234]

Critics are always based in the previous work from the artist to review the new one, so this was somehow expected for me tbh. Melodrama was praised to heaven and back and it's hard to someone to repeat this kind of acclaim again. 

I agree when you say critics are more harsh on women, but I think this is changing as the time passes by. Female pop records are being taken more seriously than they were 8 years ago. 

But at the same time, I don't see as a gender thing in this case, imo it was more of a expectation being too high with Lorde's work

[Flawless 2,234]

1 minute ago, Flawless said:

 

nvm.

[alsemanche 93,061]

Yup yup. From the criticism I've seen, a lot of it has not been directed at the art itself. If you're gonna dislike something and criticize it, either give valid criticism of the art at hand (aka discuss what you don't like about the songs themselves) or just stay quiet. Most people have just been comparing it mindlessly to her previous projects or to other artists and not talking about the music she put out. And when they do talk about it, it's almost always the same critiques: it's "dull", it's not upbeat, etc. These are not inherently bad things, so I'm not sure how they mean that the album is bad. I haven't read many professional reviews yet (it's not something I usually do anyway), but for example Pitchfork called a couple of songs "weird" and said Mood Ring is supposed to be satirical but it's not funny. I mean... how is that even a professional review? (The rest is mostly comparing her to other artists and her previous self lmao). 

It's really strange that this is happening to Lorde in particular because 1. she's not the type of stare who's constantly present on the public scene and she keeps to herself and would rather have her music speak for itself and 2. she released THREE singles that were very indicative of what the album will sound like yet somehow most people still expected something entirely different? How does anyone hear Solar Power and Mood Ring and think hmm yes I will expect another Melodrama!! 

[Guest]

I think it's because it's the Antonoff/ all over the pop scene, soft rock aesthetic and that it's kinda the moment sound... 

But Lord! she delivers texture like nobody. I really like stone though it sounds like that lana song from previous album with Jack (Wild at Heart!). Idc I think it's still different because she has her own... Textured, goofy style, i think she does it her own way in a very good way. 

And I'm so happy with music. It's both old and new, a bit borrowed and blue... Idk... This almost touches me more than the Swift's work (despite cardigan).

Fallen Fruit though....

 

[Bling 31,294]

"We want dark pop" tease

[Hyperobject 66,771]

32 minutes ago, LilyLark said:

It definitely seems to have a gendered factor, too, as male artists generally don't seem to garner this almost personal derision some critics feel towards female artists.

Have you seen Pitchfork’s reviews of Shawn, Ed and Liam’s works  They literally call them garbage and call it a day 

[Guest]

Ps : It sounds already so good on my macbook pro speakers that the sound might be really that smooth... I think if those critics i ain't gonna read are not even able to highlight some excellent points from this album they are just plain cynical clickbait and not coming from a honest music lover. 

[LilyLark 10,079]

11 minutes ago, ororo munroe said:

Have you seen Pitchfork’s reviews of Shawn, Ed and Liam’s works  They literally call them garbage and call it a day 

But that's Pitchfork...they are always messy and mean asf.

[Chromatican 4,046]

The reviews haven’t even been that mean at all? I don’t understand the sensitivity. This criticism is nothing like what ARTPOP or Joanne received from critics and SP just seems to be getting lukewarm to positive reviews. You can’t expect every album to be praised to the high heaven. Lorde has had two acclaimed albums and was bound to get a lower scoring album at some point in time. I think the long waits and some pretentious comments from Lorde may have fueled the minor backlash. 

 

1 hour ago, ororo munroe said:

What I find weird is that fact that some critics criticizing her views and values, but not music itself

Like if you don’t agree with Ella’s vision it’s not her problem

Talk about music, and stop comparing it to Melodrama also 

Her music is a reflection of her values? Putting an album out to be judged means YOU will be judged for better or worse. The job of music critics is to agree or disagree with Ella’s vision and tell us why. Critics tend to like to build narratives about where a body of work fits into someone’s established discography or filmography, and where it fits into the cultural landscape in which it was released. Joanne got dragged in 2016 for being “inauthentic” because it was a departure for Gaga following a period of overexposure and rebranding that critics saw as cynical. It’s just part of how critics build a cultural narrative, like how Lorde was hyped up as being the Anti-Miley Cyrus when Lorde came out or how her lyricism seemed beyond her years. 

[Plastic Flower 4,603]

34 minutes ago, LilyLark said:

But that's Pitchfork...they are always messy and mean asf.

I just don't get what their standards are. They gave a high score to Planet Her of all albums. Solar Power received the same score as Red Velvet's Queendom (a kpop album) and that one is basic af.