Music critics pass up reviewing major pop artists over fear of backlash

[Teletubby 152,930]

Before the world wide web, if you disagreed with a review, you wrote a letter, which may or may not have been published by a magazine’s editor.

Now, if the Beehive or the Barbz  disagree with a critic, they’re able to tell them directly, in their thousands, via social media. 

According to Hannah Ewens professional critics are not always prepared to weather the online storm. 
“We have seen that attacking critics – as well as anyone who says anything negative or perceived as negative – has become standardised fan practice.” 
"Comments can be very personal and the methods by which you can be reached by stans are plentiful."
"I’ve had friends in journalism tell me they’ve passed up reviewing major pop artists because they don’t have the mental and emotional capacity to bother with the backlash.”

Music journalist Wanna Thompson can testify to the ferocity of such a backlash. When she expressed mild criticism of Minaj back in 2018, she was subjected to a barrage of threats and online abuse, which Onika herself encouraged through her own combative tweets.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” she said.
When I dared to give Kanye West’s 2021 album Donda 2 stars, I received messages from fans who threatened to end my career. 

To browse the review section of NME’s website in 2022 is to witness a constant flurry of fawning four-out-of-five write-ups that tend to frame every other artist as a genius, and shy away from any criticism whatsoever of current superstars such as Beyoncé, Adele, Stormzy, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.

K-Pop boy group BTS saw their new compilation album, Proof, enthusiastically praised as a “hopeful promise of an even brighter future” by Rolling Stone, even though most of the project felt like it was vomited out by an AI-powered pop-song generator. 

Beyoncé’s single Break My Soul, released last month, was hailed as “awe-inspiring”, described as a “post-pandemic anthem” and generally greeted as if it was a radical Donna Summers’ floor-filler from 1979 – even though it was more like a disposable jingle played during an ITV2 advert for Love Island. 

telegraph.co.uk/

[thatfoxyfeeling 13,048]

"K-Pop boy group BTS saw their new compilation album, Proof, enthusiastically praised as a “hopeful promise of an even brighter future” by Rolling Stone, even though most of the project felt like it was vomited out by an AI-powered pop-song generator. 

Beyoncé’s single Break My Soul, released last month, was hailed as “awe-inspiring”, described as a “post-pandemic anthem” and generally greeted as if it was a radical Donna Summers’ floor-filler from 1979 – even though it was more like a disposable jingle played during an ITV2 advert for Love Island."

[Applepear 373]

This is so annoying, honestly. I’ve also noticed how all current pop stars’ albums have been imo overly praised by critics like Sour for example. Stan culture is actually so toxic…

[Applepear 373]

Also they didn’t lie about BTS and Bey …

[RudraCNG 15,342]

I mean, who can blame them? I've seen with my own eyes stans harassing the personal accounts of the critics and posting personal data about them just bc their reviews made the album of their faves drop 1 point on metacritic. Stan culture is absolutely trash.

[MANiCURE 6 10,296]

They spilled hard tbh.

[Benji 20,113]

Not a single lie told 

[alfio 97]

If a critic refuses to write an honest review over fear of backlash, they should just quit???

Or... they can still write with integrity while the magazine protects the author by not publishing their name. This makes the magazine stand firmer on their reviews.

[alfio 97]

13 minutes ago, Applepear said:

This is so annoying, honestly. I’ve also noticed how all current pop stars’ albums have been imo overly praised by critics like Sour for example. Stan culture is actually so toxic…

Yes, stans. we're bullying our way to high metacritic numbers. I'm still annoyed at Slant for their constant Gaga hate lololol

[Kimmo 81,213]

The beehive after reading the article:

[nATAH 51,558]

so maybe make the reviews anonymous? or under a pen name?

[The Fame Monster 4,458]

Beyoncé’s single Break My Soul, released last month, was hailed as “awe-inspiring”, described as a “post-pandemic anthem” and generally greeted as if it was a radical Donna Summers’ floor-filler from 1979 – even though it was more like a disposable jingle played during an ITV2 advert for Love Island. 

 

[RudraCNG 15,342]

25 minutes ago, Teletubby said:

K-Pop boy group BTS saw their new compilation album, Proof, enthusiastically praised as a “hopeful promise of an even brighter future” by Rolling Stone, even though most of the project felt like it was vomited out by an AI-powered pop-song generator. 

And this excerpt is very funny but also reflects the current state of the industry. Like, a lot of the albums released nowadays that score 80 points out of 100 on Metacritic wouldn't even make 50 points 20 years ago

[InstantDejavu 571]

The shade towards Break my Soul MADE MY DAY.

But it's scary to think that just because you have a different opinion about something as 'stupid' as music goes (it isn't even about politics or anything important), people would track all the info of you down to hurt you. I've seen them going as far as threathening to hurt their children.

Some of them go as far to find out where they live etc.

That's some plain crazy sh.t...I can't blame them one single bit for not wanting to review major artists their work.

 

On the other hand, I do like to correct reviewers myself when they get things wrong. Best example was a review by some magazine that reffered to Beyonce's new single as Break My Heart. Such mistakes gives me goosebumps. You're reviewing something but didn't even took the time to name the song correctly?! And we are to take such review seriously? But even then I just say it in a non threathening way to them that they made a mistake.

[Red 98,363]

18 minutes ago, alfio said:

If a critic refuses to write an honest review over fear of backlash, they should just quit???

One thing is backlash, another whole thing is a mob threatening to boycott your career