Have finally got to point where don't care about pop anymore. Don't mean pop music in general but rather the pressure to be pop and to have an album full of choruses. JUST. CHORUSES.
Love it that record labels are so obsessed with an act having 12 'POTENTIAL NO.1 SINGLES' on an album that they actually forget that there needs to be a tiny bit of soul in the music in order for 'the dumb masses' to swallow it. NEWS FLASH: It is not 1985 and people no longer buy shit cds.
Heard the other day that one particular major label is starting to look for acts again that have 3-4 hot single songs and 8 great album tracks. That is quite refreshing. I am very glad to be back in the realm of i-dont-care land again and think I shall stay here for a while. Not even bothered about when album is released-as long as the timing feels right and I am 100% confident that I am delivering a gem to whoever buys it (Hello again, Mother..).
Don't even find failure that scary when I imagine myself being 100% convinced that this record represents me and not 50,000 other people's sounds. Imagine if you compromised on an album because you thought it would make it successful, only for the album to fail. You would want to kick yourself in the cranium, wouldn't you. Imagine sitting in your fat-man sweat pants in front of 'My Super Sweet 16' for 7 days crying because you could have 'succeeded' if you'd done it your own way. Nobody likes a gal in sweatpants- Everybody likes 'My Super Sweet 16'.
Am open to the idea that my album may come out in January. Feel no need to rush now. Aware that these days the ''dumb masses'' move on quickly and everyone likes 'hit me hit me quick with the big fat chorus' tracks but I'm not really into that. One day I will post one of my old songs, before I even knew what a chorus really was, for comic value (this was only 18 months ago. I started late. I was no Britney.). Writing songs for the joy of writing and not because you are writing them so that you can be a Poop Star or get love on radio 1. My true dream is to become successful for what I do naturally, proving to people that you do not have to replicate other people's popular qualities in order to become popular.
I know and feel like I don't have the energy to do the whole 'I'm a perfect shiny pop star' act. And sometimes feel guilty for that. Obviously I sound cynical but that world does not satisfy me because it is hollow and shitty and fake. It feels almost sinful to contemplate spending my life on things like that. I dont think I can imagine trying to get into the celebrity magazine culture and making sure I was 'spotted' going shopping or whatever to stay 'current'. Find it kinda boring and the schmooze-factor of such worlds leaves me feeling angry that I just wasted 'x' hrs talking to a bunch of dick heads when I could have been thinking about something awesome on my own at home. That is why I prefer to talk to bloggers, because they are like me and don't care if I a spot on my face/ don't know or care what is the hottest new designer bag is. I feel like there is a time and a place for the shiny pop act and my time and place will come. But I think there is a lot more to life and a lot more to the 'dumb masses' than we give ourselves credit for.
Apologies for the subject of music tonight on the bog Have liked steering my blog away from it but we all slip up.
Back soon.
27 comments:
I can't see you being a Britney-pop-star-spotted shopping-must-have-new-everything-type-of-gal and I like that. You're voice is mesmerizing and I love the fact that you blog and aren't afraid to speak out a Lily Allen sort (don't wanna play the compare game though) I mean you know when she could blog about whatever she wanted? The one day she was all, 'I think I'm fat, I used to think I was normal but now I feel obese!' and the media completely had a field day and devoured her? I would hate to see that happen to you :(
Hope to buy your album whenever it may come out :)
just remember every fan on here doesn't like you because of this 'pop image' they like you because of what YOU bring to music. yes this sound cheesy but its true, you have a way with words and music and that shows in all your songs. I bet even you posting an old song will show how great you are, you do know everyone will hold you to that ;)
fuck all this how people see you shit, be selfish do things your way not the public way :)
You make good music. Pressures on you must suck, I'm sure, but try to keep on making good music. It's tough, but it has it's high-points too and that's what you need to focus on.
You are wrong about Sweet Sixteen though; it is the worst TV show ever and every single one of those kids should just get a piece of carboard with the words "No, the world does not revolve around you" crudely scrawled on it for their birthday and nothing else. Actually, I might pitch that to MTV....
When I was on the dole in 2004 I spent an entire month doing nothing but watching My Super Sweet 16, Cribs and Pimp My Ride. It was the most devastatingly depressing kind of bliss. Simultaneously the kind of life that DREAMS ARE MADE OF and also the kind of shit that makes you want to go mental and slit your wrists.
No matter how bad things go, I never watched Jeremy Kyle because that's crap and he thinks he knows everything just because his brother had a drug addiction, and the guests look on bewildered thinking "What has that got to do with my mother beating me senseless when I was a child"?
And he sits with his legs too far apart.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, keep going. x
You know, I choruses have nothing to do with why I like you. I like your songs because they are quirky, original and REAL. There is a lot of genuinine emotion in your songs that resonates with me. And songs like "I Am Not A Robot" and "Obsessions" (which I presume are not compromises) have pretty darn good choruses.
Anyhow, you've got it right. Be yourself and don't fret about it. Or as Morrissey would have it "just do your best and don't worry".
Besides, I am of the firm opinion that Gary Barlow has the entire world beat for choruses so completely that resistance is futile.
I want a Marina & The Diamonds album that sounds like a full experience--not a greatest hits collection.
It sounds like you know damn well who are you, Marina. Don't let pressures of the outside pop world get to you. If you like the sound, then you publish it...and fuck 'em if they've got something to say about it.
xx
b
Seej, ihaveahat, ryan- I am LOL-ING MY WAY THROUGH THE CLOUDS RIGHT NOW. Amazing comments.
Gary Barlow is just a God isn't he
Better to be chorusless, than love, love, loved for what you're not.
We Diamonds care not for conventional song structures.
Joey
I resent my parents for not throwing me a sweet 16. That could have made my life.
It sounds like your head's in the right place. If the business ever dictates what you create, I think you should forfeit any expectation of being heard. I'll wait as long as I need to for the album you're proud to release.
"It is not 1985 and people no longer buy shit cds."
damn, you mean i've got to stop listening to wham!? ;)
and to be perfectly honest, i'm quite glad that you don't waste your time knowing what the latest 'it' handbag is. that time could be far better spent watching my super sweet 16 ;).
your music rocks, we'll all love it, even if there are no catchy choruses whatsoever. maybe the album should feature a song with no chorus.. just to prove a point!
x
Hey Marina,
You really shouldn't worry, as most of the tracks you've already shared are big single material anyway, with proper big sing-into-the-hairbrush choruses. You can happily fill the rest of the album with tracks that are self-indulgent, experimental 12 minute wankery and still be a successful pop star. Not that I think you would do that, but hey, it's an option. I have decided that I am now a proper industry guru on the basis that I thought that Little Boots' choice of first big single was tragically ill-advised and seem to have been proven right. Or something.
-- Matt x
Want 2 be 12 minute wanker.
Want to be Pop Star.
Those are starting to sound like lyrics.
stay true to yourself! it's what we all love!
xx alexander gray
It is possible to be both. Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is 7:37 and meanders all over the shop. Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend" is 11:09 and is instrumental for the first 5:50.
Totally possible. I wouldn't suggest pulling an Elton just yet, though. I would suggest wearing star-shaped sunglasses, though, because those are just cool. That is a fact.
Just a thought, but doesn't the internet and iTunes and the like remove the whole problem of wondering which tracks you can fit into the 74mins running time of a CD and if you can afford some 12 minute pop-odyssey?
I mean, sure, you may not be able to fit everything on the CD version of the album, but you could pretty much throw whatever you like on a digital version and have any running-time you like (and digital sales are all about The Long Tail, right?). Hell, if you want the minority who still buy physical releases to also have access to the additional content that the CD wasn't big enough for then you could stick some sort of encoded download link or iTunes voucher or something on there like Kylie did with 'X' to let people download 'Rippin Up The Disco' (and you could collect email addresses for your mailing list while you were at it).
Surely implementing these things wouldn't cost much (I know for a fact that putting music on iTunes is really cheap) and would give people more things to buy. More content for the fans; more revenue for the artist. Isn't that the sort of thing digital distribution is supposed to facilitate?
I couldn't agree more - was reading an article on Dan Black a month or so ago and he was going "shit shit I have to work every day in my basement recording the album because i need the record with my record label by the end of the week". I mean... how many great albums were recorded in an atmosphere like that?
Take all the time you need - it's not like there's no other music for us to listen to whilst you're laying down some more sonic perfection.
Marina, your tunes are amazing. I've said it on PJ Forums, that you're naturally on a level above what a lot of radio pop is these days. I wish you much success, but I also wish you happiness in the **process**. I feel like it's all a desperate endgame for many acts these days, waiting for validation from a radio playlist or chart#. If it's painful to create, how can one run around the next year singing it? Be true. You rock.
Steve from XO's Middle Eight.
Marina, you are the breath of fresh air I've needed in pop music this year...I know it's hard when we have tabloidisms at every corner but remember there are millions of us fans that appreciate the time and talent it takes to make a track, it's not like making a piece of toast and can't be branded item 202...sensationalism is as thin as the wind, calm always follows and I tend to think of others who keep away from the gloss...artists like Fiona Apple only appear when they have music to release and I love that, it's done for the right reasons and I would feel shocked if she went on twitter because I love the not knowing part of favourite singers...growing up a singer was about the music, not because they weren't wearing make up...
Step into our world when thinking if it's worth it...we are all excited when we receive our Crown Jewels EP soon, playing it on our turntables, it's a highlight release of June m'dear!
Take your time, ride your bike, block out the gloss, watch some documentaries...I recommend the one fiona apple did with Quenten Tarantino, it's only a teaser video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQVoz3qDm6w but try and hunt down the full thing, it's amazing!!!
Take care
Mark Goring
Marina, take your time, make it great, make it what you want it to be. We'll wait patiently. OK, maybe not that patiently.
Everybody here loves your music for what it is already, not what some suit wants to mold it to be to get it featured over the end credits of some movie.
just watch yourself M- it all sounds a bit bitter- i f you dont care about it- hang loose- you are not part of that scene and we know that- we can wait- some of us used to wait ten years or so between albums from certain people so have been reared on patience- we are not all- where's the next single - oh such and such must have retired- they have not released sthing this week.
Choruses are not all bad - its the song that counts- I HAVE TO SAY ETHING I HAVE HEARD FROM YOU SO FAR HAS BEEN VERY GOOD INDEED and you and say florence are trying to be different- tho trying is not the word- as it is a natural process- remember people do do what they are good at- so say someone like little boots will be shiny will be poppy will be chorussy and brilliant- but we are kidding oursleves on if we say she is any more important than lily allen o girls aloud or tom verlaine!- its all just muzak- but i know exactly what you are saying- just be cool- cos you look cool and you're music is cool and you are cool- so stay cool-
hope you dont mind me writing this drivel
tom x
"Becoming successful for what you do naturally," you say.....Well, I would argue that you can already view yourself as a success. Success is not about making money, or selling huge number of copies of records. That's shallow. Success is about achievement of your own personal goals. So if your goal was to release a single...well done, success achieved. Einstein said something about not trying to make yourself success but trying to make something of value...I think that is what you say in your blog ? I wrote a blog a while back on "Perceptions of success in the music industry," a while ago at
http://breakingmorewaves.blogspot.com/2009/03/perceptions-of-success-in-music.html
If you fancy a read.
I liked reading your blog here. It was smart.
i would say if you put sthing out and ONE person reads it, buysit, likes it- you have SUCCESS!
ething else is a bonus...............
its the media that FUCK ething up
Whatever you do and whenever it comes out, I am excited for whatever because everything you've done so far gets me so fucking pumped
Marina! How are you?
Your last post sounded quite promising (choruses are evil), but then it turned eerily silent here. Hope all is going well. If the studio-stuff makes you depressed, just stop doing it. You're the best playing live, so why not bring out a live-cd?
Love your music...don't go the way of Kate Nash and get sucked into slick soulless pop songs she was great with just an acoustic guitar!)
See you at latitude Festival!
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