Music Criticism + My own review of

     Critics aren't here to say what music you should enjoy and what you should turn your nose up at- they're here to critique the technical mastery of the sounds, their place within the zeitgeist of their genres, and the impact they made on music as a whole. Listening to this podcast and thinking about the music critics that I follow, I couldn't help but agree that critics have lost their purpose. Time and time again I find. myself asking what the point is when all I can glean from a review is "I really liked it!" and other superficial comments that never delve into why or what makes the music good. I wanted to explore the cultural shift in music reviews, the militarization of "stans", and why honest music reviews are so important.

    Tensions in America have never been higher, and the music reviews reflect that. The shift from "rockism" and "poptimism" was in response to the overly critical and serious nature of reviews from the past, and I believe the initial intentions were good. "Poptimism" opened doors of opportunity for artists that identified with minority communities to proliferate and reach success- and it was in a sense a counter culture movement. However two decades after the rise of "Poptimism" we are faced with critics that have essentially been declawed- nothing but pleasantries and the occasional soft critique. A very good example of this would be Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" which was met with critical acclaim, but was that by its own merit or because of the racially charged music that critics were uncomfortable with voicing negative opinions about? I personally believe his album "Section.80" is better, but it didn't come out in 2015 when TPAB did, and when racial tension was higher. Overall, I believe that if critiques are substantiated and reasonable- music critics should feel comfortable voicing negative opinions, and not pay attention to the subject matter of the art. For example Lana Del Rey's debut album, "Lana Del Rey", was slammed by critics but loved by fans- but it was within reason. Her breathy singing and empty production deserved to be picked apart even if the end product was loved by fans- and this is the type of criticism we are missing today.

    Super fans have become twitter mercenaries, almost reaching private military levels for their chosen artist. One example in the podcast was BTS, and having worked in the Kpop industry I can't help but agree. The meteoric rise of parasocial relationships between fans and artists given rise by the digital age has caused fans to view their artists as friends or family- and this has been catastrophic for music reviews. I have personally seen makeup artists for BTS quit because there were seen in a photo touching a member's face, which led to constant harassment online. Some fans go so far as to leak people's addresses who voice negative opinions of BTS online. I can understand why BTS has been so well received- it seems that not only is the music critic's livelihood on the line, but also their lives! I hope that companies and artists would start to employ some strategies to distance themselves from fans, but it's. unlikely as that's what brings in the money.

    A return to form is so important for our culture as a whole. Music critics need to be harsher- because this constant positivity is drowning out good music. Much like how a tree needs an open area, nutrients, and an open canopy for sun- good artists need space to grow as well. How can new artists who have the technical know-how and make great music be seen when they are suffocated by artists who make swill but are met with good reviews? How can there be any conversation sparked when every critic has the same opinion? The podcast talks about how criticism is the inception point of conversations about art, and I wholeheartedly agree, but nowadays if everyone has the same views- conversations just turn into echo chambers. 

    I loved this podcast because I found myself continually agreeing more and more with so many of the points brought up. There is so much wrong in the music industry today, and I believe that harsher criticism is the catalyst of change we need. I hope to argue with people in the future about why their favorite BTS album sucks without fearing for my life, and it's up to people like Wesley and Kelefa to make my dreams come true!

REVIEW OF JAZZYFACT'S "LIFES LIKE" 2010

Jazzyfact is a collaborative effort between two South Korean artists, Beenzino rapping and producer Shimmy Twice. They both have a love for jazz-influenced beats, and the tracks "Friday Move (TGIF)", "Addicted2", as well as the interlude "Kissinterlude" best exemplify that. I hear influence that producers like Nujabes and J-Dilla had on Shimmy Twice who really comes into his own on this album using his distinct hi-hats and 808s. This is Beenzino's second project coming directly after his first mixtape, and we see influences of Mac Miller- and he even quotes one of Mac Miller's songs on this album. Where his first mixtape was derivative- "Lifes Like" shows the creative range Beenzino has. His flow differs from his other South Korean peers who were busy trying to emulate the late 90's East Coast boom-bap style of rap. This album's impact on South Korean rap as a whole cannot be understated- it allowed for other rappers to explore different avenues of hiphop instead of the cheap imitation that South Korean rapper MC Mong was doing at the time. This album is truly a no-skip, and every track builds off the last- a true 10/10.