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> He's 15 years past his peak cultural relevancy I'm the farthest thing from a fan of Kanye West, but this is false: "West remains a considerable force in pop
by toomanyrichies 4y ago
> He's 15 years past his peak cultural relevancy
I'm the farthest thing from a fan of Kanye West, but this is false:
"West remains a considerable force in pop music. Every album except his debut, 2004’s “The College Dropout,” has topped the Billboard 200, including 2021’s “Donda,” which received a Grammy album of the year nomination. In the run-up to “Donda,” he held public “listening parties” at football stadiums in Atlanta and Chicago that were livestreamed on Apple Music (he was roundly criticized for bringing out special guests DaBaby and Marilyn Manson, who are each under scrutiny for bigoted language or alleged abuses). His sold-out December show with Drake at the L.A. Coliseum affirmed he’s still a formidable concert draw, one of few hip-hop acts who can credibly headline major global festivals." [1]
His continued popularity is precisely what makes his comments so dangerous.
1. https://archive.ph/cg6YO https://archive.ph/cg6YO
- muglug 4y agoFame can have a long half-life — Billy Joel still regularly sells out stadiums, and he's 40 years on from his peak cultural relevancy. There's no denying Kanye's words still have an impact, but his star is dimmer than it once was, and he knows it.
- toomanyrichies 4y agoGenuine question- if you don't measure a musician's cultural relevancy by album sales, concert attendance, or award nominations, how do you measure it?
- baremetal 4y agoengagement?
- donkeyd 4y agoSo... How do you measure that then? Twitter followers, Instagram likes? And isn't Kanye also still popular by those metrics?
- hey2022 4y agoI mostly agree with the parent that just sales of all sorts are not a sign of cultural relevancy. However, measuring said relevancy is a very subjective endeavor (due to the fact that it’s hard to objectively evaluate things outside of our own bubble). In my view it’s whether the artist is “talked about” and whether they are influencing the current music (and a broader culture) - that’s what makes them relevant. Kanye is still doing both of those things, so he is very relevant. Donda (and Donda 2 to a smaller degree) was a very noticeable cultural event. Listening parties, album guests, the controversy around his romantic relationships (scandalous IG posts, etc), merchandise (tied to his big fashion releases)… Billy Joel has none of that. Nostalgic concerts are definitely not a sign of relevancy outside of his fandom bubble.
- rednerrus 4y agoThe Yeezy brand did $4-$5 Billion in sales in 2021. Until recently, he was married the most famous social media celebrity in the world. He's definitely lost his mind but to say he's lost his cultural relevance is a stretch.