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There is a weird assumption people make that somebody as successful as Charli XCX isn't smart because her persona is "I like cocaine and partying," and then are
by ivraatiems 11mo ago
There is a weird assumption people make that somebody as successful as Charli XCX isn't smart because her persona is "I like cocaine and partying," and then are surprised when she can express herself like this. Like she says: "Another thing about being a pop star is that you cannot avoid the fact that some people are simply determined to prove that you are stupid."
Making music at any professional level is extremely hard work. Touring and dancing and hosting shows is even harder. It requires a substantial intellectual capacity and stamina to achieve. You either have these things yourself, or you are propped up entirely by others who have them and are invested in you for money's sake. Given Charli XCX's background, it's not actually surprising that she, in fact, has all the talent, skill, and intellect required to do this stuff herself.
Editing to add: Another place to look to learn that people with this skillset often have very very deep inner lives is Dua Lipa's book club podcast (https://www.service95.com/tag/book-club https://www.service95.com/tag/book-club). As someone who used to run these kinds of in-depth interviews, I can say, she is damn good at it.
- astrange 11mo ago> There is a weird assumption people make that somebody as successful as Charli XCX isn't smart because her persona is "I like cocaine and partying," Considering cocaine is both illegal and has an obviously unethical supply chain, you'd think someone would try, you know, prosecuting her or something.
- ggm 11mo agoIf she's prosecuted before a long queue of others, we'd be entitled to suggest the law is not being applied equally. Start a little higher up the food chain with the politicians.
- astrange 11mo agoThe politicians aren't announcing they use cocaine in public, are they? Even if some of them do sniff a lot on camera.
- pinkmuffinere 11mo agoI wonder if I'm missing some sarcasm, but I feel I need to clarify that "I like cocaine and partying" is her _persona_, it isn't necessarily true. It's largely marketing. I feel this was the main point of the article, lol.
- thaumasiotes 11mo agoWell, the first major point she makes is that she really loves partying.
- amanaplanacanal 11mo agoIn a lot of places drug enforcement is being deprioritized, for good reason. Of course then you run into all the problems with only enforcing against people someone doesn't like.
- XorNot 11mo agoOne of my rules for travel is don't go to places where the laws are basically selectively not enforced for the convenience of tourists.
- bigiain 11mo agoI have a very similar rule, which is why I can no longer visit my family and friends in the US...
- astrange 11mo agoBali and Singapore will execute tourists for having drugs, so you can go there I guess.
- walletdrainer 11mo agoI’m not sure many tourists are traveling with quantities sufficient to qualify for that treatment. More likely you’ll face a fine or a strong talking to if you get caught at the airport with some small quantity of pot.
- astrange 11mo agoAsia? A lecture? For marijuana? You're getting banned for life.
- walletdrainer 11mo agoWell, depending on your ethnicity of course. In Singapore I was just told off for a small bag with maybe a gram of weed left in my pocket after flying in from Amsterdam, they did not seem particularly interested in the situation but stressed that it should never happen again. I’d be shocked if the airport experience at Bali was really different, although they would probably want a bribe from you.
- russelg 11mo agoWhat's the point of prosecuting users?
- astrange 11mo agoThat's how you get a cooperating witness against their dealers. Also, it's illegal.
- jameslk 11mo agoCharli XCX is diverse and experimental enough that my first instinct would be to assume she’s rather intelligent. For example, her collaboration in the PC Music scene comes off rather nerdy and eccentric actually, not exactly pop. And her lyrics usually have more to it than meets the ear, e.g. sometimes intentionally being a commentary on the party persona keeping her distracted from worse things. “I hate the silence (uh oh), that's why the music's always loud” Of course, that isn’t a shallow opinion so perhaps someone unfamiliar to her would think otherwise
- Insanity 11mo agoDoes she write her own lyrics? Or does someone else write those for her? I’m not saying she is or isn’t intelligent, and either way she clearly is talented in some area of music, just wondering if she is a singer or singer/songwriter :)
- thaumasiotes 11mo ago>> And her lyrics usually have more to it than meets the ear > Does she write her own lyrics? Or does someone else write those for her? Even when a singer is performing a song they didn't write, they're often doing that because the song appeals to them.
- bigmealbigmeal 11mo agoWhat you're saying is a very common "poptimist" trope of the last decade or two. To say that, actually, these vocalists are highly intelligent and largely responsible for their own success. Charli XCX, like nearly all popstars, was propped up by the producers and writers who shaped her sound and composed large parts of the music. Producers have been there the whole way. In particular, her blowing up was highly influenced by the stylistic direction, composition, production and sound engineering of people associated with the PC Music record label. The statement that she had good enough taste to have been around these people is rather unfair -- she was around artistic innovators like Sophie, yes, but THEY are the ones that pioneered the sound. The most common refrain is that popstars often write their music. This is misleading: they write the lyrics, suggest a general vibe, and some rough melodies or chords. And even this is a stretch many times. They are not composing or producing the music in any larger sense, and this is the pivotal part of actually making music. One famous exception that comes to mind is Grimes, who largely actually /makes/ her own music. She rarely seems to get credit for this. This is not to say that vocalist popstars don't bring a lot to the table. They do. But what they bring to the table is incredible performance skill and charisma. I think poptimism has gone too far, to the point that we think the product was responsible for creating itself.
- ad_hockey 11mo ago> The most common refrain is that popstars often write their music. This is misleading: they write the lyrics, suggest a general vibe, and some rough melodies or chords. And even this is a stretch many times. They are not composing or producing the music in any larger sense, and this is the pivotal part of actually making music. To be fair, if they write the lyrics, define the vibe/feel of the song, and compose the melody and chord progression, then that does sound like the vast majority of the song. What's left - I guess some additional instrumentation, the percussion, production? To me it does sound fair to credit the popstar with having composed the music in this case.
- bigmealbigmeal 11mo agoThe operative word was "rough". They give a few hints; they're not painstakingly mapping out the melodies and chords for every instrument and determining what those instruments are, and how they sound. If you're writing for a guitar and voice, then you've basically got a song, but pop music is built on sometimes hundreds of different instruments and effects.
- thewisenerd 11mo agothere's this video essay of what makes dua lipa's podcasts good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN1rULxGHCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN1rULxGHCA
- rldjbpin 11mo ago> There is a weird assumption people make that somebody as successful as Charli XCX isn't smart because her persona is "I like cocaine and partying," and then are surprised when she can express herself like this. after all, it takes a smart guy to play dumb. artists do portray a persona, or are encouraged by labels. at the same time we cannot blame others for buying it or making their own assumptions. from first look about the book club podcast, it seems great that one reads a book and gets to talk directly with its author.