Feministing has jumped the shark.
Posted on 10/07/2013 | By Chris Gale
Nick Cohen is the Listener music reviewer. He’s reliably got similar taste to me and has just reviewed Lorde’s first album
Pop music, by definition, wants to be popular. Simply on that basis, Lorde has to be judged a spectacular success. At the time of writing, the New Zealand star, born Ella Yelich-O’Connor, has the top-selling single on the US iTunes store and has just taken the No 1 slot on the US Billboard Hot 100 from Miley Cyrus, leapfrogging Katy Perry, while further below her hover current singles by Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey. She offers a credible and refreshing alternative to all of them.
The strongest tracks on Pure Heroine, her debut album, are as addictive as anything her competitors have in their supplies. With collaborator Joel Little, she has constructed songs in which attractive melodies flow into choruses that have colossal hooks yet don’t feel as though they have been pumped with the sonic equivalent of steroids, like a Cyrus or Perry hit.
In part, that is down to Little’s minimalist production style. Favouring thick drone-y synthesiser tones and repetitive, clickety percussion loops, the music has some of the neutral, muted feel of downbeat electronica. Taking his cue from hip-hop, he trusts the singer as storyteller rather than using the music to instruct the listener in what to feel. The effect is cool, not corny.
As a vocalist, Lorde has a variety of modes, yet she is most comfortable in her lower range, where her natural huskiness has real character and her melodies take on the cadences of conversation. Her lyrics combine contemporary teen-speak with poetic imagery that, at its best, is startling in its maturity.
She also meets two of my criteria for musos — she does not need autotune, and does not strip.
Now, so far so good. Apart from Feministing, who have decided she is racist, because.
Folks who have spent some time with me know that I deeply love music videos, so when I saw this posted on social media, I went straight to the video. Holy. Shit. What did this white girl just say?
My friends and I – we’ve cracked the code.
We count our dollars on the train to the party.
And everyone who knows us knows that we’re fine with this,
We didn’t come from money.But every song’s like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin’ in the bathroom.
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin’ the hotel room,
We don’t care, we’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affairWhile I love a good critique of wealth accumulation and inequity, this song is not one; in fact, it is deeply racist. Because we all know who she’s thinking when we’re talking gold teeth, Cristal and Maybachs. So why shit on black folks? Why shit on rappers? Why aren’t we critiquing wealth by taking hits at golf or polo or Central Park East? Why not take to task the bankers and old-money folks who actually have a hand in perpetuating and increasing wealth inequality?
Well, the feminists have jumped the shark. Some things that they have not considered.
Lorde is a New Zealander. For NZers, Rap is part of (ahem) AMERICAN culture and we like it about as much as we like Miley Cyrus stripping down — which is not that much: my sons find the entire flash stuff ridiculous. NZers do not do that.
Secondly, the only places you will find African Americans in NZ are at the University — students – in the NZ Breakers, and when the US Navy is in town. Black culture is foreign culture.
Thirdly, Royale dresses like most teenage girls in NZ because she is a teenage girl, not an overmanufactured septic skank. (Septic Tank = Yank).
Finally, I am heartily sick of the idea that (particularly in the USA) that their feelings matter. They don’t. If you are offended by this, or Royale, or the video of Dunedin students (being sarcastic)…
I. don’t. care.
I am horrible. I am mean.
But when you tell a talented young muso to shut up because of your anxiety, you offend me. You have become censors. And the correct response to such activities is merciless mockery.
So Feminmisting, you have, like the twerp in the Spitehouse, lost the little bit of credibility you have had. A young woman sings something authentic and you get your panties in a twist.
Grow up.
Not everything is as it is in the USA. Thank God for that.
