11.8.11 OUT100/Aaron Hicklin Interview, Queen+Adam
Nov 8, 2011 17:21:01 GMT -5
Post by tigerlily on Nov 8, 2011 17:21:01 GMT -5
I have been reading the reaction here to the delayed single release and I understand the disappointment and wondered why I wasn't feeling it. So here is what I have figured out.
I absolutely love the direction he is now going with the album as evidenced by the OUT article. I think that it is fabulous that he consciously sat down and said I want predominantly dance/upbeat music as opposed to the more "dark" ballady music but I need to determine how I can do this and still have it meld with my completely phenomenal voice. (OK, I said that not him and that is not to say that there won't be ballads because I am sure there will be.)
If you listen to top 40 radio right now, a transition is occurring away from the auto-tuned crap of Mike Posner et al and also the collaborations meme is peaking. Adele's songs have been instrumental in that change but as much as I love her songs, there is no way you can dance or party to them. For me, she is an HAC artist who smashed into Top 40 because people are desperate for good singers. Bruno Mars also feeds into the good singer transition but his music is just a little 'croony'. The dance music right now is not 'phenomenal voice' friendly and that dance-style needs just a little longer to fade.
So, what Adam is doing by going in a more funky direction is, depending on how you look at it, "NEXT" or completely old school. It is really a risk. I am thinking 'next' and am super excited to see how Adam has made funk modern. I am a funk lover from way back and although I want funk more than anything, I was a little concerned that radio was not quite ready and please don't throw things at me, nor would they necessarily accept a completely new direction from Adam. He is not yet a recognized trendsetter in music and I do not want there to be any hesitancy on the part of radio to accept or play his music. It is great that his management is playing the songs to the entertainment establishment all over the place and he needs time to do that.
Also, November/December is the END of the year and I emphasize end because I think the collabs etc. will be over by then. Radio will be so sick of Holiday music and the same ol' same ol' that they will be ready, and so will the listeners, to party. The upshot of this whole essay is that January is a new year for a new sound and as much as I want new music from Adam, I think the timing is better if he waits irregardless of what other litigious crap is going on. FYE was Adam testing the waters as a Pop Star, this next album is Adam finding his unique voice and I, for one, am ready to party.
So, really, honestly, the anticipation now makes me happier than I was before. It is going to be good.
While I agree with most of your post, the top 20 is still mostly made up of dance songs and the collabs are still pretty big on CHR. Auto-tuned dance music does not seem to be on its way out and the collabs will most definitely not be gone in 2 or 3 months. Maybe 2 or 3 years!
Adele is an anomaly. Her second single is a needle in the haystack of the Dance/R&B/Hip Hop/Collabs type songs that are currently dominating the CHR chart. Her 1st single RITD and her third single coming out, Rumor Has It are songs that have a groove and you can dance to them. They have an R&B flavor to them. My DD told me that Adele "was a white girl who sings like a black girl".
The current top 20 at CHR:
1 1 GYM CLASS HEROES Stereo Hearts f/Adam Levine
2 2 ADELE Someone Like You
3 3 MAROON 5 F/CHRISTINA AGUILERA Moves Like Jagger
5 4 DAVID GUETTA Without You f/Usher
4 5 COBRA STARSHIP You Make Me Feel... f/Sabi
7 6 LMFAO Sexy And I Know It
8 7 RIHANNA We Found Love f/Calvin Harris
6 8 FOSTER THE PEOPLE Pumped Up Kicks
9 9 DEV In The Dark
12 10 JASON DERULO It Girl
18 11 KATY PERRY The One That Got Away
11 12 LMFAO Party Rock Anthem
10 13 LADY GAGA You And I
17 14 BRUNO MARS It Will Rain
16 15 KELLY CLARKSON Mr. Know It All
22 16 FLO RIDA Good Feeling
14 17 BAD MEETS EVIL Lighters f/Bruno Mars
21 18 NICKI MINAJ Fly f/Rihanna
23 19 BRITNEY SPEARS Criminal
20 20 ALEXANDRA STAN Mr. Saxobeat
I'm pretty sick of most of this type of music, but I fear it is here to stay. There are plenty of artists out there who are putting out music that is closer to Adele's type of music, but radio is not playing them. Unless your name is spelled A-D-E-L-E, the chance of radio playing something new and different doen't happen very often. >:(