jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 09/30/2021 - The Bitterweet Remains of 2000s Pop, Evolving TikTok, Aaliyah, Philip Glass, Brandi Carlile...

My loneliness ain't killing me no more.
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Thursday - September 30, 2021
Britney Spears performs at the 2997 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, Sept. 9, 2007.
(John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images)
quote of the day
"My loneliness ain't killing me no more."
Britney Spears, from her 2000 single "Stronger"
rantnrave://
2000s Pop's Bittersweet Remains

Though BRITNEY SPEARS has finally achieved separation from her dad, the seismic confluence of legal wranglings surrounding her and R. KELLY continues to cloud the music business and music itself—though obviously in very different ways. Spears and Kelly were essential parts of how we remember and celebrate a long ago period when physical music flew off the shelves in record amounts. This is now a much more difficult exercise.

In the decade between 1999 and 2009, Spears had 28 singles reach the top-10 worldwide. They don't all sound like they used to. The blithe and delightful European chart-topper "LUCKY" now bears foreboding lyrics. "And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning/ But tell me what happens when it stops" feels like a harbinger of doom instead of the saccharine invention of a songwriter's imagination. As for R. Kelly, he is officially credited as the producer of 100+ songs for a who's who of top-selling artists of the 2000, to go along with his own albums and a seemingly innumerable slew of features. There's an arc of R. Kelly's work that stretches from MICHAEL JACKSON and WHITNEY HOUSTON to LIL WAYNE and DJ KHALED with an impossible-to-count number of artists in a plethora of genres in between. But hits like 2003's "STEP IN THE NAME OF LOVE" (canonical to generations of African American weddings) and his hip-hop club-crushing appearances on songs like FAT JOE's 2007 posse cut "MAKE IT RAIN" hit differently today. Instead of causing unparalleled euphoria, they inspire soul-wrenching sadness.

It's often said that hindsight is 20/20. In this case, hindsight is indelibly flawed forever. And confusing. We might try to cancel R. Kelly, but even if we do, replacing the memories engendered by a decade of incredible hits is likely a much more difficult hill to climb.

Country Equity

Country music was once a space wherein success for non-white artists happened in singular, once-in-a-generation spurts. However, the past week has highlighted a profound evolution. BMI's Nashville-based executive director, SHANNON SANDERS, partnered with Apple Music Color Me Country host and groundbreaking Black country singer RISSI PALMER to host what's believed to be the first all-Black songwriting round at the city's iconic Bluebird Cafe on Tuesday. In a post-AMERICANA FEST presentation, Palmer was joined by LEON TIMBO, the de facto lead singer of the Grammy-winning gospel act the FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, and KAM FRANKLIN. After a week at the festival that saw breakout Black female country and Americana stars including BRITTNEY SPENCER, ALLISON RUSSELL, VALERIE JUNE, JOY OLADOKUN, AMYTHYST KIAH, ADIA VICTORIA and YOLA significantly featured in programming, it's a hopeful note as country music continues to wrestle with equity for marginalized people in its ranks.

Etc Etc Etc

As VERZUZ continues to expand its considerable reach into (other) 2000s pop-rap hitmakers, the most entertaining music story of the day could be FAT JOE's proclamation that "everyone" is too afraid to battle one performer: BUSTA RHYMES. Verzuz battles inspire conversations about "dream battles," often. But one artist being such a hitmaker that he inspires fear in all others? Maybe thinking about DIDDY or JERMAINE DUPRI in the role of opponent is a point to ponder... The triumphant return of opera to the Big Apple's stages post COVID is worth noting. TERENCE BLANCHARD's "FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES" reopening the METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Monday after an 18-month closure is enormous as the vaunted space allows for the continuation of a nearly 140-year tradition, plus the return to gainful employment of numerous theater industry professionals.

Marcus K. Dowling (@marcuskdowling), guest curator
what am i to do with my life?
The Daily Beast
Are the Britney Spears Documentaries Exploiting Her All Over Again?
by Laura Bradley
"Framing Britney Spears" appears to have helped Spears fight her conservators in court. But its copycats, like Netflix's tawdry "Britney vs. Spears," might do more harm than good.
Music Business Worldwide
TikTok is evolving into a very different kind of music streaming giant
by Tim Ingham
Ole Obermann, TikTok's Global Head of Music, discusses opportunities for artists… and a major new launch for indie acts.
The New York Times
Bringing Aaliyah Into the Streaming Era
by Jon Caramanica, Naima Cochrane, Gail Mitchell...
A conversation about the tug of war over her musical legacy, and how her songs - even without a digital presence - impacted the evolution of contemporary R&B.
Variety
Music Attorney Dina LaPolt Marks 20 Years in the Biz, and 20 Lessons She Learned Along the Way
by Shirley Halperin
Music lawyers run the gamut when it comes to personality - some are rarely seen or quoted, preferring to negotiate under the radar - others are seasoned schmoozers who table hop with abandon at industry events. Dina LaPolt approaches issues affecting her clients with the ferocity of a ring fighter.
The Undefeated
The R. Kelly verdict leaves unhealed wounds
by Justin Tinsley
Though the singer has been found guilty, there's still a lack of resolution.
The Guardian
If society valued Black women and girls, convicting R Kelly wouldn't take so long
by Tayo Bero
For decades, Kelly hid his predatory behavior in plain sight -- and people did nothing.
The Atlantic
Could You Love a Virtual-Reality Pop Star?
by Spencer Kornhaber
The holographic contestants of Fox's bizarre new competition show certainly hope so.
The Creative Independent
Philip Glass on controlling your output and getting paid for what you make
by Brandon Stosuy and Philip Glass
The legendary composer Philip Glass discusses authorship, and getting paid for what you make, in the age of digital streaming.
Austin 360
Female artists (finally) rise to the top of ACL 2021 lineup
by Deborah Sengupta Stith
Before Stevie Nicks dropped out, ACL Fest had a female headliner every night, a first in the event's nearly 20-year history.
American Songwriter
Mickey Guyton's Debut LP Leaves A Legacy to Ensure We Will 'Remember Her Name'
by Madeline Crone
On the heels of a huge year of "firsts" as a new mother, a female artist, and a Black woman in the country music industry, the 16-track collection sets the standard for an enduring legacy.
how am i supposed to know what's right?
The Seattle Times
Brandi Carlile holds nothing back on unflinching new album 'In These Silent Days'
by Michael Rietmulder
A lot of things have changed for Brandi Carlile in the last three years.
The Washington Post
A new album by incarcerated musicians features songs of prison, trauma and hope
by Michael Patrick F. Smith
Michael Tenneson, an inmate at Colorado's Territorial Correctional Facility in Cañon City, says he spent two years lobbying the prison for a band room. Eventually, an interim warden agreed to his plan, and a room was created, but it was handed over to two other inmates to run - both white supremacists.
Variety
How Lorde Eclipsed Expectations and Made Nature Her Muse on 'Solar Power'
by Mike Wass and Ellise Shafer
Inspired by the natural world, "Solar Power" is a wispy, sun-dappled daydream—and a radical departure from the shadowy, blurry-eyed world the 24-year-old New Zealander usually inhabits. Something else is different: Lorde resisted a CD release of "Solar Power," demonstrating her commitment to slowing the speed of climate change.
Culture Notes of an Honest Broker
Drone Attacks: The New Sound of Contemporary Music
by Ted Gioia
The dictionary defines 'drone' as a monotonous, boring sound-but contemporary musicians in a range of genres have a very different view.
Music x
Iterative music culture, generative AI and the Web3
by Bas Grasmayer
A recent project called Tunes used AI to generate 5,000 unique NFTs. They're songs, or rather, shells of songs -- missing artwork, audio and an artist. That's intentional.
The Guardian
The Guardian view on A Tribe Called Quest: time to pay tribute to the greats
"The Low End Theory" has never reaped the plaudits or the profits of Nirvana's "Nevermind," but it is a beauty.
The Ringer
'60 Songs That Explain the '90s': R.E.M. and the Leap From College-Rock Gods to Mainstream Icons
by Rob Harvilla
The latest installment of '60 Songs' looks at the Athens, Georgia, band and "Nightswimming," a fan favorite.
Music Ally
From the margins to the spotlight: an AI-powered deep dive into Afrobeats
by Ari Katorza and Doron Gabbay
 We wanted to get a better understanding of leading Afrobeats' artists' musical identity, and assess whether there are unique, unifying characteristics that distinguish Afrobeats from average pop music and help explain their success. To do so, we enlisted MyPart's SongCrunch.
A Journal of Musical Things
The mysterious whispering in 'Everlong'
by Alan Cross
If you're a Foo Fighters fan, you might have wondered "What the heck is Dave Grohl whispering about in the song 'Everlong'?" Is there some kind of hidden message in all that?
what we're into
Music of the day
"Why Should I Be Sad"
Britney Spears
There may be no better explication of Britney Spears' angst in lyrical form.
YouTube
Video of the day
"This Is Paris (extended cut)"
YouTube Originals
Regarding all things Britney Spears, Youtube's 2020 "This Is Paris" documentary about fellow 2000s debutante-superstar Paris Hilton is a must-watch.
YouTube
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