The Chaos Is Expanding (Written By Malika #2)
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Welcome to Industry Me Presents: Written By Malika, my monthly music column. I am Malika, your favourite industry insider, ex-artist, Songwriter, and now, Music journalist. Here, on the first Thursday of every month, we discuss music trends and the latest releases.
And whilst this won’t be a gossip column with all the salacious details of the industry, my hope is this will be a safe space for honest, trustworthy, truthful, unbiased, and constructive thoughts about the music.
So with all that said, let’s get into it.
A Run Down Of The Month – Here is where I break down what has been happening lately in the land of music.
This month has been extremely busy in the world of music. It’s like the industry, much like the UK weather, waited until the first week of September to show any signs of eventfulness.
The annual MTV Video Music Awards, aka The VMAs.
The once iconic award show that gave us Britney with the Snake in 2001, the Kanye West, Taylor Swift stage bomb moment, and the Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Lil Mama stage bomb both in 2009.
Other notable events were Lil Kim (the ORIGINAL high fashion girlie of rap) in THAT iconic purple jumpsuit, with Diana Ross touching her breast live on stage in 1999, and of course, the moment Britney, Madonna, AND Christina Aguilera all kissed on stage in 2003.
That one always puzzled me. I never understood the uproar about Britney and Madonna kissing, and not about Madonna kissing Christina, in the exact same way, in the exact same moment too. I digress.
In recent times the show seems to have lost its appeal; its cultural impact if you will. The last ‘iconic’ moment I could find in relation to this award show was in 2017, with reports of how amazing Kendrick Lamar’s stage show was. Whilst there’s no doubt that he is an engaging performer (something I’ll get back to later on), respectfully, putting on a spectacular stage show as a musician at a music award show should be the bare minimum.
There have been clips circling of Chappell Roan shouting at the reporters on the red carpet before this year’s show. But, honestly, to call it a viral, cultural moment at this point, might be a bit of a stretch.
Katy Perry was honoured with the 2024 MTV Video Vanguard Award. This award celebrates an artist’s ‘outstanding contribution’ and ‘profound impact’ on music videos and popular culture.
For 9 minutes and 55 seconds we saw Katy perform her usual hits, ‘Teenage Dream’, ‘I Kissed A Girl’, ‘Firework’ etc. She also slid in a few songs from her new album ‘143’, released on 20th September. One song in particular called ‘I’M HIS, HE’S MINE’ featured new up-and-coming rapper and singer Doechii, who went viral in 2021 and signed to TDE.
No one can deny the chokehold most of us were in when Katy’s ‘Teenage Dream’ album was released. Just hit after hit after hit, and pop perfection. Her stage shows have always told a visual story, from the props and designs to the costumes. I love that in this moment she shared the stage with a rising star like Doechii. The Florida rapper is really talented and a platform like this is a huge opportunity.
However, here is my review. I absolutely hated the girl-on-girl cosplay part of their performance! It felt in line with the rest of Katy’s new era rollout, messy and off-brand.
Wait. Hear me out!!!
The hypersexualisation of women in music, especially black women is rife. It often has nothing to do with the song’s subject. Case & point, Katy Perry & Doechii singing a song about how ‘the boy is mine’ while frolicking in a provocative way with each other. All this whilst the cameraman strategically pans to Katy’s male partner, Orlando Bloom, smiling like a Cheshire cat at a peep show. It wasn’t giving LGBTQ+, or free love at all. It was just giving ‘for the male gaze’, in the most uninspiring way.
Yes, Katy came out the gate with ‘I Kissed A Girl’. It is a great song, but problematic for the reasons outlined above. She has, for the majority of her career, been a very vocal ally, supporter, and champion of those from the LGBTQ+ community. However, watching her scissor Doechii, who has spoken openly on The Joe Budden Podcast recently about being bisexual, and currently in a relationship with a woman, came across as entirely too try hard.
It caused me to do some research, as I started to think, had I missed a time when Katy came out, or was she part of a same-sex fling/relationship? There wasn’t. What I did find were articles by The Guardian and Grazia Magazine also examining and discussing why her own sexuality is a controversial talking point.
Now I don’t know Katy Perry personally. I certainly have not been privy to all of her sexual encounters or her inner thoughts and desires. However, aside from the odd flippant, tongue-in-cheek comment and the strategically placed PR quote about being ‘bi-curious’ and how she knows, “I helped people explore their sexuality.”, we don’t know Katy to be anything but straight. Furthermore, it seems I’m not the only one asking questions.
So far none of the singles from ‘143’ have cracked the top 40 in the UK and US. This is a major red flag for the new era of any priority artist on a major record label like Katy.
She faced major backlash after the lead single, and self-proclaimed ‘new women’s anthem’, ‘WOMAN’S WORLD’ was released. Co-created with Dr. Luke, Katy’s longtime collaborator, who also worked on 10 of the 11 songs from the new album, and was also sued for allegedly sexually assaulting Kesha.
Perry then faced legal issues with the Spanish authorities for not getting the proper authorisation from authorities and causing environmental damage when shooting the video for her follow-up single ‘LIFETIMES’.
Then lastly, and probably most unfortunately, releasing her comeback album the same week one of the biggest names in music and entertainment Sean ‘Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy’ Combs was arrested and indicted.
Some of you might have been wondering when I’d get to the music elephant in the room. Had he released an album this week, I sure would have. But, since this isn’t a gossip column, I mention him only to say that in, the week where the news cycle was, and continues to be dominated by the life and times of Diddy, Katy’s comeback has truly been one of the worst roll outs for a new era. The closest I can think of recently, I’d have to say is Jesy Nelson, with ‘Boys’. Which also did not age well for several reasons.
As for the rest of the show, the chaos continued. Megan Thee Stallion took over presenting duties from Nicki Minaj, who had hosted for the past two years. This move came across like a messy orchestrated attempt by the organisers to try and drum up more controversy between the rappers. They have famously been at odds with each other for years. Unfortunately, I saw several outlets commenting that they didn’t even know the show was on so it’s safe to say the gamble didn’t pay off.
In the clips I did see, I found myself questioning who exactly is this show for. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I truly felt like I was watching clips for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, waiting for someone to get slimed. I couldn’t understand who the demographic was for this event.
Most of the performers squeezed 2-3 songs into their set. Now I totally understand we are in a fast-paced, instant gratification era. But, 3 songs in 3 minutes and 39 seconds in the case of Anitta, or 4 minutes and 3 seconds in the case of Sabrina Carpenter, can only be described as music on speed. Literally.
If the intended audience is mid/late teens to early twenties, comparing this year’s VMAs to the Kids Choice Awards makes sense. Even the choice of performers felt like producers were more focused on ticking boxes rather than putting together the best show.
Chappell Roan, LE SSERAFIM, Teddy Swims, Rauw Alejandro, Glorilla, and Benson Boone, were some of the big names to take the stage. Then there was Eminem, who performed two songs from his latest album ‘The Death Of Slim Shady’, to open the show. He was followed by rock legend Lenny Kravitz who performed 3 songs for seemingly no reason other than because he released a ‘reimagined’ version of ‘Fly Away’ with Quavo earlier this year.
Then there was the LL COOL J’s performance. LL, who also released ‘THE FORCE’, his first album in 11 years on 6th September, performed a medley of his hits to celebrate Def Jam’s 40th Anniversary. This included bringing out Flava Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy as well as DJ Z-Trip.
Now, and this is my problem with the show. LL and Public Enemy are some of the first signings to Def Jam, but having THIS performance be the only one to mark the anniversary of such an iconic label is embarrassing. A half-hearted attempt to pay homage to a company that facilitated labels such as Roc-A-Fella, Murder Inc., and Disturbing Tha Peace. Labels which without them, the whole scope of what hip hop across the world looks like is completely different. It just made absolutely no sense.
Public Enemy wasn’t even credited in the title on YouTube for their performance!
The production value of the performances was sketchy too. The shots of the probably ‘strategically placed’ audience members wearing two red bucket hats, LL’s signature back in the day, gave the ick.
To add, whoever was in charge of handling the post-production on the performances DEFINITELY had the audience overdub entirely too loud. It was distracting hearing the ‘crowd’ screaming in the YouTube clips when you could see the audience pretty subdued.
In conclusion, we are in a different time. Content and information are consumed differently from how it was 10 years ago, 5 years ago; even 3 years ago during the pandemic. MTV is no longer at the forefront of music and music videos in the way they once were. This is not a complete indictment of the show, but rather a sign of the times.
It’s ok to grow and evolve, it’s ok to cater to current trends and move with the times. It’s even ok to do both and tastefully pay homage to the history of music. MTV just has to get people who understand what those things truly mean and how to facilitate them. Not doing so results in the 2024 VMA awards.
Let me know in the comments if you watched and what your thoughts are on the show.
Kendrick, Lil Wayne & Super Bowl
I think as a culture things have calmed down with this story. I’m not here to get the people going again, so I’m just going to leave my comments here until next year. I expect things to amp up again closer to the event next year. Especially after the halftime show, ESPECIALLY if Kendrick doesn’t bring out Lil Wayne for at least one song.
When the news first broke that Kendrick would be performing the Halftime Show, I began going back and forth with one of my peers like we were the ones in charge of making the decision.
I am very pro-Wayne and my friend is very pro-Kendrick.
My perspective was, that it’s in New Orleans. After all, we all know how much Wayne loves his city. My friend pointed out they don’t pick the halftime performer based on the location.
My retort was that they gave it to Dr. Dre in LA. Even Usher became the honorary son of Las Vegas to qualify for this year’s halftime performance. Similarly, the reason behind picking Shakira and JLo to co-headline Miami’s halftime show was that they are both Hispanic. This made sense as Miami has a large Latino and Hispanic community. I had all the points ready at my disposal, including, the length of Wayne’s career in rap. He was signed by Birdman at the age of 12 to Young Money Records.
To many, this felt like a huge misstep. It’s a lost opportunity for Wayne to celebrate, and to be celebrated by his city, and I agreed. After all, his talent aside, his contribution to hip hop, from his own career to the careers of those he’s been instrumental in bringing into the game has been an anomaly.
With all that being said, when I took away my personal reverence for Lil Wayne’s musical journey, and I say that not as a slight to Kendrick, especially after the incredible year that he has had in 2024. I couldn’t ignore the difference and the many reasons why, from a business perspective, it couldn’t have been Wayne for this job at this time, no matter where the location was.
Prime reason, in 2024 Kendrick Lamar put on a masterclass in the art of war in hip hop. Like him or not, he was the victor of the long-standing Big 3 battle that has hung over him, Drake, and J. Cole for the majority of their careers is nothing to be sniffed at.
There’s no denying Wayne’s legacy, even before he created Young Money. However, the success of Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Young Money, and the cultural impact those three entities have had, one could say has cost Wayne HIS moment in the sun. By putting his career as an artist to the side, and getting in his A&R/ Mogul bag, rap culture was changed as we know it.
There is this theory in music that signing to an artist who has a record company is never a good idea. After all, that artist has a career of their own, and 9/10 times their own career will come before anyone they sign.
Young Money launched when Wayne was at the pivotal point of his career. In 2009, ‘The Carter 3’ had just dropped. We were all singing ‘A Milli’, ‘Lollipop’, and ‘Mrs. Officer’. He was undoubtedly at the tipping point as they say. He was at that sweet spot where he was breaking through from being a somewhat underground, deep south hip-hop legend, to a mainstream crossover artist. The Louisiana rapper has succeeded where many artists have failed.
The Super Bowl show isn’t decided overnight. Truthfully, Lil Wayne hasn’t had a major, crossover, smash hit in a while.
The halftime performance is the biggest sporting event of the year with over 60 million people watching globally. It is the most expensive advertising slot of the year. Also, I was reminded that Usher didn’t just pop out of nowhere and suddenly got picked to perform at the 2023 show.
The reality is Usher’s performance was set into motion 3 years beforehand. We all thought his Vegas residency was about him celebrating his glory days. With hindsight, it’s fair to presume he was just setting the foundations for the biggest stage in the world.
Similarly with that in mind, Lamar’s ‘Pop Out Show’ could be defined as more like an audition rather than just a celebratory victory lap for winning the rap battle against Drake earlier this year.
If we want to be super cynical, and I wouldn’t be surprised, we could even go back to 2022. Kendrick performed then with Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem at that Halftime Show. THAT might actually have been the REAL first audition.
It just so happens that 2024 has been the year of the Kendrick. Further to this, with reports coming out that Drake has turned down the Super Bowl twice already, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Wayne’s video responding to not being picked was sad to watch though. The level of accountability he took as an artist, was extremely noble. He should never feel bad for hoping, dreaming, and wanting to represent his city. Still, his response was virtuous all the same.
I saw reports that maybe he just simply wasn’t ready to undertake a show of this magnitude. The level of preparation that goes into doing a show like this is intense. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I saw clips of Missy Elliott speaking about ending up in the hospital because of the level of anxiety she experienced at the thought of performing on the morning of her guest appearance in 2015 on Katy Perry’s halftime show.
There were also questions about Lil Wayne’s catalogue. As in, is it more hip hop niche rather than mainstream hip hop? To be honest, it’s a fair question.
I say this never to play down his legacy, just that there is a whole market of the world. Many who are watching the Super Bowl just may not be familiar with Wayne’s catalogue. I listen to all types of music (working in music makes me familiar with plenty of genres and individual songs). However, for example, as much as I love Country music, I’m not as deeply rooted in it as I am in say rap, pop, or R’n’B.
Stepping back and looking at the viral crossover hit that Kendrick had with ‘Not Like Us’, which has transcended age, gender, and culture. Looking at this decision on a business level, which is what any of this music s**t is about anyway. I had to take my Wayne cap off and from his video, I think he might have taken his own cap off too.
Would it be a nice, full-circle moment if Kendrick brings out Wayne? Absolutely.
Do I think he will? I think if there hadn’t been so much uproar when the announcement was made, I would have said possibly. At this point, I think there are too many politics behind the scenes for that to happen.
Either way, I guess we’ll find out on February 9th, 2025. This will be the week after Kendrick wins Best Rap Song for ‘Not Like Us’. That I’m not trying with anyone about. Still happy to take bets on these predictions though, feel free to DM me.
Made in Korea – The K-Pop Experience (BBC iPlayer)
On the 17th of August (the day before my birthday) the BBC launched a new show called ‘Made In Korea – The K-Pop Experience’. Tasked with putting together five lads from the UK (Blaise, Dexter, James, Olly, and Reese), and sending them to Korea. They are filmed being put through their paces to become the next big thing in K-pop, a task within itself.
For those who don’t know, the standard of talent in K-pop is extremely high. Next level even. The attention to detail and meticulous nature of how these groups, the songs, the choreography; are put together is not for the faint-hearted. Everything is so intentional and detailed.
The lads are pushed to their limit in a way that actually, I feel is important. It is important for those wanting to work in entertainment to see also. There is an art to perfection, and the show sees the lads, who have named themselves Dear Alice, put through their paces. In the era of TikTok and microwavable talent, it is really interesting to see their growth over the episodes.
The breaking down of the ego of ‘This is too hard, or I’m not good enough, or they are being too mean’ to seeing the breakthrough and the realisation that the pursuit of accomplishment requires discipline and deep intense hard work. There is no way to become an ‘insert musician name’ overnight without this level of dedication. After all, reward comes from taking the risk. Even in interviews I have seen of the band speaking about their experience, they mention how tough it was, but how now, on the other side, they understand why they had to go through that process and are happy they did.
Since 1D went on indefinite hiatus in 2016 there has been a void for a boy band across the industry. K-pop as a genre has really exploded in the US & UK in the last few years. There is an estimated fan base of over 200 million with the industry being worth around 5 billion pounds. With bands like BTS, RIIZE, and NCT; it was only time before the Western world wanted a piece of the pie. We’re in a time where the music market in general is so fickle and unstable., shows like American Idol and The Voice are becoming less relevant to securing chart success and the increasing appetite for authenticity we all seem to be on. It will be really interesting to see how Dear Alice progresses in their career. Their hard work and discipline deserve the opportunity.
Check out Dear Alice here.
Music Review: Here are some of the latest releases grabbing my attention
On repeat: Elmiene – ‘Light Work‘ (Writers: Abdala Elamin, Amir King, Ryan Evans, Seg Gwey. Producer: Ozmoses ArKetex.)
I’ve had this song on repeat since it came out on 19th August (the day after my birthday).
The groove, the opening, “I need you, oh I need you” reprise is so infectious. I discovered Elmiene late last year after the release of his equally, but differently beautiful song ‘Someday’. What he does in this song vocally feels like a modern take on what old-skool Musiq Soulchild would do. The B.V. (backing vocals) and harmony choices; the crescendoing of the notes in the chorus. It’s just a beautiful performance and I will continue to enjoy it well into next summer.
Check out Elmaine here.
Songwriter/Producer Highlight: Dyo
I first heard of Dyo back in 2009 when she went by the name Ms. D. She featured on songs with Wiley and Chip (who went by the name Chipmunk). Fast forward to 2024, this artist is behind some of the biggest songs coming out of the UK R’n’B scene. They have written for FLO, Leigh-Anne, Jess Glynne, Maroon 5, and SZA. Recently, she co-wrote ‘My Man’ by Mnelia. This happens to be one of my favourite songs of 2024 so far too.
Check out Dyo here.
Artist of the Month: Justelle
Justelle is someone who I worked with when she was about 13. Her voice was, and still is one of the most stunning voices I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. The tone, musical understanding, and technical ability far exceeded their age at the time. Originally from Malta, for the past few years she has been releasing songs here & there. Now, she seems to be having a moment with the latest release ‘Demonstrate‘. This was played as a sleeper on The Joe Budden Podcast recently. I look forward to seeing and hearing her continued growth because her talent truly deserves to have its moment.
Check Justelle out here.
Check me out here: @malikaofficially // @thissoundswrite.
See you next month and read the previous month’s column here!
(Send thoughts, submissions, review suggestions, and comments to: Malika@thissoundssoundswrite.com)
About The Author
