The Decade In Pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

My enormous Pitchfork piece on "The Decade In Pop" is up: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7703-the-decade-in-pop/

Spotify playlist to go with it here: http://open.spotify.com/user/freakytrigger/playlist/6cudPLlniOyOrpX5M5Dnnz

Comments

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Really nice read and not as long as ppl made out (it doesn't seem as big as Eric H's mp3 social history thing which I also liked of course).

Annoying pedant moment: Lily Allen's famous Dad connection was surely as much a part of her success as the MySpacing, opinions4u etc.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Outpedanting the pedants: Robin Hood didn't start until she was already famous, most of her fans would have no real idea who he was.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i don't think that's right. lots of ppl who liked her ska-sampling stuff and "mixtape" ft. old jungle and whatnot would be well aware of keith - not that the sense of cred he provided was a reason to like and buy her, more just as a media talking point and publicity generator.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Apart from perhaps 'that dead dude in Shallow Grave'.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Well it's more about getting her a record deal and press attention rather than fans. Without her dad's connections she could well just be one of many Youtube cult figures to this day.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

The great thing about this is that he totally did use his connections to do so, on her abortive (unreleased, mostly unrecorded) first album, in 2002. Of folk songs. Written by her dad. I think we can both agree that it's non-existence is a blessing.

I sort of assumed that her father's identity would be worth one article per paper and that's it? I am willing to be contradicted, though. Certainly the ones I can find (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/4223221/Llly-Allen-uncertain-smile.html) talk about her second coming as her own work (though may of course be mythology)