Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - The NME Awards, 'Worst Bands' and Why It Doesn't Make You Cooler to Drag Others Down.

Hi!!!



Aloha. I'm feeling so inspired to write this post, which will hopefully make it a good one. This is a few parts music, a few parts social commentary and I am so passionate about this particular topic. I hope that you find this an interesting read.

I was reading NME online on my break the other day and I stumbled across the list of nominees for this year's NME Awards which are sponsored by VO5. I was scrolling through the lists for Best Band, Best Female Solo Artist and so on and then I hit upon the following,
 

a worst band category.

I was shocked. A Worst Band Category - are you kidding? And it got me thinking.

 

Most of the nominees in this category are hugely successful and widely loved - I think Clean Bandit's 6 Top Ten hits and The (Grammy Nominated) Chainsmokers 5 Top Forty hits are evidence of this. It seems so odd to try and downplay these significant achievements in this way.

Aside from the numbers is the point I feel I am always going back to - music is subjective. What you love, I may not and my favourite song might not be yours. It doesn't mean that what I like is the worst or that you are wrong, it means that we have different likes and dislikes.

Some of these groups, like Five Seconds of Summer, have a predominantly teenage fan base. It can be difficult when you're thirteen or fourteen to feel like your opinions are appreciated or respected, and by shoving the groups that teens love into this category, it may make them feel as though they aren't cool enough, or don't have mature enough opinions, or don't know enough - the last things most teenagers want to feel.

 

In my eyes, this whole thing seems like an attempt to be more controversial, more edgy and therefore, somehow, more cool. Maybe, in writing this, I'm buying into a notion that this might stir up conversation or maintain relevance. But I don't want to stand by quietly, watching hard working musicians and performers with a passion for what they do having their reputations damaged by somebody's idea of 'banter'.

Having done a bit of research for this post, I've discovered this is nothing new at the NME awards, and if anything, only having one 'worst' category might be progress for them. That's a shame. I don't closely follow award shows and so I hadn't realised how normal this was.

I don't have a problem with awarding the acts that the majority of people on a panel or participating in a poll like most - these people have made their decisions about their preferences in a subjective field, and rewarding success is good. But I don't think it's necessary to add into that an option to 'award' people that they dislike because it doesn't make sense. What purpose doesn't it serve? For a winning act of a positive category - Best Solo Male, for example - new opportunities and positive press arise.
So, following this idea, doesn't that mean that the 'winning' act of a negative category will lose out on opportunities and get caught up in negative press? Who does that help? I don't think it does the real winners any more favours than winning already gives them. It just seems pointless and unkind.

When it comes to subjective things, like music, I think it is definitely more than alright to celebrate what you and others like, and award shows are a means of doing that. But I personally think it's unnecessary to publicly make a scene of what people dislike in the same way.

We do not need to add any more condescension and frankly hate into this world. It is ridiculous. Tearing other people down does not make you seem cooler. I think it makes you seem idiotic. I don't want to be told by somebody else what I should or shouldn't like, be that in relation to people, music or beliefs. And I won't stand by and watch others spread negativity about certain people or things to this effect.
 

Ultimately, I think it comes down to this. You have a right to an opinion. Of course you do, you're human. But that does not mean that you have the right to be nasty.

Thanks so much for reading.

What do you think of all this? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so do leave a comment.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

I hope your day is amazing!

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - Copyright, The Value of Celebrity and Amazing-Photograph Gate.

Hi!!!

You may well be aware of the current lawsuit over copyright infringement - Ed Sheeran (and crew) have been accused of copying Matt Cardle's song Amazing for the song Photograph. Here are my thoughts, having heard both songs played side by side. 

First things first, Photograph is incredibly similar to Amazing and it does seem very likely that the claim that the chorus of Photograph shares 39 identical notes with Amazing is accurate. I just wanted to open with that because that is the key point in all this.

I've seen a lot of people online make comments about how Matt is 'only suing Ed because he wants to be back in the public eye' or 'because he didn't have any success after the X Factor'. This doesn't sit well with me, not least because Matt Cardle is not suing Ed, Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard are. Cardle did not write the song, nor has he ever claimed to but he did record and release it. But even if Cardle was the one suing Sheeran, why should that matter? Matt Cardle didn't go on to become a global chart sensation and most people are unfamiliar with the song Amazing. That doesn't mean that the rights and interests of the creative team behind the song don't matter, nor does it take away Matt's value as a performer. Photograph has sold more than 3.5 million copies. Ed and his team have earned a fair whack from the song. From a song that infringes the copyright of another. But people are willing to defend the plagiarism, intended or not, because its a big celebrity and his team? Something about that just doesn't seem right.

Some people have also tried to suggest that it isn't a real problem because 'Ed made a mediocre song better'. Now, I like Ed's music, I'd consider him one of my favourite 'pop stars'. But that doesn't mean that he gets a fast pass through lawsuits. Just because songs like 'A Team' or 'Thinking Out Loud' are nice to listen to doesn't mean I agree with what has happened here, whether it was intentional or not. I'm not, however, putting the sole blame on Ed's shoulders because, despite how 'organic' some people think his music is, he didn't write Photograph alone - he shares credit with Johnny McDaid and beyond that, of course, he has a team of professionals (managers, producers, and so on). His team should have done their research. They should have known better. Because they are jeopardising their artist and their own credibility within the industry.

Some people have been trying to draw parallels with the situation between Sam Smith and Tom Petty but it doesn't seem all that similar. Tom and co noticed the similarities and Sam's team came to an agreement with them to give them credit. Tom has said publicly that he believes "Sam did the right thing". He said that "Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by". It was not, according to Petty, a lawsuit. It was acknowledged and resolved. The settlement reportedly included a 12.5% writing credit to both Petty and singer-composer Jeff Lynne and the song’s credit on ASCAP lists Smith, Petty, Lynne, and Jimmy Napes as the chief songwriters. And that is why it is different.

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter if you're Ed Sheeran and you're a global success story. To have such similarities with another song and get away with it, whether you were aware of the issue or not, is not fair. But, in my opinion, the similarities are not the biggest problem, they could easily be resolved like in the case of Smith and Petty and co. The biggest problem with all this is that the general public are totally cool with valuing celebrity status over the standard rights and interests of songwriters and musicians. People need to get their priorities straight because these are peoples livelihoods, not just the music on their playlists.

Thanks for reading today guys. I know this is a bit different than what I normally do but I felt that I had to comment.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Do you agree or disagree with me? Any suggestions for future posts? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments.

I'll speak to you all soon.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx