First published on 12 September 2022. I have come across an array of YouTube remixes which confirm my year-old idea that Lisa is the successor to Nicki Minaj and, therefore, Kanye West. The victories of Nicki Minaj and Lisa at the MTV Awards night, with Nicki winning the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award and Lisa winning … Continue reading Further proof of my claim that Lisa is the successor to Nicki Minaj and Kanye West
Tag: Michael Jackson
Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review
What a show. Blackpink’s solid and surprising debut to 20,000 fans at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea, has been matched by an extremely competent and at times riveting performance to thousands more fans at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The opening ‘How You Like That’ is a perfect way to introduce … Continue reading Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review
OJ, MJ, Kanye: How the media demonises our heroes in the name of antiracism — and how reconciliation would be truer model of justice for all
As I get a little older I realise life is perspective And my perspective may differ from yours - Kendrick Lamar, The Heart Part 5 I have considered how universities employ tacitly racist arguments in the name of antiracism. But now I would like to consider how mass media also employs racist tactics of divide … Continue reading OJ, MJ, Kanye: How the media demonises our heroes in the name of antiracism — and how reconciliation would be truer model of justice for all
‘Shut Down’ Music Review: Blackpink embraces classical/pop fusion, Lisa soars above the pack
Sampling Paganini’s ‘La Campanella’ is surely not a move expected by Blackpink producer Teddy Park, whose production has in the past been accused of being formulaic (in my view unjustly — Blackpink’s repertoire boasts a remarkable range of production styles, and Shut Down casts Teddy as one of the most experimental producers in the game.) … Continue reading ‘Shut Down’ Music Review: Blackpink embraces classical/pop fusion, Lisa soars above the pack
Miles Davis, the Beatles, Blackpink, Michael Jackson, Lisa, and the Origins of Wambop
It is a somewhat audacious claim that a new genre of music is beginning. I don’t expect anyone will believe me for some time, as the genre still looks too similar to the immediate preceding genres of hip hop and its pop superstructure. Blackpink is often identified as a pop group, but also as a … Continue reading Miles Davis, the Beatles, Blackpink, Michael Jackson, Lisa, and the Origins of Wambop
Lisa is a western pop star
The title of this article may seem confusing. Lisa is a member of K-Pop group Blackpink and a solo artist in her own right. Her Thai origins and Korean audience in Blackpink mask the global reach of her music, and the distinctively ‘western’ appeal of her solo style and songs ‘Lalisa’ and ‘Money’. Lisa’s debut … Continue reading Lisa is a western pop star
Sabrina Carpenter’s rocking James Corden show: The heir to the pop throne perfects her craft
YouTube comments are funny things. (I should know.) ‘GIVE THIS WOMAN A GRAMMY ALREADY’ — ‘SHE DOESN’T NEED A GRAMMY. THE GRAMMYS NEED HER. [STAR EMOJI]’ — ‘FRRR’. Or so goes one string of comments that express the vibes of a fan base of a newcomer to celebrity and pop music. But Sabrina Carpenter is … Continue reading Sabrina Carpenter’s rocking James Corden show: The heir to the pop throne perfects her craft
MTV Awards 2022 Review: Ghostly Greats Haunt the Silver Throne
Echoing her dancing to Kanye West's 'All Day' performance at the Brits, Taylor Swift was seen rapping to Nicki Minaj's 'Superbass' at the 2022 MTV Awards, an event which has a history for Swift and West as the moment when the latter interrupted the former, leading to ensuing drama and some of the greatest music … Continue reading MTV Awards 2022 Review: Ghostly Greats Haunt the Silver Throne
Kanye West, Michael Jackson, and the beginnings of balance
I again turn to the two foundations of modern music: technique, and artistry. Technique is more easily recognisable, and art has a moral dimension that is more subjectively contestable. Technique bears the semblance of objectivity, and therefore is often prised above the more obscure form of art. But art is the end towards which the … Continue reading Kanye West, Michael Jackson, and the beginnings of balance
How Billie Eilish turned popular music upside down
Several recent biopics have shown how much popular music owes to rock influences, from Elvis Presley to Freddie Mercury. But popular music also emerges from the genres of jazz, soul, and, more recently, hip hop. According to actress Elizabeth Taylor, the ‘King of Pop, Rock and Soul’ was Michael Jackson. As Forbes recently noted: ‘Perhaps … Continue reading How Billie Eilish turned popular music upside down
Edmund Wilson 