Unpopular Musical Opinions

I'll start: I find Adele utterly boring and don't get the huge hype about her. Her songs are dull.

I don't like Adele, either. I like maybe three of her songs- not enough to call myself a fan.

My UO? I kind of like Katy Perry.

I have come to the conclusion that I really like Katy Perry's music. And I think Ke$ha's pretty awesome, too. Wel, at least her really uptempo stuff. Her slower songs bore me.

I like Adele, but she is pretty mono-thematic. People make fun of Taylor Swift for this sort of thing all the time (though she actually seems more varied in her content to me), yet no one seems to deride Adele for this. Is it because she is perceived as somehow more "mature"?

I love Kanye West's "808 & Heartbreak". Autotune excesses and all. Just recently discovered this and I don't think it's a drop in quality from his other albums at all. It's different, sure, but the way he sustains this mood of melancholy and bleakness throughout is great. And the cool, sleek sounds he uses to achieve this effect are always interesting.

Is it because she is perceived as somehow more "mature"?

I think maturity has something to do with it. Adele's voice is just startling, really. That girl can sing. Taylor Swift? Not so much. So I'd say it's a combination of talent & maturity.

I loved Adele's debut album, but 21 bores me. I enjoy a few of the songs, but overall, it just sounds like the same thing over and over again whereas her first album was so eclectic, and all the tunes sounded distinct from one another.

I got 21 and I really do think that Adele is a good singer, but I'm so annoyed that Someone Like You was the second single. Rumor Has It to me is a stronger song for me.

whatthedeuce wrote:I loved Adele's debut album, but 21 bores me. I enjoy a few of the songs, but overall, it just sounds like the same thing over and over again whereas her first album was so eclectic, and all the tunes sounded distinct from one another.

See, I think the exact opposite. I do like 19, but a lot of the songs are so spare and quiet that they start to blend together to me. I like how 21 has a bit more life and energy to it.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of "Rolling in the Deep." It is just as powerful to me every time I listen to it.

I've grown to appreciate Someone Like You, which I absolutely hated at first, but whenever Adele hits the high notes in the refrain, it still hurts my ears. She gets all screechy, dude!

I don't like Springsteen's music. There, I said it. I think I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't.

I can't stand the Beastie Boys''s music. AT. ALL. "Girls" is the only song of theirs that I can stand and only because it's so silly and catchy.

I said this at the old board, but just for posterity's sake:

Sinatra is boring, I don't get the hype over his ability to phrase, and on half of his notes he's more flat than a pancake.

I like Adele, but she is pretty mono-thematic. People make fun of Taylor Swift for this sort of thing all the time (though she actually seems more varied in her content to me), yet no one seems to deride Adele for this. Is it because she is perceived as somehow more "mature"?

Well, lyrically, I find "The scars of your love remind me of us/they keep me thinking that we almost had it all" more mature than "She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers."

I don't like Springsteen's music. There, I said it. I think I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't.

I don't know if he actually knows Springsteen's music, but once during an SNL episode he played on my dad said he had a bad voice. So there's kinda another person with you. :)

I can't really agree with a lot in this thread but I will say I also love 808 and Heartbreaks. I think its incredibly interesting and I was sad most people seemed so cold to it.

ulkis wrote:

I don't like Springsteen's music. There, I said it. I think I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't.

I don't know if he actually knows Springsteen's music, but once during an SNL episode he played on my dad said he had a bad voice. So there's kinda another person with you. :)

Gotta agree with that - Springsteen's voice is total hell. But it's total hell in a way that works for *his songs*. Whenever I hear him cover something - like "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" - I'm amazed at just how horrible he sounds. But nobody could do "Born to Run" or "I'm On Fire" or "Secret Garden" like he does.

I actually like his santa claus is coming to town. My unpopular opinion is I really like his voice. Not just in a "he sings his songs well" way. I just think hes got a very interesting voice with a lot of character.

laddical wrote:Gotta agree with that - Springsteen's voice is total hell. But it's total hell in a way that works for *his songs*. Whenever I hear him cover something - like "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" - I'm amazed at just how horrible he sounds. But nobody could do "Born to Run" or "I'm On Fire" or "Secret Garden" like he does.

Kiran wrote:My unpopular opinion is I really like his voice. Not just in a "he sings his songs well" way. I just think hes got a very interesting voice with a lot of character.

I sort of agree on both counts. (Does that make my opinion doubly unpopular?) He doesn't have the best voice in the world, technically; he doesn't have much range (in terms of notes), his voice isn't as rich or smooth or agile as a lot of technically "great" singers. (What hurts my ears are some of the songs on The Seeger Sessions, especially "Old Dan Tucker") But it does have character, and that character works for him. For some time after I started really listening to his music, it honestly never occurred to me to evaluate whether his voice was "good" or "bad" because it's just so very HIS--he owns it, and so for me it's as inextricable from his songs as the music or lyrics themselves.

Is it unpopular to be neutral about Springsteen? Because that's how I am about him. I don't turn the radio station to a different song when he comes on, but I don't seek it out, either.

I'm neutral! woot.

queenofdenile wrote:

I like Adele, but she is pretty mono-thematic. People make fun of Taylor Swift for this sort of thing all the time (though she actually seems more varied in her content to me), yet no one seems to deride Adele for this. Is it because she is perceived as somehow more "mature"?

Well, lyrically, I find "The scars of your love remind me of us/they keep me thinking that we almost had it all" more mature than "She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers."

Also, they are approximately the same age. For context.

midnight radio wrote:

laddical wrote:Gotta agree with that - Springsteen's voice is total hell. But it's total hell in a way that works for *his songs*. Whenever I hear him cover something - like "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" - I'm amazed at just how horrible he sounds. But nobody could do "Born to Run" or "I'm On Fire" or "Secret Garden" like he does.

Kiran wrote:My unpopular opinion is I really like his voice. Not just in a "he sings his songs well" way. I just think hes got a very interesting voice with a lot of character.

I sort of agree on both counts. (Does that make my opinion doubly unpopular?) He doesn't have the best voice in the world, technically; he doesn't have much range (in terms of notes), his voice isn't as rich or smooth or agile as a lot of technically "great" singers. (What hurts my ears are some of the songs on The Seeger Sessions, especially "Old Dan Tucker") But it does have character, and that character works for him. For some time after I started really listening to his music, it honestly never occurred to me to evaluate whether his voice was "good" or "bad" because it's just so very HIS--he owns it, and so for me it's as inextricable from his songs as the music or lyrics themselves.

This is how I feel about Joni Mitchell. I love her music and I know her voice is a little rough, but I think it totally suits her music and I HATE it when someone covers her.

But with Springsteen, well, I'd rather listen to the Johnny Cash version of "I'm On Fire" about a billion times more than Springsteen. I don't hate it, and I won't like, dive for the radio dial if he comes on, but I can comfortably say that I've never had any desire to own any of his music.

I'll see your Springsteen and raise you a Dylan. I admire him as a lyricist, but would rather listen to someone else sing those beautiful songs.

I'm the opposite. I find Dylan by far the best interpreter of his own songs. Yes, others sing it prettier, but he just knows what's going on in his songs, so he knows which words to emphasise, where the jokes are etc. His live performances in 1965/66 are some of my favourite vocal performances ever. The way he does "Desolation Row"...it's like this whole strange,surreal, dystopian world comes alive in that moment.

Putli Bai wrote:I'll see your Springsteen and raise you a Dylan. I admire him as a lyricist, but would rather listen to someone else sing those beautiful songs.

That's how I feel about Gordon Lightfoot, he's written some beautiful songs but I'd rather hear pretty much anyone else sing them. Canadian Idol 2 did a night of his songs and I downloaded nearly every performance from that show, but I don't care to listen to the originals.

As for Springsteen, I know there are songs out there that he wrote but gave to others and they became hits, but for the stuff that he recorded, I definitely prefer him to sing it. There's a certain rawness to it that just works for his music.

I do prefer his recorded voice though, his live stuff is a bit too rough for me.

I've decided I don't hate Katy Perry after all. Not earth-shattering, I know, but the reason is dumb. I decided I liked her because the video for Last Friday Night is kinda fun, and then I found out that the other girl in the video is Rebecca Black, who I've been feeling sorry for. I mean yeah, she needs to go away and learn to sing, but she doesn't deserve death threats and the combined hate of the entire internet. So the idea that Katy put her in the video without making fun of her made me think Katy might be alright after all.

There, I said it.