This thread ought to be in the Tipsheet forum but as it has nothing to do with music and everything to do with the world pretending it's music, it's appropriate it's here.
This century, image based on marketing, promotion and selling crap to the punters has taken over everywhere - not just the Judicial and Police social worlds where A GREAT STORY is all that matters.
No wonder Boris won with a landslide despite having nothing to offer. No wonder Trump won a second term. The master of selling shit and we have become slaves to the simple story.
Make America Great Again.
Make Me A Superstar - selling out millions of seats on tour (only to devoted fans). Billions of streams (costing almost nothing). Now triumphantly buying back the rights to all my crap that nobody outside the fan base heard or liked or even noticed.
Stop someone on the street and ask them the name of one Taylor Swift hit that she just bought back.
You'll be lucky to find one in a hundred. And they almost certainly won't actually like it.
I remember once being in Hong Kong, in a crowded market, hearing one of my songs blaring out, walking towards it and seeing a pirate taping it onto cassettes and selling them to dozens of waiting fans. Nobody knew who I was but millions knew the song (Una Paloma Blanca 1975) and wanted it.
Mass Appeal doesn't mean lots of fans. It means crossing over to the multitude.

The reason Taylor Swift happened was largely down to other people - promoting, marketing, improving the image, adapting the process - but the one area nobody assisted was in the music. The quality of it. The lyrics, the melodies. Almost from Day One nobody dared say "change this; improve that". After all when you're No1 on the charts, the answer is "If it's not broke, don't change it". Especially if you know - suggest improvements and you'll be fired. Oops was that Swift or Trump or those behind the BTS machine (whatever happened to that awful UK group who tried to be BTS?).

And let's be honest - very few these days can hear a real hit, can know what it takes.
Why cater to millions when you can cater to thousands?
And we don't say "where are great cross over hits for me to love?".
We just listen again to the old stuff. Even if we're young.

Are there any of the current generation of singers whom you rate?

Wonder if AI will be writing songs, or even performing them in future.

I remember Paloma Blanca. I was about 11. First time I remember seeing you on TOTP. Watched it whilst sat on a space hopper which I used as a chair. You can't get more 70s than that. lol. Just googled too. George Baker Selection charted at 10. You reached No 5. I don't remember anything about GBS. Taylor Swift for me is just a pretty blonde. Nothing more. Don't know any of the songs. And the Spice Girls keep threatening a comeback. Please NO!

Jo wrote:
Are there any of the current generation of singers whom you rate?

Wonder if AI will be writing songs, or even performing them in future.

We called it electronic music, acid house and synth pop back in the day.

There is a lot of good music out there these days, but you won't hear it on Radio 1.

The reason Taylor Swift happened was largely down to other people - promoting, marketing, improving the image, adapting the process.

Her parents are well-connected, and not forgetting George Soros is pulling her strings. I don't think she is political in private, but she is paid to be so for the public image. I hate it when singers go into political rants on stage; just run for Congress or be a candidate for an MP.

BTS were propaganda for the Army.

And I've never actually heard a Taylor Swift song but I did watch an amusing YouTube video just yesterday of a chap called Jonathan King singing
Una Paloma Blanca.

How and why would George Soros (Sorry GM I'm a great fan of him) be "pulling her strings" when she's a billionaire herself?. And for what purpose?

Isn't the left entitled to a few billionaires as well seeing the right have so many in their camp?

Soros like Bill Gates has pledged to give away his $Billions before he dies and has already given $32Billion to the Open Society Foundations which is probably a bastion of Communism and Socialism.

It's very long-winded to explain Soros and Taylor Swift connection. Celebrities have always been used to push a certain narrative, sway elections (Chevy Chase admitted SNL is propaganda)

If you want to win votes in certain Red states get Kid Rock.

Bill Gates, one of the men behind the vaccines, lockdowns, and Convid.

x.com/newman_chris/status/1752451489703027055

My daughter and her cousin are big "Swifties" but I have noticed don't sctuslly listen to her music...

It is all very different from my day when I would listen to favourite bands and know every lyric...