A spotty narrative

Nu Music Monday #23 / 17-05-2021

May 17, 2021

Hey there,

I’m Red, and welcome to Nu Music Monday. Glad to have you here.

Every week I write quick bites about some of my favorite tracks released in the past seven days (-ish). I also go into the latest music news when I feel like it and share stuff I think is worth your time.

Let’s discuss award shows’ obsession with gendering, the new St. Vincent album and listen to extra-crispy new music this week.

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It’s the Brits, darling

The Brits, one of the last few awards show worth tuning in for, if only for performances and lewks, took place last week to an audience of frontline workers in the O2 Arena, London.

Dua Lipa was a big winner, as expected, taking home Album of the Year (or ‘Mastercard Album’ because, umh, if you hadn’t noticed, Mastercard is a big-time sponsor of the ceremony–honestly what a lame award title) and Female Solo Artist. Kudos.

Little Mix made history being the first girl group EVER to win British group (how? how have The Saturdays, Girls Aloud, the SPICE GIRLS never won it? meanwhile, Coldplay has brought the thing home four times…). Lovely to see Leigh-Anne and Perrie’s baby bumps, wishing them a healthy and happy pregnancy!

British Single went to Watermelon Sugar (sure), International Male Solo Artist went to The Weeknd (of course), Billie Eilish got International Female Solo Artist (ok…), HAIM was crowned International Group (yay!) and Taylor Swift is your new BRITs Global Icon (yep).

What is the Brits’ obsession with gendering awards about? Breaking down awards following such a dichotomy feels very much antiquated at this point. Why on Earth do we still need to separate male and female–by way of excluding anyone not identifying with either of those gender identities?

Some argue that this binary is a way to make sure female artists get their props in a misogynistic industry. This can’t possibly be the answer to the issue of a particular group (always the same) choosing who gets awarded for what. A band-aid on an open wound if you while.

Provide opportunities for the people at the top to not be your run-of-the-mill ol’ fashioned white old man and nominations and winners of different creeds and backgrounds will follow. Surely they know that. If only the privileged saw change as an auspicious means to move forward along with society rather than an injustice that chips away every advantage they accumulated under the sun… pipe dream?

The Nutshell ~ news of the week

Eric Clapton is mad about vaccines again.
Nicki Minaj released an early mixtape for the first time on streaming services and the Barbz are fed. She has an album on the way (not even a year after announcing her retirement… at this point ‘retirement’ means ‘one month hiatus’ for artists).
Tina Turner, Carole King, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron and LL Cool J are amongst this year’s Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Maybe it’s time to re-brand the pantheon?
Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan announced new Vegas residencies. Celine has had Sin City on lock for what feels like decades, we love to see it.

Track of the week: Down - St. Vincent

St. Vincent takes her musicianship to downtown New York, heels in hand, with yesterday’s paint on and no intention to relinquish any control over a spotty narrative.

Annie Clark has been inhabiting her moniker through savant rounds of reinvention with each album cycle. Born out of a Nick Cave lyric, St. Vincent first reflected the experiences of youth and the friction between reality and fiction in Marry Me (2007) and Actor (2009). She then pushed the envelope of self-expression in Strange Mercy (2011) and a self-titled album (2014) before picking up latex gloves and high heels to play the dominatrix on 2017’s Masseduction. This time around, a sepia-toned deadpan stare beneath a blonde wig with a sketch of a smirk welcomes you to her latest body of work, a 70s-indebted collection of tracks (loosely) based on Clark’s father’s release from prison. Daddy’s home.

Remnants of Masseduction’s simmering chaos resurface in the neurotic opening number as St. Vincent indulges a sweating syrupy meltdown. ‘Pay Your Way In Pain’ is bouncy and lethargic at the same time. It’s like forcefully trying to get up from the couch but not quite reaching equilibrium and trying again, and again, and again… The voices inside her head flicker throughout until an ultimate howl cannibalizes the entire composition into nothingness. The spine-tingling ‘Down’ also clearly gets Clark’s blood pumping. She channels Black Mamba from the first line to the last, playfully deadly in demeanor and craft. The track sounds every bit calculated and precise as you’d expect from talented instrumentalists like Jack Antonoff and Clark, but the result is also incredibly entertaining.

Read my full review of St. Vincent’s new album here.

Runner-up: Beluga v2 - Baird (feat. Berhana)

The coolest “You know I love you”s I’ve heard in a while. ‘Beluga v2’ is exactly what contemporary R&B has been doing right, bringing back funk sounds without being too precious about it. If it makes you feel good, you’ve done something right. BAIRD and Berhana have gotten the assignment.

Motorbike - Leon Bridges

Smokey vocals and all, Bridges has announced an upcoming album (expect it in July). The sun is already on ‘Motorbike’; in fact so much so that you have to take cover in the shade to cool yourself down. The scorching heat makes everything slightly hazy, nothing to do but lie down and dream about what’s next.