New Releases
Bon Iver Drops Anticapitalist Anthem Featuring Bruce Springsteen and Jenny Lewis
"Each and every person on earth deserves to live fully with dignity, equity, justice, and joy. Instead, our capitalistic societies have created a world that is most supportive of the wealthy and the elite, and the predatory corporations and policies that drive their disproportionate success."
08.05.2020
Bon Iver
Bon Iver has shared a surprise new song entitled "AUATC."
Produced by Justin Vernon, Jim-E Stack, and BJ Burton, and featuring contributions from Jenny Lewis, Bruce Springsteen, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, Phil Cook, and more, it's Bon Iver's second single of 2020.
The song dropped today along with a music video created by Aaron Anderson and Eric Timothy Carlson and starring Randall Riley. Filmed in New York, the video is mostly a montage of simple, beautiful footage of Riley dancing across bridges and through neighborhood scenes, all while wearing a mask. It's distinctly summer-in-the-time-of-COVID-core, from its DIY feel to its vaguely anticapitalist implications. (The video begins and ends with a few brightly colored cartoons depicting engorged, Monopoly Man-like men in suits all eating vast amounts of cake).
The song's acronymic title stands for "Ate Up All Their Cake," so its anticapitalist arguments aren't exactly covert.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="71e1c457dc67ffd61d1f7ed34c7f5c2a"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-DusRnF36UA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Bon Iver - AUATC - Official Video</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DusRnF36UA" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>Unlike Taylor Swift's recent <em><a href="https://www.popdust.com/taylor-swift-2646808025.html?share_id=5678173" target="_blank">folklore</a>, </em>in which Vernon was featured, the song isn't a product of COVID-19 isolation. It's actually been in progress since 2018, when Vernon shared a rough demo. His digital platform PEOPLE described the song as "a rough draft of a song Phil and Justin worked on last summer. We want to finish it but havent had time in the same space to do so. We're open to ideas."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-633"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent1 - mid_content --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c60670c78a5f7e20880e94a6ff2fe4b5"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nm08yUg38tE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">exile</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm08yUg38tE" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p><br></p><p>Like Bon Iver's first release of 2020, "PDLIF"—which benefited first responders and patients through the humanitarian aid organization <a href="https://www.directrelief.org" target="_blank">Direct Relief</a>—"AUATC" comes with a call to action. This time, the message is even clearer than the first one's: Down with the corporations that are swallowing us all whole.<br></p><p><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- 02B3 - responsive ad for shortcodes -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="5966901225" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5d5e8ff4d63c58f5b2651cc1b173de1b"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OeUadGNcN-8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Bon Iver - PDLIF - Official Video</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeUadGNcN-8" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>Sonically, "AUTUC" is similar to <a href="https://www.popdust.com/bon-iver-ii-review-2639731244.html" target="_self"><u>Bon Iver's most recent LP, </u><u><em>i,i, </em></u></a>which is richly complex, warm, and joyous, like the sound of a raucous summer beach vacation mixed with a few drug-fueled escapades into parallel dimensions.<br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>"AUTUC" begins with a bittersweet, jingly piano riff reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's "Jungleland" era. It starts with Vernon's vocals, digitally processed into a surreal warble as usual, and then erupts into strings, harmonies, and euphoric, expertly mixed acoustic guitar and the odd whistling woodwind.</p><p>It's all a bit chaotic, and it definitely requires good headphones—if you listen to it in mono it can sound like a wall of sound—but a closer listen reveals Bon Iver's characteristically adept production skills, which resemble those of a particularly excellent chef. Electric strings race from one headphone to the other; drums kick things off to a sprint; the song ends with a wall of warm, ghostly "oohs" before collapsing back into a soulfully spare outro. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p>As usual, Bon Iver is on the cutting edge of culture with his releases, preserving a sense of mystery with each of his eras. After rocking the folk music world with <em>For Emma </em>and building a mythological legacy off his time in an isolated cabin, he's since completely thrown off any semblance of genre, and he's turned Bon Iver into a gigantic family-like collective, which now appears to be involving itself in the dismantling of capitalism. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p>Perhaps the progression of Bon Iver's career is a good blueprint for how we should all live: Take some time to process our trauma in isolation before finding our crew, trying some stuff, getting to know God and then dedicating ourselves to achieving equality for all the world's people.</p><p>The "AUTUC" release was accompanied by a distinctly anti-capitalist statement from the creators, as well as a call for donations to Minneapolis Sanctuary Movement, Red Letter Grant, Equal Justice Initiative, National Independent Venue Association, and 350. </p><p>The letter shows that Bon Iver's been using quarantine to do some self-reflecting—about his (or their—it's unclear who's exactly writing the letter) own privilege and complicity within capitalism and his own impetus to dismantle it, both within the music industry and in general.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p>Here's the band's statement:</p><p><em>Each and every person on earth deserves to live fully with dignity, equity, justice, and joy. Instead, our capitalistic societies have created a world that is most supportive of the wealthy and the elite, and the predatory corporations and policies that drive their disproportionate success. </em></p><p><em>The average person is cast aside and unheard; marginalized communities are further oppressed due to race, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, creed, criminal record, housing stability, education, ability, documentation status, and more. The pandemic further magnifies these grave inequities and this unchecked greed.</em></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-639"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><p><em>We must continue the fight to topple capitalism as we know it, and recognize our collective participation in its dominant institutions. Bon Iver acknowledges our own position within and use of capitalistic practices. It is with recognition of our privilege that we are fully committed to using our unique platform to challenge and change capitalism within our industry, and far beyond. </em></p><p><em>We must empower and embrace our vulnerable neighbors. We must fight racism and sexism and classism to build a stronger foundation for the home we all deserve. We must support the leaders and organizations working to change our world for the better. From providing safe and stable housing, to empowering women, to liberating incarcerated people, to celebrating art and music, to fighting climate change, these organizations work tirelessly to foster a world that celebrates our humanity on a local, national, and global level. Please explore, support, and take action:</em></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em><strong>LOCAL</strong></em></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fmpq4WurT7RgjvbOtsGzc5ipKeTlkCoYUD2hy8ZfYVOeKJSDYTu2B30tIOXtBfJfXIxflPDnGdiEvZaZCOv1IlbLYR3FuuTqj2pBEGIuiOw-M_JzIc4C3u9jS1XqJ57TgGyGWs6oMzitPTuMgwMG2M73XK3bNYOw&c=qF6kwn1ZG3MoExrZSph9pTjIDuRj9y6YEW0aJbfsK-kOxMnoUPZvtg==&ch=QPaTIfnR_QNBZht8DWyiSGy0SG3L3yOmB83upJrEQTASNzHgBdp8mg==" target="_blank"><em>Minneapolis Sanctuary Movement</em></a> </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>(contact legislators / leadership; donate)</em></p><div id="cb3ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="828eef5757c2a19fb1ce8e697cc88212"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1289381416724119552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The trauma of repeated displacement cant be understated. Beyond being a cowardly act — an admission from Mpls gov t… https://t.co/i7Cva48yp2</div> — Minneapolis Sanctuary Movement (@Minneapolis Sanctuary Movement)<a href="https://twitter.com/mplssanctuary/statuses/1289381416724119552">1596247459.0</a></blockquote></div><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fmpq4WurT7RgjvbOtsGzc5ipKeTlkCoYUD2hy8ZfYVOeKJSDYTu2B30tIOXtBfJf92k30xeyKFHAxkWxxeQvHjdwWgLw7B-FJW3hJ0NYcd6OSsql3MVpzJ8MusE2wsJn6gYTETKQlDS7ZHvW4I7cxkdBiXVFTsB2&c=qF6kwn1ZG3MoExrZSph9pTjIDuRj9y6YEW0aJbfsK-kOxMnoUPZvtg==&ch=QPaTIfnR_QNBZht8DWyiSGy0SG3L3yOmB83upJrEQTASNzHgBdp8mg==" target="_blank"><em>Red Letter Grant </em></a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>(participate; apply)</em></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em><strong>NATIONAL</strong></em></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fmpq4WurT7RgjvbOtsGzc5ipKeTlkCoYUD2hy8ZfYVOeKJSDYTu2B58Miyaz3IDmn1gRpSoSfw-RhO-mf1QRiI_ri6j7ZXd6X5HDH9baFIh7EP-4Iwhu3gtYhsJBVA8P1_D2UGiVHF0=&c=qF6kwn1ZG3MoExrZSph9pTjIDuRj9y6YEW0aJbfsK-kOxMnoUPZvtg==&ch=QPaTIfnR_QNBZht8DWyiSGy0SG3L3yOmB83upJrEQTASNzHgBdp8mg==" target="_blank"><em>Equal Justice Initiative </em></a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>(learn; vote)</em></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-640"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent44 - longest_content --></p><div id="f400a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="82d2612588e1280203f3fce84bdd1fd9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1284921456951021574" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"We all have an obligation, a mission, and a mandate to do what we can. We must speak up for those who have been le… https://t.co/iW2W3xK8ch</div> — Equal Justice Initiative (@Equal Justice Initiative)<a href="https://twitter.com/eji_org/statuses/1284921456951021574">1595184122.0</a></blockquote></div><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fmpq4WurT7RgjvbOtsGzc5ipKeTlkCoYUD2hy8ZfYVOeKJSDYTu2B30tIOXtBfJf8-cx6v3FU7HN_8lidQheUfmKGAJI4ccvh5lUrz2PiGetdlD1xMITwlDxsEpT1tmkllY1BH--exjdLaiVaIJeeg==&c=qF6kwn1ZG3MoExrZSph9pTjIDuRj9y6YEW0aJbfsK-kOxMnoUPZvtg==&ch=QPaTIfnR_QNBZht8DWyiSGy0SG3L3yOmB83upJrEQTASNzHgBdp8mg==" target="_blank"><em>NIVA </em></a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>(contact legislators; support favorite venue)</em></p><div id="59d5e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7ddbcf4b1629abf7a7e012b0182d7ec0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1289641051943137281" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"Without this community, we're not going to survive. None of us have ever seen something so existentially threateni… https://t.co/tVwTtKB77L</div> — National Independent Talent Organization (@National Independent Talent Organization)<a href="https://twitter.com/NITO_Live/statuses/1289641051943137281">1596309361.0</a></blockquote></div><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em><strong>GLOBAL</strong></em></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001fmpq4WurT7RgjvbOtsGzc5ipKeTlkCoYUD2hy8ZfYVOeKJSDYTu2B30tIOXtBfJfGYqZys14AUAOZnynPFxkZsQWv2k61a_8Sb2hcckvTlBt2F6vt9T_jZmBUHa4tDOrkAcFf_rCUkI=&c=qF6kwn1ZG3MoExrZSph9pTjIDuRj9y6YEW0aJbfsK-kOxMnoUPZvtg==&ch=QPaTIfnR_QNBZht8DWyiSGy0SG3L3yOmB83upJrEQTASNzHgBdp8mg==" target="_blank"><em>350.org </em></a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>(join movement; participate in "Raise Your Voice for a #JustRecovery" campaign)</em></p><div id="424d0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7116e3438b463ae4fdc20e3ac706e755"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1291100059279532034" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Compounding disasters further expose the reality of the #climatecrisis. As hurricane and wildfire season hits the U… https://t.co/oeGnB2yfxC</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1291100059279532034">1596657216.0</a></blockquote></div><h2></h2><h2></h2><p>As Bon Iver said: Down with corporate bastards. A better world is possible. Redistribute the wealth.<br></p>
Keep Reading
Show less
Music Features
CeeLo Green Has Less Than Zero Room to Criticize Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion
The "I Think You're Crazy Singer" has come through with another tone deaf take.
08.12.2020
Singer-Songwriter CeeLo Green, AKA Thomas Callaway, has one of the best voices in the music industry.
It's why he was chosen as one of the original celebrity coaches on The Voice. He can hit notes that other singers wouldn't dream of and deliver them with some serious power. But too often the way he chooses to use that impressive voice is...not great.
When the Gnarls Barkley singer isn't harkening back to the golden era of soul music with breathy tones and soaring notes, he's harkening back to the fetid era of old school misogyny, with takes that are completely tone deaf.
<p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="9626795938"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></center><p></p><p>Take, for instance, <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ceelo-green-interview-gnarls-barkley-music-today/" target="_blank">his recent interview with <em>Far Out Magazine</em></a>, promoting his new album, <em>Ceelo Green Is Thomas Callaway</em>, during which he took a break from patting himself on the back ("My music is believable, it's real, it's authentic, it's convincing, it's genuine, it's integrable, it's commendable") to throw some shade at three of the most prominent Black women working in music today: Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Setting aside the fact that his complaint that music has "regressed" and no longer meets his "personal and moral" standards has been around for as long as people have been getting old—CeeLo turned 45 this year—his specific accusations against these icons are pure cringe. Calling Nicki Minaj one of the "heads of state," he claimed that the way she approaches her career "feels desperate."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent11 - mid_content --></p><div id="931df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e96bfeb4246d1dc322cf10efc1e5658"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="830936867788972033" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">When Cee Lo Green looks like a Ferrero Rocher. #GRAMMYs https://t.co/NxmE8e3oTd</div> — Cal (@Cal)<a href="https://twitter.com/Panayisalad/statuses/830936867788972033">1486945761.0</a></blockquote></div><p>By way of contrast, a move that is not at all desperate is a man in his 40s—who hadn't had a hit in six years—rebranding as "Gnarly Davidson" and <a href="https://variety.com/2017/music/news/ceelo-green-grammys-gold-outfit-memes-1201986670/" target="_blank">attending the Grammys coated in gold, with some bizarre head gear</a>. That's what CeeLo did in 2017. <strong>Because looking like an off-brand C-3PO is a sign of artistic integrity.</strong><br></p><p>CeeLo's main complaint seems to be with these women's open embrace of their sexuality, saying, "There was once a time when we were savvy enough to code certain things. We could express to those it was meant for with the style of language we used. But now music is shameless, it is sheer savagery."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>In particular he calls out Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, accusing them of using "salacious gesturing to kinda get into position." CeeLo joins the prestigious ranks of people like <a href="https://www.popdust.com/3-worst-ben-shapiro-quotes-2640383704.html" target="_self">Ben Shapiro</a> in criticizing the explicit sexuality in the music of the <a href="https://www.popdust.com/cardi-b-and-megan-thee-stallion-2646922542.html" target="_self">"WAP" collaborators</a>.</p><h4>Music Used to Be Clean!</h4><p>But even if he finds himself in some awful company—and has since issued a half-assed apology via Instagram—maybe he has a point? Like, was there a need for explicit language like "wet-ass p****?" Back in the day musicians could cover adult topics with coded language, as in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaFfJSC6uz8" target="_blank">Dinah Washington's 1954 single "Big Long Slidin' Thing,"</a> which was about her boyfriend's trombone…</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="df24c912efe4db742a77ae8435f69d80"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BVco0KHQei4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Cardi B - WAP (w/ Ben Shapiro) [iMarkkeyz Edit]</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVco0KHQei4" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>Or, if they had really wanted to sing a song celebrating their bodies, they could have used the kind of clever double entendre that British Jazz musician Harry Roy used in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIfcKy-VcXo" target="_blank">1931 song "My Girl's P****"</a>. Wait? Why is that censored? He was talking about her cat!<br></p><p>The reality is that standards change over time. A word that used to have a polite primary meaning that provided a tenuous cover for sexual subject matter is now considered purely obscene. At the time, a title like "My Girl's P****" probably raised some eyebrows, but the idea of a song like CeeLo's 2010 "**** You" would have been unthinkable.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p>Likewise, the long tradition of using clever sexual language to shock and amuse audiences hasn't gone anywhere, but modern audiences would probably find the old way of doing that through labored, winking metaphors corny. We prefer lines like, "He got a beard, well, I'm tryna wet it / I let him taste it, now he diabetic."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p>At least these days we can <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/08/we-asked-a-gyno-about-wap.html" target="_blank">celebrate the anatomical realities of healthy genitalia</a>, unlike Harry Roy who said of his girlfriend's "cat," "No matter what the weather's like / It's always dry and warm" (you might be doing something wrong then, Harry). <strong>Standards change, and if that means treating sexual content with less shame and secrecy, isn't that a good thing?</strong> Maybe we can all just figure out how to enjoy this kind of music without exposing it to children who are too young to appreciate its message.</p><p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- Popdust Mobile Banner 320x100 --><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:320px;height:100px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="6952751205"></ins><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></center><p></p><p>As for CeeLo, would he have been offended by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlZqfNNtvVM" target="_blank">the 1951 hit "Sixty Minute Man" by Billy Ward and His Dominoes</a>? That song featured lyrics boasting, "There'll be fifteen minutes of kissin' / Then you'll holler 'Please don't stop' / There'll be fifteen minutes of teasin' / Fifteen minutes of squeezin' / And fifteen minutes of blowin' my top."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-639"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><h4>A History of Bad Takes</h4><p>Is that the kind of "code" CeeLo misses, or is it just the fact that women are now allowed to be "salacious" and brag about their sexual prowess that bothers him? CeeLo claims to "get it" when it comes to "the independent woman and being in control, the divine femininity and sexual expression," but then he asks, "at what cost?" Which is another way of saying "I definitely don't get it."</p><p>Of course, this is hardly the first time CeeLo Green has let his toxic masculinity show. In 2011, after music journalist Andrea Swensson published a review that was critical of a lackluster concert performance, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/voices-cee-lo-green-responds-202966" target="_blank">CeeLo tweeted at her</a>, <strong>"I'm guessing ur gay? And my masculinity offended u? well **** U!"</strong></p><div id="821c8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6169882c15c6bf69c8ee68d190865db6"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDys-XdHCFo/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Login • Instagram</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>And, of course, we can't forget why CeeLo left the voice in 2013. Supposedly it was an "amicable" parting of the ways that just happened to line up with a legal case in which <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6738230/ceelo-green-the-voice-heart-blanche-interview" target="_blank">CeeLo was accused of slipping a woman drugs in a restaurant and sexually assaulting her.</a><br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-640"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent44 - longest_content --></p><p>Regardless of the facts of that case—he accepted one charge of "furnishing a controlled substance"—the way CeeLo addressed it on Twitter was, to borrow his phrase, "disappointing on a personal and moral level." He claimed, <strong>"Women who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!"</strong></p><p>He would later delete that tweet, but a couple days after the fact his <em>TBS</em> reality show <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/ceelo-greens-tbs-show-good-life-canceled-after-tweet-rant-n194076" target="_blank"><em>CeeLo Green's The Good Life</em> was canceled</a>, along with multiple concert appearances. His career never really recovered, which may explain why he's now coming after three women with much higher profiles than his own. Is he just trying to start beef and garner some headlines? Because if that's the move, it "feels desperate."</p><h2></h2><p><em>CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway</em> premiered in June to widespread indifference. "WAP," meanwhile, has sold nearly a million copies in its first week and is slated to be among the biggest debuts in decades.</p>
Keep Reading
Show less
Music Features
Swifties Need to Calm Down
When "stans" attack those who criticize their heroes, why won't those heroes speak up?
07.27.2020
It's time for us to reevaluate stan culture.
For those who somehow missed the news, Taylor Swift released her surprise eighth album, folklore, last weekend. Featuring contributions from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and the National's Aaron Dessner, it marked a notably stark sonic shift for our reigning pop princess, a noted indie fan in spite of what that one line in "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" might've suggested.
But even the extremely short notice of folklore's release didn't keep Taylor Swift's most diehard fans from, well, doing what Swifties do best.
<p><em>Pitchfork</em> revealed their hotly anticipated review of <em>folklore </em>the following Monday, awarding the album a score of 8.0/10—not high enough to merit a "Best New Music" title, but an impressive feat considering the website's complicated history with Swift's music. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>Still, the Swifties attacked, doxing the author of the review out of sheer anger that the album didn't receive a perfect 10. In tweets that have since been removed due to violating Twitter's guidelines, Swift's fans shared the reviewer's personal contact information—phone number included.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-633"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent1 - mid_content --></p><p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="9626795938"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></center><p></p>
<div id="201af" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3903bb396036f565d0649fed6170fbf9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1287822906655989760" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">So wait...let me understand this.
@jumonsmapes, who did a very well-done review of @taylorswift13's #folklore alb… https://t.co/uvH2bZOb0d</div> — Juan D. ¡VIVA LA RAZA! (@Juan D. ¡VIVA LA RAZA!)<a href="https://twitter.com/jhulud/statuses/1287822906655989760">1595875882.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><strong>Cloaked in ambiguous screen names and Twitter avatars of their blonde hero, Taylor Swift's fan base has grown into one of the most ruthless and terrifying of its kind. </strong>With each review of <em>folklore</em>—whether it be from Pitchfork, the <em>Guardian</em>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/joncaramanica/status/1287429469465124864?s=20" target="_blank">the <em>New York Times</em></a>—the Swifties viciously barraged the publication's Twitter replies if the critique was anything less than perfectly gleaming.<br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent11 - mid_content --></p><p>Swifties care about numbers. Their goal, it seems, is for <em>folklore </em>to achieve a score of 90 on Metacritic, a reviews aggregator. Judging from their replies, it seems these fans feel a responsibility to go to extreme lengths for the sake of defending their idol. </p><p>But Swifties aren't the only fans to take their celebrity worship too far.</p><p>In late 2018, following his rapid engagement and split with Ariana Grande, Pete Davidson shared <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/krystieyandoli/pete-davidson-after-split-with-ariana-grande-posts-candid" target="_blank">an Instagram post detailing his mental health issues and history of suicidal thoughts</a>. "I've been getting bullied online and in public by people for 9 months," the comedian wrote, almost certainly referencing Grande's fans. "I've spoken about BPD and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don't want to be on this earth." <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/12/15/nypd-checked-pete-davidson-after-he-posted-an-alarming-instagram-message/" target="_blank">Widespread concern, namely from Grande herself, resulted in the NYPD conducting a wellness check on Davidson</a>. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>Though Davidson was found safe, <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/12/218537/ariana-grande-tells-fans-gentle-with-pete-davidson" target="_blank">Grande still asked her fans to be "gentler" with him</a>. His post struck a nerve with rapper Cardi B, who felt the need to spread the message to her own fans in the midst of her tumultuous romance with Migos member Offset.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p>"You just saw how Pete Davidson was talking about how he doesn't even want to be on this earth because mad people be coming at him every single day," Cardi said, following her performance at Rolling Loud that was interrupted by Offset. "I wouldn't want my baby father to have that feeling because millions of people be bashing him every day."</p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Twitter</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image">
<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/DannyDTaken/status/1074280356545744897" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGZXh0X3R3X3ZpZGVvX3RodW1iJTJGMTA3NDI4MDI3ODI4NDA3MDkxNyUyRnB1JTJGaW1nJTJGYkFuZW42WGJvTjM1M1hJTi5qcGclM0FzbWFsbCZobz1odHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnBicy50d2ltZy5jb20mcz00MTImaD1hMmIyNDc2MGQ3Njg4OGIzZTg4MmJkOTdhZjYxZTdjMGYxMjllZGY3ZGE3ZWFhZmQ0NmUyMTAwODNlYWJmYzU0JnNpemU9OTgweCZjPTE0NDE4ODM2MTgiLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjMyMjQyMTA0fQ.G2H2mTC8wEGoXQFLAKqKWHmnA8pkXz0-XdVqGp0xWdE/img.jpg" id="e65ff" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="84d8d511de38be209b3f518aecfd2159"></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Twitter</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://twitter.com/DannyDTaken/status/1074280356545744897?s=20" target="_blank">twitter.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>As long as we have mega-popular artists like Grande and Cardi, we will have mega-devoted fan bases. <strong>But there's a reason why Cardi's fans and the Arianators aren't perceived as being "toxic" as often as, say,<a href="https://www.popdust.com/-toxic-fan-bases-popdust-opinion-2632783271.html" target="_blank"> fans of Nicki Minaj, BTS, or Swift.</a></strong><br></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p><a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/190104/what-its-like-when-nicki-minaj-and-her-fans-harass-you" target="_blank">It's a common ordeal for critics to be berated by fans of Minaj</a>, should they dare say anything even remotely negative about the Queen of Rap; I myself received death threats from countless Minaj fans just earlier this year for <a href="https://www.popdust.com/nicki-minaj-yikes-2645064903.html" target="_self">a negative song review I wrote</a>. <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/03/nicki-minajs-dark-bargain-with-her-fans" target="_blank">The rapper has come under fire for inciting her fans</a> and sicking them at her naysayers. BTS' "ARMY" has been dubbed the world's most powerful fandom, <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/05/18/how-bts-mania-spawned-a-toxic-k-pop-fanbase-that-attacked-me-online/" target="_blank">spawning a "toxic" environment that often hides behind anonymous fan accounts</a>.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p>Swift, on the other hand, hasn't exactly made any public orders for her army to attack—but for someone with a generally positive demeanor who literally made a song called "You Need to Calm Down," Swift's silence regarding her fans' actions seems to allow the hostility to swell further.</p><p>It's time for Swift to practice what she preaches and advise her fans to stop attacking critics so mercilessly; other stars in her lane must also follow suit. These fervent fans—or "stans," as popularized by the Eminem song about an obsessed fan—have come to feel an overwhelming responsibility to go to bat for their idols. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-639"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><h2></h2><p>As Swift's decidedly darker 2017 album <em>Reputation </em>explored, you can't control how people perceive you if they live outside your world. When fans don't realize this, "stan" culture becomes a lifestyle. And when one's lifestyle is threatened, it's in our human nature to attack.</p>
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
