FROGGO

Say It Right changed the world

Christ, I feel the same way.
 
I think her discography is terribly overrated and overhyped, and her "saving grace" -- her ability to perform and put on a show -- really isn't all that great as it's been made out to be. She is NOT the female Michael Jackson, imo. While she is a great technical performer; hitting every mark, every note, carrying herself with the "perfect" amount of sass, etc, it all seems very calculated, and not at all genuine. Every move she makes seems so deliberate, the way she moves her body (not sure how to describe it, she's technically doing the moves correctly but doesn't move like an actual dancer), her voice, although brilliant, can be so affected in its delivery, portraying perfect amount of pain, the perfect amount of playfulness, the perfect amount of forcefulness. Perfect, perfect, perfect. I don't know. Her interactions with her fans and banter while on stage seem so insincere, right down to the way she smiles, throws her head back and laughs, and that single tear that falls as she looks off into the distance while performing something that "moves her". It's as though there's something kind of robotic that's holding her back. It's as though her fixation on her image and appearing a certain way transcends to the stage and effects her delivery. I just can't get into it, as much as I want to and as talented as she undoubtedly is. I've just never once gotten the impression that she gets truly lost in her performances. 
 
I feel like Britney at her peak, Freddie Mercury, two very different artists from one another -- are those on par with MJ for putting on a great fucking performance. Beyonce doesn't deserve to have her name mentioned in the same sentence as him. 
 
I touched a bit on her legendary, iconic status here. Basically, her team marketed her as a ~legend~ and ~iconic~; these were not bestowed upon her through the usual means of time passing and retrospection as they ought to be be. Funny how carefully worded press releases, demands for media outlets, and certain marketing can give someone a title and status that should only be earned in time and not as a hungry grab for a crown the public never set upon their head, if that makes any sense. 
 
ANYWAY, I said a lot more than I was meaning to and I only popped in here to mention a couple of op-ed pieces I feel hit the nail on the end in regards to both Beyonce's and Rihanna's career. The first touches on what @@elllipsis mentioned about her lack of notable songs despite her supposed status in music...
 
Beyonce: An Icon Who's Struggled to Make Iconic Music?
 
AND
 
Like She's the Only Girl in the World: The improbable, unstoppable success of Rihanna
  -- Choice quote:
          "Mariah, Whitney, Beyoncé, Gaga—these stars feel like stars. Rihanna feels like something else: a one hit-wonder several dozen times over."
 
(What is this accuracy? What a succinct way of putting it.) 

Her interviews are an absolute delight. She's incredibly eloquent, intelligent, and well-cultured (in terms of being into the arts). It's really quite refreshing to see an up-and-coming pop girl (she's basically pop at the end of the day, imo) be so outspoken, honest, and so smart. (Why so many artists choose to hide or downplay that part of themselves, I'll never know). Love it. 

Thanks for the info @@elllipsis! I'm inclined to go with Iggy on the multiple album versions; I'm just not a fan of different editions for various regions and re-releases and deluxe versions and certain store-only versions (i.e. Target). Such money-grabbers, I love the idea of releasing the one, complete, perfect version as intended by the artist and having that be that, especially in this day and age. I'm sure if must be frustrating for some heavily-involved, hands-on artists to have their dream album art, packaging, songs and track order done up only to have what you deem to be the finished project -- as according to the concept you developed and spent months/years on -- be sliced apart and repackaged to someone else's specifications. Or I suppose, even worse: being forced to release a single you feel is not representative of your work. Just another way the industry takes the agency out of being an artist, but that's what happens when you make a deal with the devil.   
Anyway, It really is a pity that she doesn't get a say in this. 

MAKE THE THREAD! ENCOURAGE MORE SHADE

@@lola DYING at Rpatz face in that pic.

is  that what happened to beyoncé?
 

 
 
on the subjects of singles though, this is an interesting article discussing the pros of releasing singles instead of albums

nobody will give Rihanna at least a vote? Out of mercy?

Beysus is not a hater, she is a fan tho, she is ok, for now 

DEAD at no one anticipating Rihanna     

the only way i'd be excited for any of those is if beyonce collaborated w robert pattinson & death grips tbh

You will NOT try to compare them if you want Icona Pop to have any follicles left at all

It's because if you want to hear Rihanna's next album, all you need to do it's replay Loud over and over and over and that's it

Not really anticipating any of these albums, but I voted for Gaga because ~mistery & we can always count on her for a healthy dose of weirdness.
And I want Beyoncé to flop because I'm mean and she annoys me as all hell.

Honestly, Sky, Lorde, CHVRCHES, Icona Pop, and (hopefully) Charli deserve their own, less mainstream poll.   

And though I'm miffed at the lack of info, I'm still eagerly anticipating 'Lip$ha'.   

DEAD at no one anticipating Rihanna     

DEAD at no one anticipating Rihanna     

Get the acclaim and anticipation, RIhsus

fixed! thank you!   

POLL ADDED!

I look forward to reading everyone's shade   so don't hold back!

I actually changed it. Go nuts, guys

Couldn't agree more! 

Out of the 5 options
 
my most anticpated are Gaga and Katy, I voted Gaga just because her's is the most shrouded in msytery and has the most possibility to be really good and unique or really horrible (still probably unique, but horrible nonetheless)
 
Rihanna is somewhere in the middle
 
And Britney and Beyonce can flop... I want success for Charli and I know she wrote for Britney so if a Charli song ends up on Britney's album I hope that one song does great, but for the most part I just don't really like Britney and I never feel like her music is really her's so I don't like bopping to it. And I don't like her voice much either... I just would rather the other pop girls take over the airwaves.
 
As for Beyonce, I just don't think she;s very interesting.

is it possible for u 2 alter the poll so we can vote for multiple artists? (everyone can just flop tbh idc)

I see what you did there!