Critics who don’t themselves make music “SHOULD BE UNEMPLOYED”, the American rapper Lizzo tweeted to her 222,000 followers this week. The star was reacting angrily to an unflattering, though far from hostile, review of her new album Cuz I Love You. The battle between offended artist and critic is a well-established one. Though the medium has changed, Lizzo’s message was a striking echo of a furious telegram displayed in a new British Library exhibition. Its sender, the playwright John Osborne, complained that a reviewer did not understand creation, warning him, also in capital letters, “FROM NOW ON IT’S OPEN WAR ALL THE WAY”.
But Lizzo was wrong about this, as she may have taken on board. (“Gonna take my temper off the internet”, she subsequently tweeted.) Publishers, studios and artists have always been publicists as well as creators. Independent voices offer a crucial counterweight. Critics help people determine which music, TV, books and plays to spend their time and money on, and to make the most of those choices. The internet has made it easier to sample culture, while social media has vastly increased the range of word of mouth. But in our age of algorithmically generated recommendations, this curatorial role has arguably become more important.
Continue reading...from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2vqgDey
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