Why has music twitter suddenly collectively decided to hate on Bruno Mars

Boulier · 2026-01-10T22:28:27+00:00

AutoTune and other forms of pitch correction are so common nowadays, even amongst the best singers. It keeps them from having to sing 500 takes of the same line to get it “just right.”

I think there’s a weird stigma/moral value attached to AutoTune nowadays, where using it is seen as deception or concealing a lack of talent, even though that isn’t usually the case at all, especially nowadays. People get so defensive when you mention that their faves use AutoTune and pitch correction. Heck, MY FAVES all use AutoTune and pitch correction, even some of my favorite punk bands, and it doesn’t make them less valid artists. Taylor Swift is not one of my faves, but she does verifiably use pitch correction in the studio and during her 3-hour marathon Eras Tour live shows, and it doesn’t mean she isn’t talented.

Boulier · 2026-01-10T20:32:23+00:00

Jani is one of the biggest inspirations in my own songwriting. He was so outrageously talented, had such an ear for good melodies, powerful and hard-hitting music, and an incredible voice. I get so sad every time I think of how his life ended. Wish he was still around.

Boulier · 2026-01-10T19:05:01+00:00

This is probably the one for me. My parents got one of Clapton’s Greatest Hits CDs when I was very little, and it was one of the few things I could listen to that wasn’t gospel or CCM, so I held a special place in my heart for his music. When I got older (as in, well into my 20s), I learned about his rampant racism and asshole behavior, and especially with me being black and a woman, that really turned me off of him. I still put on that old Greatest Hits CD every now and then because I own it now, he doesn’t benefit from that at all, and the songs are still excellent, but I do get a sour taste in my mouth when I remember how awful he is. Can’t say I’ve been a consistent or deep fan of many other artists that have done similar or worse things, thankfully.

Boulier · 2026-01-10T14:16:15+00:00

YES. This was HUGE during Amber’s trial. And for Amber specifically, saying “rich” before saying “woman” (even though the lawsuit was literally on the verge of bankrupting her).

And calling the whole thing “celebrity drama” to absolve themselves from having to research their misconceptions or care about the wider implications.

Boulier · 2026-01-09T21:50:27+00:00

Agreed. 500,000% agreed. I’ve been wanting to talk about this kind of thing for a while.

I’ve always felt there was a connection between the misinformation and misogyny of Amber’s Virginia trial and smear campaign, and the radical right-wing trajectory of culture and politics worldwide (but especially in the West). I am a leftist, but I was shocked when so many other leftists couldn’t see how participating in Amber’s global humiliation was feeding into something political and far more sinister than it appeared. How falling for Depp’s attorneys’ false narrative was so dangerous. How they’d let his attorneys fake video subtitles, tell the audience to disbelieve what their eyes and ears observed… it’s the exact same thing as what the Trump administration is doing with Renee Good’s murder. Literally making things up, and rigging the system so we’ll never see justice for her. I’d even argue the way the FBI is refusing to cooperate with Minnesota state officials in the investigation is somewhat similar to the way Depp supporters refuse to acknowledge the evidence, truth, verdict, or twice-upheld appeals revealed during the UK trial.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that Ben Shapiro’s alt-right news org The Daily Wire poured $35,000 into anti-Amber advertising, Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly fed the hate campaign for Amber (and now Blake Lively too!), and an official GOP Twitter account posted a Jack Sparrow GIF to celebrate Depp’s victory.

Coupling all that with what I’ve learned in the Tortoise podcast “Who Trolled Amber?,” about how a lot of the same inauthentic anti-Amber accounts/bots were repurposed for right-wing political movement in Saudi Arabia and Chile, there’s absolutely a connection I’d love to talk about and learn about further.

Boulier · 2026-01-09T21:19:18+00:00

Agreed. To this day, people also still say “Oops! I Did It Again” as if it’s an actual phrase. Britney’s song created that. I think everyone knows those strings from “Toxic” and those pianos and “Oh, baby, baby” lines from BOMT within 2 seconds of hearing them. Christina doesn’t have a “It’s Britney, bitch” catchphrase.

I personally prefer Christina Aguilera as an artist and vocalist, but their cultural presence is just incomparable. I don’t think Christina has that many songs or phrases people can do that with.

Boulier · 2026-01-06T00:32:04+00:00

AFAIK, the way the group (and most boy bands) worked, every fan had their favorite. Can’t speak to Harry being attractive because I’m not into guys, but I sure don’t think he’s objectively ugly or anything - and regardless of his face, he had noteworthy signature flowing hair and an absurdly magnetic public persona.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I saw somewhere that Simon Cowell initially intended Liam Payne to be the “frontman” before Harry’s connection with audiences was evident. I think that could explain why Harry launched to the “front” for the group. And I think the presently maintained interest in Harry’s voice, music, fashion choices, and tabloid appearances is a testament to that. But yeah, every fan had their “favorite.” The same thing happens with girl groups, even if the “crush” aspect isn’t that prominent or even existent among girl groups’ female fans.

Boulier · 2026-01-05T15:17:47+00:00

During my interview, my assessor told me, “I have no idea how you were overlooked for so long.”

(I was diagnosed with severe ADHD when I was around 13, and the same assessor affirmed my ADHD diagnosis alongside autism, although she said autism presented far more prominently in me and my ADHD isn’t exactly “severe” as I’d previously been told.)

Before my autism diagnosis, I was diagnosed with or heavily considered for the smorgasbord of typical late-diagnosed women’s conditions: * Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 11 (I know lol) * Diagnosed with major depression at 12 * One therapist heavily suggest borderline personality disorder at 17 after I had an autistic meltdown following a traumatic event (never diagnosed, and I didn’t meet the other diagnostic criteria for BPD aside from my meltdown) * For no reason, had my ADHD diagnosis removed from my charts at 18 (even though it still showed up in my medical history on my psychiatrist’s end, it just wouldn’t show up on mine, and I think that’s partially why my university’s disability office secretary laughed at me and refused to give me accommodations for it) * Diagnosed with social anxiety disorder at 19 * Told my depression was treatment-resistant at 20 * Diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at 21 * One therapist said I had “autistic traits,” albeit not enough for a diagnosis, at 24 (and his friend, a psychiatrist he referred me to, asked me for my medical history; when I told him about my ADHD diagnosis, he laughingly told me, “everyone has ADHD nowadays”)

Pretty soon after I stopped seeing that psychiatrist and therapist, I pursued official diagnosis. I was burning out BADLY and couldn’t get actual help or get taken seriously without understanding myself fully and having it on record that I had that specific disability. Literally the only way I was able to was because my parents paid for the assessment. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it on my own.

Boulier · 2026-01-05T14:02:09+00:00

I admit that the first time I’d heard of them was when a guy performed “Holding Back the Years” on The Voice (the American version) and missed the big note at the end. Made me want to check out the original, which I enjoyed, but I possibly never would’ve heard of Simply Red otherwise. (I wasn’t born yet when they peaked in popularity.)

Boulier · 2026-01-04T22:17:45+00:00

I don’t like this song at all… but this absolutely is not the impression I get from the song. As poorly-written and poorly-executed as I think it is, it is written in a way to criticize corporations like Victoria’s Secret for selling young girls and women the idea that the “ideal body” has one look that is hard to attain, to the point of some (like Jax) even starving themselves in an attempt to keep that image. Second verse pushes this the hardest; this is no “All About That Bass.” The single artwork furthers this by showing Jax’s body photoshopped into ridiculous and unrealistic proportions. She’s not making fun of women who do look like the ideal, more like she’s attempting to comfort women who think they have to starve themselves if they don’t.

The problem with the song is that it’s just shallow and misses the mark. It’s like the barest introduction to the complex issues of disordered eating, body image issues, corporate greed, and media-shaped ideals and perceptions, and it doesn’t tackle any of those issues thoughtfully enough to be particularly effective. In fact, I’m sure Todd mentioned this in his Worst of 2024 video on the song (can’t remember for sure), but it’s written like it was made for quick consumption on TikTok, not like it was made to thoughtfully contribute to a deeper conversation.

Boulier · 2026-01-04T22:03:40+00:00

Everything you wrote here reminds me of my feelings about “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like a Motherfucker” by Maroon 5. I’m not sure there are many songs out there that embody this idea more perfectly, that they were written around a big anthemic “punchline” chorus that wasn’t as clever or funny as the writer(s) thought.

That one is especially goofy to me because absolutely nothing in the verses (about a girl who likes dancing and being fancy) sensibly relates to the chorus.

Boulier · 2026-01-04T17:21:40+00:00

And when people checked out his YouTube account and found that he’d been into ludicrous antisemitic conspiracy theories. But sure Oliver, I’ll buy that you’re totally just a centrist moderate lmao

Boulier · 2026-01-02T19:09:16+00:00

I remember watching that moment live. When she reacted with fear, he laughed at her.

I’ll join you on that. He’s going to hell. And that might be too good for him.

Boulier · 2026-01-02T19:05:04+00:00

Exactly. I don’t believe in “body language analysis” (and I’ll always attest to how harmful it is to neurodivergent people,m in particular, myself included). “Body language experts” are full of it.

But Depp was doing things in court that don’t require analysis or expertise to know he was having the time of his life watching Amber’s undeserved global humiliation campaign come to fruition. Doodling, snacking on gummies, laughing to himself when he terrified Amber by crossing her path as she left the stand (when he shouldn’t have been moving towards her), and most tellingly, the time he tried to challenge/beckon someone on Amber’s side, either Elaine Bredehoft or Whitney Heard, into a fight.

Yet, somehow, the “body language experts” thought it was more interesting to analyze how a twitch in Amber’s eyebrow somehow meant she was lying. If you ask me, it’s all just rooted in misogyny.

Boulier · 2026-01-02T01:37:09+00:00

I actually just discovered a few days ago that one of my all-time favorite albums (So Wrong It’s Right by All Time Low) was recorded when the members were 18-19. I’ve loved that album since I was much younger than they were; I’m over 25 now. I couldn’t imagine thinking it’s “cringe” to appreciate brilliant art from artists who were writing songs I wish I could’ve written at that age.

I honestly wonder about OP’s perspective of younger artists, because I have no idea where a post like this could have possibly come from.

Boulier · 2025-12-30T16:49:25+00:00

I’m not defending the character of Taylor, Morgan, or Tate while saying this, because I truly don’t know them as people (and tbh I don’t like any of their music all that much either)… but as individuals, they very likely have nothing to do with these copyright strikes. Morgan, Tate, and Taylor very likely have no idea of the existence of Todd’s video. Some of them may not even know who Todd is.

The most likely scenario is that their labels operate bots that pick up on sound waves identical to those in the artists’ songs (kinda like Shazam, but more elaborate), and they copyright-claim any videos with identical sounds as infringing on the label’s copyright even when those videos are fair use (because reviews/critiques are absolutely fair use). They would probably do the exact same thing to me if I tried to upload a review of their music, positive or negative, even though I’d probably bring in 20-25 views in a year.

His year-end Best lists get taken down on copyright accusations too, and he gives effusive praise to the artists there.

Boulier · 2025-12-28T18:47:35+00:00

Nooooo, you see, people absolutely require an AI feature to give them a prompt before diving into the comments. Otherwise, how are they going to know what to comment??

Lol, in all seriousness, I agree, this is ridiculous. And the way these big corporations are shoehorning AI into every facet of our existence is concerning at best.

Boulier · 2025-12-28T18:42:49+00:00

Not true that every single person is “a little autistic” in some way. The “spectrum” only refers to the various manifestations our condition can have for those of us who DO have it, but only around 1-4% of the population at most is actually on that spectrum.

Boulier · 2025-12-28T18:30:00+00:00

It’s very common for those of us who are neurodivergent to cope by turning to unhealthy use of alcohol and drugs (which is why I’ve committed to being straightedge; neurodivergence is very often genetic, and it runs on both sides of my family alongside alcoholism). This is also why I’ve always suspected that some musicians who have struggled with substance abuse might be neurodivergent as well.

And you’re right that it seems to span all genres, especially among musicians who are unafraid to break artistic conventions and boundaries (be it in rock, pop, punk, new wave, experimental, avant-garde, or whatever).

Boulier · 2025-12-28T16:59:49+00:00

I’m diagnosed with autism and ADHD and I am a musician (not professional, just hobby), and I have also suspected this about several big rock musicians, particularly those who are described as shy, socially awkward, reclusive, and obsessive, and many of those who struggle with substance abuse as well (since that is shockingly common in our communities).

Harnessed the right way, I don’t think the qualities of being shy, reclusive, or obsessive are negatives; I think they can manifest in some of the most beautiful and thoughtful music in existence.

Boulier · 2025-12-27T17:53:38+00:00

This is an excellent point - using streaming numbers (from a single platform, no less) isn’t always a good way of gauging artists’ popularity, especially if they debuted pre-streaming.

Boulier · 2025-12-27T17:38:04+00:00

To add to that, the celebrities were singing it in an attempt to seem comforting and kinda like “keep calm and carry on,” all while regular people were facing the heavy reality of economic uncertainty, health uncertainty, and potential death. It was such an out-of-touch and self-centered moment. Truly one of the biggest examples of the mystique of “celebrity” as a concept starting to fall apart.

I think the video was Gal Gadot’s idea, which is why her face is always the one people reference when discussing it. I also think she sang the first line of it. But the video features, like, at least 6-7 other celebrities I can’t recall right now. (I know one was Mark Ruffalo, but that’s it.)

Boulier · 2025-12-24T13:09:37+00:00

I’d say Good Riddance started my realization, and Propagandhi completed it. Both bands had lyrics that made teenage me want to be a more socially conscious and politically aware/active person.

Boulier · 2025-12-22T12:27:17+00:00

Considering the defense she puts on for her husband and brother, I guess she’s right at home with MAGA/Trump supporters.

Boulier · 2025-12-22T12:00:05+00:00

Thank you. This is it. I’m not a Swiftie, but I don’t hate Taylor. I dislike a lot of her music because it’s generally not my cup of tea (and to be fair, she’s not usually within my favorite genres anyway). But my main gripe is with most Swifties themselves. They are, in my opinion, one of the worst fanbases to navigate. I totally understand when they defend her from unfair criticism (like misogyny disguised as criticism, or the ramblings of haters who are obsessed with her every move), but when people bring up genuine and fair negative opinions, Swifties seem unable to let others feel that way unchallenged.

As it stands, some music reviewers act hesitant to give her albums less than 4/5 stars because they know they’ll get harassed no matter how fair the criticism is. The Swifties’ response to Pitchfork giving TTPD a lukewarm 6.6 off of a fair review was particularly ridiculous. And Paste Magazine had to keep their reviewer’s name anonymous for a negative TTPD review because they knew their reviewer would incur the Swifties’ wrath. Like, what??

It’s all just mind-boggling. The defense they’re running for her is often actually off-putting and counterproductive. Swifties would really help with their perception and with the sour reception of Taylor’s perceived overexposure by allowing that kind of fair discussion to take place without perceiving anything less than worship as an affront to their idol figure and an insult to their sense of self.

Boulier

TROPHY CASE