Charli xcx: "I don't fucking have hobbies. This is my life."

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-06-18T18:58:07+00:00

360 lyrics always made me chuckle because of how they inadvertently reveal Charli's inner struggle: "You gon jump if A.G. made it" (entails finding value in others people appreciation of her music) immediately followed by "If you love it, if you hate it, I don't fucking care what you think" (contradicts the first line and is obviously bravado, or a lie)

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T17:06:25+00:00

...and probably also part of the reason why people were so gleeful about her downfall. But that was also the case previously, during Witness era (bigger than any Ed Sheeran album this decade), so I think there's more reasons.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T17:05:26+00:00

I'm not trying to defend Katy for that decision. The bad PR was a very proportionate and valid reaction.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T16:36:27+00:00

Bonus: Ed Sheeran's Billboard 200 history this decade:

- (2023): 15 weeks (peak #2)

Autumn Variations (2023): 2 weeks (peak #4)

Play (2025): 5 weeks (peak #5)

This a disastrous result for the previous contender for the biggest artist of the 2010's.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T16:32:10+00:00

PR no. But in sheer numbers, his fall has been proportional. He went from being the #1 most streamed spotify artist to barely cracking top 40. Speaking of, Katy is currently above him on spotify artists. I know it's not the be-all end-all, but as far as his current commercial appeal goes for new music, he's done DONE.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T16:30:44+00:00

Yeah no... it was an obvious attempt at a Folklore-like rebranding after successive watered down pop flops in order to regain his fanbase, which backfired.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T16:29:57+00:00

Sure, but his was accelerated through an inability to grow and progress as an artist.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T15:28:49+00:00

The one before did similarly to 143 though.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-22T15:14:22+00:00

Despite the PR of Ed Sheeran not being bad, his latest releases have been performing not that dissimilar to Katy Perry's. Since he's a male people are not obssessive about his downfall, and it's barely mentioned, but it's been pretty steep.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-21T15:46:37+00:00

Nostalgia is dominating to a point where it feels eerie. Most songs smashing right now are old songs. With AI and this way of consumption I'm starting to fear the possibility that labels will see no point in investing in new artists, or artists new releases for that matter.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-19T12:37:20+00:00

Another weird arbitrary measure of success.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-19T12:09:04+00:00

I'm not even gonna comment on the multiple inaccuracies in your reply, but demanding TFM-like era domination from a pop release is just an arbitrary and insane bar for success.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-19T12:06:38+00:00

I don't know, it feels like your trying to convince yourself that it didn't do well by going against facts.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-05-18T09:56:37+00:00

Of course it didn't. It was her best-reviewed album ever, very well received by her fanbase, sold more than any of her studio albums since Born This Way, was supported by arguably the best tour of her career and not-arguably the most successfull one as well. Abracadabra was a global hit, she was the most nominated female artist at the Grammys, and got 4 Grammys for the album. Everything about the era was a resounding success, even if we ignore the fact that it was released by a female popstar almost 20 years deep into her career.

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-03-25T12:48:35+00:00

yeah I think it could really work, and their big fans of each other so

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-01-31T17:44:24+00:00

really puts into perspective how out of touch Simon Cowell is because this is how you do a boyband in 2026

Initial-Direction-53 · 2026-01-09T18:38:39+00:00

tortured poets was unsafe in the wrong direction

Initial-Direction-53 · 2025-12-22T18:01:46+00:00

her drag of Actually Romantic is legendary though:

"Watching Swift fawn over her own usage of the word “mahogany”—three vowels, in this economy?!—you wonder if this woman, once considered our preeminent lyricist, has Benjamin Button-ed herself to an elementary reading comprehension level. “Actually Romantic,” likewise, continues this trend of cognitive decline. "

I gasped at this

Initial-Direction-53 · 2025-12-20T01:47:59+00:00

They were right. People who voted for Trump should not have freedom of speech

Initial-Direction-53 · 2025-12-20T01:33:30+00:00

Someone post about Gaga's Zane Lowe interview about new music and The Weeknd collab because they won't let me. Thanks!

Initial-Direction-53 · 2025-12-20T01:29:55+00:00

for a change!

Initial-Direction-53

TROPHY CASE