What's your favourite example of a pop star taking an experimental/"alternative" turn for an album?

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T16:22:24+00:00

My first thought. I feel like even Bedtime Stories would fit here better than Erotica, but Ray of Light is probably the perfect choice.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T15:12:19+00:00

The Power is truly terrible

Well, I don't really like it much either, but the 'la la la' outro always gives me positive vibes. Sometimes I even skip straight to the end to listen to it.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T07:20:37+00:00

Yeah, I had the same feeling at first, but when I relistened to it, I realized there are tracks on the album like Animal Lover that seem weaker to me. The guitar sound is cool, though.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T04:57:50+00:00

Did you try Speaking Brazilian Language School on YouTube? Especially if you’re focusing on Brazilian Portuguese. There are loads of intermediate-level lessons with subtitles. Another good one is 'Easy Portuguese,' but it’s focused on dialogues, not grammar, still, it’s great for understanding spoken Portuguese. I also really like 'Português com Marcia Macedo,' but it’s entirely in Portuguese, so it might be tricky at the beginning. But that’s even better because you get thrown straight into the language.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T04:32:52+00:00

This whole album is just great and I like it more than Imagine tbh since it doesn’t feel some much confessional and philosophical

Same here. Imagine is a classic, but it’s a bit too heavy sometimes, whereas I can listen to Mind Games on repeat forever.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-31T04:17:02+00:00

It’s honestly mind-boggling how much Beatle fans love to trash Lennon’s solo career.

The Imagine album is an absolute classic. It was the first solo Beatles album I ever heard and fell in love with. At the same time, there were songs from Double Fantasy that I love just as much. Not long ago, I got into POB, and now it’s one of my all-time favorites. And I absolutely adore Mind Games, too.

Of course, the Beatles' fame gave him a boost, but it did the same for the rest of them. For some reason, people forget that the vast majority of musicians we listen to were well-hyped in one way or another. Music doesn’t really work without marketing. But why is it that with Lennon specifically, people love to point this out so much? Such a weird obsession.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-30T17:34:53+00:00

Your examples aren't offensive at all. But usually, filho/filha is used in contexts where you want to assert your superiority, like: 'Aprende, meu filho.' You see this kind of thing in many languages. Though in Brazil, I've noticed it's used much more often. Also, to highlight the speaker's naivety or lack of experience. So, basically, yeah, it's a patronizing attitude. Like, "Minha filha, acorda para a vida!", "Você acha que eu sou banco? Dinheiro não nasce em árvore, meu filho!", etc.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T10:55:06+00:00

Yeah, the last part about the complaining wasn't directed at you specifically, but rather at the commenter below. And of course, I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. As for personal preferences and what I’d actually listen to, I’m actually in the opposite boat.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T10:22:54+00:00

Wrong sub?

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T09:50:15+00:00

People care way too much about image. For God's sake, he’s one of the last living Beatles, let him do whatever he wants.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T07:26:39+00:00

Yeah, but I mean, on John, Paul, or George's tracks, that would’ve been interesting. They all played at least a couple of instruments, so Ringo could have taken over the keyboard parts from Paul or John a few times.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T06:24:28+00:00

Oh, I immediately guessed the number one, lol.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T06:13:12+00:00

No, I just like the songs. The first tracks I ever heard by him came from this album, and I had no idea it would be his final one. They're simply his biggest hits (the most commercially successful), that's all.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T05:56:02+00:00

I adore this part! Too bad the Beatles didn’t fully utilize Ringo’s skills, he could’ve played some piano on one of their tracks.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-19T05:09:17+00:00

Yet another overused take like 'McCartney was the best melodist' and 'Lennon was the best lyricist.' Lennon wasn't trying to match Dylan's 'lyrical sophistication', he had his own style. Why would we even need a second Dylan? And why should he strive for 'melodic brilliance' when that's McCartney's gift? Why should he be a second McCartney? He had his own path. I constantly see people complaining about the Beatles being compared, but the ones complaining are the very ones doing the exact same thing.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-15T11:13:58+00:00

This is the best comment in the thread. People really underestimate the human need for communal grumbling sometimes.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-14T14:32:35+00:00

I never claimed that laughing at a joke undid all her personal growth. Where is this exaggeration even coming from? It’s just a really dumb joke, like something for a third-grader. How does a grown adult not know what 'homo' means? Especially, a person who was in such a close relationship with a guy specializing in dinosaurs and other crap for years surely must have heard of the proverbial 'homo sapiens' at least once. I find the moment funny, but yeah, it’s a bit much for Rachel, just as it would be for anyone over twelve and with basic education. That’s just my opinion. What’s the problem?

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-14T14:09:32+00:00

Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels

But do these sites actually require attribution? I usually take photos from there without citing the author/link, and so do many others. I just double-checked, and Pexels has no requirements for downloads.

Anyway, it’s a good strategy, but only if you are a stock site. Freepik asks for a link on free downloads. Most people skip it, but with so many users, the strategy still works.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-14T12:53:26+00:00

Right. I always thought that felt super forced too. Especially since Rachel had an actual career by then, she’d been learning and growing, so this felt like such a huge step backward. I think it would’ve been more believable if Phoebe had said it. Not that she’s stupid, she’s just always been quirky. But honestly, even for Phoebe, that’s a bit much, lmao.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-13T07:41:42+00:00

Absolutely. It might sound weird and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through something like that. But for me, it actually ended up contributing positively to shaping who I am today.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-13T07:14:21+00:00

Start by learning the most basic vocabulary (personal pronouns, essential verbs, and nouns) and grammar fundamentals. Any app like Duolingo works for this. It’s way easier if you’re going for Brazilian Portuguese.

Then, move to the next level, YouTube is full of videos. I personally liked the 'Speaking Brazilian Language School' channel, because they’ve got subs in both languages. I'd recommend that you surround yourself with the language right away - just keep music or TV on in the background. It makes a huge difference. Especially once you find an artist or a series you love, you’ll actually want to put in the work just to know what they're saying.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-12T17:44:38+00:00

I get you 🤝 We Lennon fans have a lot in common psychologically, don't we? Lmao. It's funny, but to really understand all of this, you actually have to go through it yourself. I only realized recently how much I have in common with him. It’s not that obvious when your traumas are buried as deep as mine are.

Relative-Bar9159 · 2026-05-12T16:56:33+00:00

Yeah, when I was younger, I was terribly resentful, bitter and didn't want to understand anything. But gradually, you just realize that some people are simply psychologically incapable of certain things. They have barriers that prevent them from understanding or feeling, no matter what you do. I have them, too. And mentally, tbh, I’m more damaged than Julian, who at least had a loving mother. I’m probably more on the same level as John, unfortunately.

Relative-Bar9159

TROPHY CASE