When people decide on the music canon of what is the best, critics come to mind as they have become the gatekeepers of taste most of the time. Whether it be the Rolling Stones Magazine or The Source, it used to mean something.

The Internet would of course branch out and extend the beauty of music criticism, making it global for people to read and explore new music with websites like Pitchfork and online figures such as Anthony Fantano as they made musicians even from Europe to face proper popularity across the globe. The internet as much as it puts music critique on a honeymoon phase, they would be like a salesman who sells umbrellas on a bright shiny dayu then beats you with it during the rain.

Root Of The Problem

Recently, Pitchfork revealed that they are giving ratings for users if they feel critics are giving albums with scores that are inappropriate. Here is my personal problem: what would have been a testament to music criticism, becomes a spineless attribute to not trust the voices and engage with the opinion earnestly.

Sure, one might say they do engage, but in a world where social media has become an impending doom for parasocial relationship with art then stan-like behaviours triumph over actual discussions considering the Poptimism route Pitchfork has taken recently. Sadly, this has been the case not only for Pop but for every genre imaginable with the respected artist with cult following in social media. British people with their love for Britpop to Swedish Hip Hop fans with their Cloud Rap deities. When Fantano reviewed the Northern European rapper, Bladee, comments were frolicking to go cut throat against him giving it a strong one out of ten when it was first released.

In the word of LCD Soundsystem, sometimes things that are pointed to be hip may lose their edge when profit is in dire and writers are valued cheap as they face their 17th batch of death threats because they panned the new porky pig and piggies album and it’s only Tuesday after allowing self ratings and comments that are unmoderated.

There used to be this idea that critics were supposed to be educated on a topic. That’s why you read them, to learn something. Now “criticism” is just a number averaged from every bad take by every dimwit who has an internet connection.

Should you care?

If you do love art then for sure you would, but alas the terminology of how art is viewed nowadays are different, art criticism is also veered differently too. When we are living in a late stage Capitalist society, things are dumbed down and enhanced for humanity to continue their lives to be modern day airplanes: safe, inoffensive and stale.

Text: Gerald Nainggolan
Photo: Daniel Wilkstrand Via Tumblr