As laborious because it may be for some folks to consider, there may be such a factor as an excessive amount of T-Swizzle — and we, as a society, have hit that time.
Since releasing Midnights final month, her tenth album of unique music, Taylor Swift has raised her already sky-high recognition to actually historic ranges.
Last week, all of us noticed her develop into the primary artist in historical past to say each spot within the high 10 of the US singles chart, overtaking Drake, who beforehand held the report with 9 of the ten spots in 2021.
Not to decrease the unbelievable industrial success of both Drake or Swift, however such data are kinda meaningless within the streaming age, and definitely far much less spectacular than the Beatles securing each spot within the Billboard high 5 in April, 1964, when folks needed to go away their residence and truly purchase a single on vinyl with actual cash.
This is to not say Swift isn’t shifting models too, as a result of the bodily gross sales of Midnights have reminded us all that CDs nonetheless exist, in order that in itself is an achievement.
Now, nobody ought to begrudge the singer this degree of success, she’s earned it, however our collective obsession with the brand new LP is much less about music appreciation as it’s the kind of lemming-esque groupthink that fuelled rest room paper panic-buying in the course of the pandemic.
We knew we didn’t really want a second 24-pack of Sorbent’s most interesting three-ply, however we needed to have it anyway, as a result of we didn’t need to be the one ones unnoticed.
That mentioned, listening to Midnights within the privateness of your personal house is a victimless crime, so go nuts.
But when actually each cafe and store in Perth has it on excessive rotation, which was the commentary of yours actually on the weekend, even an artist as proficient as Tay-Tay begins to get a bit annoying.
Here’s a novel thought: acknowledge the existence of different music and alternate Midnights with wonderful recently-released LPs by Phoenix, Tove Lo and First Aid Kit, for instance, which might all make for perfect background music in a restaurant or store.
From one curmudgeonly rant to a different, former PM Tony Abbott was in wonderful type on the newest episode of the Institute of Public Affairs podcast, Australia’s Heartland.
Undoubtedly pandering to followers of this right-wing suppose tank, Abbott known as for the return of obligatory nationwide service for Australian highschool leavers, so these kids may “give back to their country”.
While this columnist is steadfastly against the idea of necessary army service, the Mad Monk’s suggestion that nationwide service may additionally embody work in Indigenous communities will not be with out benefit.
White Australia’s lack of empathy for Indigenous points stems from ignorance, and spending time in communities may change that, in addition to ship constructive outcomes for our First Nations folks.
Don’t get too excited concerning the potentialities, although, as a result of the percentages of it ever occurring are even lower than the possibilities of going 24 hours with out listening to Taylor Swift’s Midnights.
