D
Deleted member 29256
Are you a panini? 'Cause you sound pressed.
20GAYTeen the Rate: WINNER!!
- Thread starter Trouble in Paradise
- Start date
Are you a panini? 'Cause you sound pressed.
He/Him
Keeping us moving is Pauli Murray who was a leading activist in both the Civil Rights and Women's Rights movement. Murray graduated first in their class at Howard but was denied the chance at post-graduate work due to their gender. Murray's experiences at Howard and elsewhere made them coin the term "Jane Crow" as the female allegory to Jim Crow Laws. During Murray's life, they struggled with both their sexuality and gender identity with modern biographers believing Murray to be transgender based on their personal writing.
33. “Rendevous”
By Years & Years
7.771
I live LIVE for that spoken interlude, it’s just so GAY. I love how much Olly just embraced his big pop girl side with Palo Santo from moments like this to the whole overdone overarching theme. Interestingly, “Rendezvous” is actually one of only two songs from the album that all three members worked on and it really shows. “Rendezvous” could easily slot in Communion and I mean that as a compliment as I adore that album.
Olly’s spoken about the choice to work with outside songwriters and producers and the challenges of working within the framework of a band but being the songwriting voice and face of the group. As Olly explained to Q Magazine, "We could never agree on what sounded good or what we liked….Then six months down the line, we still had no songs and the label were really angry and annoyed." I’ve alluded to this conflict before with the “If You’re Over Me” write up but it definitely was a case of sophomore troubles. Olly goes further saying
It appears that the solution was Mikey and Emre getting out of Olly’s way. As he told the Washington Blade:
I know I had found some other quotes around this but honestly, I’ve lost them and who really cares?? But actually, it’s interesting to think how much Olly really stepped in and said this is my project and I’m steering this ship and how much Mikey and Emre were willing to step back artistically from the project. I’m very curious to see where they go from here. Will Olly be Ellie and pull a La Roux?
“Rendezvous” isn’t just the name of one of my fave songs of the album but also the name of Years & Years mini-queer festival celebration. Let’s have the paid writers of NME describe it for me:
Ugh, yes! I love how much Olly stans for queer talent and queer people of color in particular! I mean what type of queer Popjustice wet dream is a Years & Years x Rina Sawayama show?? It’s also a powerful move by Olly and the boys to parlay their fame and influence into supporting other queer artists. Olly’s been a proud advocate since rising to fame and spoke eloquently to NME about the tension his advocacy creates.
I think in particular he’s mentioning his “award show speeches” because he had received some acclaim for his speech at the GQ awards where he (rightfully) questioned the whole idea of masculinity cause he’s amazing. (As he collected the Live Act of the Year prize at September’s GQ Awards, Alexander urged the audience to “to make room for all the many, many different ways there are to be a man”, saying: “Let’s let our men be happy, be sad, be trans, be questioning, be bisexual, be non-conforming, be feminine, be masculine!”)
Okay, I’ll stop here but we’ll be hearing more from my woke king and his amazing NME interview! Now let’s hear from you all:
Reboot This is a very good album, isn’t it?
Ufint That vocal run, that melody, that sound of sitting on the beach outside a four-star hotel on Gran Canaria with torches being the only light you see.
Untitled that spoken bit is hilarious
Constantino Bop but Christine remains unbothered.
The Hot Rock It's really fine, I guess.
Untouchable Ace I'm picturing sunsets and kisses by the sea shore.
Remorque Very atmospheric due to the fantastic production and Olly sounds fantastic here, showing us range, hair and shoes.
33. “Rendevous”
By Years & Years
7.771
Highest Scores: 10 x 6 (@Sanctuary @Blob @Music Is Life @Untouchable Ace @Remorque Me) 9.5 x 3 (@londonrain @Lost Boy @KingBruno)
Lowest Scores: 4 x 2(@Empty Shoebox @LE0Night ) 5 x 1(@The Hot Rock )
My Score: 10
Lowest Scores: 4 x 2(@Empty Shoebox @LE0Night ) 5 x 1(@The Hot Rock )
My Score: 10
So be a man, and take my sympathy for granted
(Just take it, just take it)
Now wash your hands of all the little lies you planted
(Just take it, just take it)
As I remember, you told me the first time
I was just your rendezvous
Oooooohhhhhh
(Just take it, just take it)
Now wash your hands of all the little lies you planted
(Just take it, just take it)
As I remember, you told me the first time
I was just your rendezvous
Oooooohhhhhh
I live LIVE for that spoken interlude, it’s just so GAY. I love how much Olly just embraced his big pop girl side with Palo Santo from moments like this to the whole overdone overarching theme. Interestingly, “Rendezvous” is actually one of only two songs from the album that all three members worked on and it really shows. “Rendezvous” could easily slot in Communion and I mean that as a compliment as I adore that album.
Olly’s spoken about the choice to work with outside songwriters and producers and the challenges of working within the framework of a band but being the songwriting voice and face of the group. As Olly explained to Q Magazine, "We could never agree on what sounded good or what we liked….Then six months down the line, we still had no songs and the label were really angry and annoyed." I’ve alluded to this conflict before with the “If You’re Over Me” write up but it definitely was a case of sophomore troubles. Olly goes further saying
"It was a nightmare. I felt so miserable and I was so angry because I'd worked so hard to be in this position, and it's very weird to feel like you're in this fairy tale that's going wrong and you're desperate to put it back on the right track."
It appears that the solution was Mikey and Emre getting out of Olly’s way. As he told the Washington Blade:
I’ve always been the lyricist and I’ve always written songs from my perspective. So we’re used to working that way. Although, I’ve definitely had a few conversations with Mikey and Emre where I’m like, “Look this is the way I want to do it. This is how I think we should make the song.” We have a few arguments but then they usually back me up.
I know I had found some other quotes around this but honestly, I’ve lost them and who really cares?? But actually, it’s interesting to think how much Olly really stepped in and said this is my project and I’m steering this ship and how much Mikey and Emre were willing to step back artistically from the project. I’m very curious to see where they go from here. Will Olly be Ellie and pull a La Roux?
“Rendezvous” isn’t just the name of one of my fave songs of the album but also the name of Years & Years mini-queer festival celebration. Let’s have the paid writers of NME describe it for me:
‘Rendezvous’, a project conceived by Alexander “to celebrate LGBTQ+ voices and provide a space that’s respectful, inclusive and inspiring for everybody”, as well as to “shine a light on the incredible talent from within our community and our allies”. To that end, the evening will be compered by Munroe Bergdorf, the model and activist known for discussing race and gender issues. Other performances will come from queer pop starlet Rina Sawayama, Norwegian rising star Astrid S, voguing specialist Jay Jay Revlon with The Kiki House of Tea, and LGBTQ+-inclusive choir Urban Voices Collective. In time, the plan is for ‘Rendezvous’ to become a full-on festival.”
Ugh, yes! I love how much Olly stans for queer talent and queer people of color in particular! I mean what type of queer Popjustice wet dream is a Years & Years x Rina Sawayama show?? It’s also a powerful move by Olly and the boys to parlay their fame and influence into supporting other queer artists. Olly’s been a proud advocate since rising to fame and spoke eloquently to NME about the tension his advocacy creates.
“I genuinely do want the world to change in a positive way, but I wouldn’t call myself an activist, you know? I’m an entertainer who engages with activism because it feels really meaningful for me. But sometimes I look at what you could call my ‘personal activism’ and think, ‘Is it just giving speeches at awards shows?’ And then I think, ‘That’s not enough, that’s fucked up’. And it opens up this weird conflict in my brain because I want to help, but at the same time I worry that I’m also perpetuating something, because I’m this white cisgender gay guy that’s ticking all these privilege boxes. I’m trying to dismantle a system that I’m benefiting from, which is inherently problematic and a bit difficult. But I wouldn’t change my advocacy. I don’t always get it right, but I’ve met so many amazing people who’ve taught me so much about advocating for various kinds of rights.”
I think in particular he’s mentioning his “award show speeches” because he had received some acclaim for his speech at the GQ awards where he (rightfully) questioned the whole idea of masculinity cause he’s amazing. (As he collected the Live Act of the Year prize at September’s GQ Awards, Alexander urged the audience to “to make room for all the many, many different ways there are to be a man”, saying: “Let’s let our men be happy, be sad, be trans, be questioning, be bisexual, be non-conforming, be feminine, be masculine!”)
Okay, I’ll stop here but we’ll be hearing more from my woke king and his amazing NME interview! Now let’s hear from you all:
Reboot This is a very good album, isn’t it?
Ufint That vocal run, that melody, that sound of sitting on the beach outside a four-star hotel on Gran Canaria with torches being the only light you see.
Untitled that spoken bit is hilarious
Constantino Bop but Christine remains unbothered.
The Hot Rock It's really fine, I guess.
Untouchable Ace I'm picturing sunsets and kisses by the sea shore.
Remorque Very atmospheric due to the fantastic production and Olly sounds fantastic here, showing us range, hair and shoes.
Last edited:
she/her
Oop @Trouble in Paradise there seems to be a mix up where @Untitled's commentary was assigned to @Reboot and someone else's to me (perhaps Reboot's?)
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
This run of eliminations has been too good for me. I’m getting scared now.
He/Him
He/Him
The next elimination has been a beast but I'm hoping to just put it out of it's/my misery tonight!
He/Him
Introducing our next cut are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls who were out and proud musicians in a time when being one wasn't so welcoming.
32. “The Joke”
By Brandi Carlile
7.773
Highest Scores: 11 x 1 (@kalonite) 10 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Reboot @Remorque) 9.75 x 1 (@Music Is Life) 9.5 x 2 (@Cutlery @ohnostalgia)
Lowest Scores: 3 x 1 (@Ana Raquel) 4.5 x 1 (@Riiiiiiiii)
My Score: 9
You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy?
With your quiet voice and impeccable style
Don't ever let them steal your joy
And your gentle ways, to keep 'em from running wild
I was very concerned when @Ana Raquel dropped that 3 as our first voter on one of my favorite artists of all time! Thankfully, most of y'all showed up with TASTE! "The Joke" is not my favorite Brandi song- not even near my Top 10- but I understand why it's the one that's connecting. It's one of her biggest vocal momenTs and the lyrics are very current. I don't have the time or energy to go into what Brandi means to me or the power of her career trajectory for other queer artists in the current music industry. Instead, let's take a look at some of my fave quotes I found in my attempt at cobbling this together. I hope my efforts are enough for a well placed 11 @kalonite
Here are some standout moments from her interview with Variety:
Interestingly, in other articles that quoted this Variety piece, Joan Armatrading's name was omitted, I wonder why......
Ugh, I'm so ready for that album and am LOVING this trend of amazing queer female musicians producing for other female musicians! Also HOW right is she about the way women are pigeon holed by genre while men get to do whatever the fuck they want!
Now for some truly delectable takes from her interview with the Guardian!
Oof, very 2019 mood that a political moment of resistance takes on a whole new meaning in a matter of months
She came out at 14 in the 90's! Also religion, what a mess!
Look, I know we're not rating "Party of One" but sweet Lord give it a listen! It's one of the most affecting songs I've heard in a long, long time. I'm also a gay person in a long term relationship so it hits quite close to home!
Alright, sorry this was a mess! Now here's the mess y'all made:
Verandi A bit of X Factor-ish emoting here.
Londonrain One of those songs whose score kept increasing the more often I listened to it. This is possibly the first song I’ve actually listened to by Brandi since The Story, and her vocals are about 10x better. The delivery of “the JOOOOOKE’S on me”... I felt that in my gut.
Yuuurei I can tell this is trying to have a good message but I don't really like the "I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends" line because like ... since when do things happen like they do in movies? Plus I'm just not the biggest fan of her voice. So this is just okay to me.
Untitled wonderful strings and delivery, I should listen to her more
The Hot Rock Pretty solid. Could see this one taking me by surprise and meaning a lot to me in time.
Ufint In Norway, “The Story” was such a huge hit, and I had the joy of seeing her live once. The pipes on that woman… STUNNING. This is the first I’ve heard of her for at least seven or eight years, but I’m compelled to listen to more of her stuff.
Pop3blow2 Brandi coming through… as solid as always. I’ve been on a Maria McKee kick recently & Brandi always seemed like one of the more direct disciples of her sound.
Reboot This is so good!?? Welp
CorgiCorgiCorgi I cannot wait for previous PJ00s winner Brandi Carlile to sweep the Grammys. (oh who am I kidding, she’s gonna lose to Post Malone or something)
ed. note: she won 3 but all in genre categories!
Constantino I know this being next to ‘Slow Down’ in the playlist was merely due to the alphabetical ordering of the artists but I feel VERY ATTACKED. I’m a fucking WRECK.
&
Kalonite:
When I started this rate, I was convinced my 11 would go to either Janelle or Christine. It was a certainty. But this song. It's just so good. It's literally everything I want from music. The poignancy of the lyrics reels you in as the music swells and builds toward the climax, before the vocals break and spill over with genuine fury and hurt. A highlight of an incredible album - I really hope this does well
32. “The Joke”
By Brandi Carlile
7.773
Highest Scores: 11 x 1 (@kalonite) 10 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Reboot @Remorque) 9.75 x 1 (@Music Is Life) 9.5 x 2 (@Cutlery @ohnostalgia)
Lowest Scores: 3 x 1 (@Ana Raquel) 4.5 x 1 (@Riiiiiiiii)
My Score: 9
You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy?
With your quiet voice and impeccable style
Don't ever let them steal your joy
And your gentle ways, to keep 'em from running wild
I was very concerned when @Ana Raquel dropped that 3 as our first voter on one of my favorite artists of all time! Thankfully, most of y'all showed up with TASTE! "The Joke" is not my favorite Brandi song- not even near my Top 10- but I understand why it's the one that's connecting. It's one of her biggest vocal momenTs and the lyrics are very current. I don't have the time or energy to go into what Brandi means to me or the power of her career trajectory for other queer artists in the current music industry. Instead, let's take a look at some of my fave quotes I found in my attempt at cobbling this together. I hope my efforts are enough for a well placed 11 @kalonite
Here are some standout moments from her interview with Variety:
Other communities want to claim her, too. Carlile has the respect of LGBT fans and allies for being one of the first major women in music to be out from the outset while building a large and very mainstream audience. She doesn’t claim any heroism there, saying, “I’m not pretending that I struggled [to be accepted]. That’s a debt we owe the Indigo Girls, k.d. lang and Joan Armatrading. They were made fun of for being frumpy or not dressing right or not walking right. Me and Courtney Barnett are a product of the fact they took that those hits for us, and now, nobody thinks it’s acceptable to say those things about us.
Interestingly, in other articles that quoted this Variety piece, Joan Armatrading's name was omitted, I wonder why......
Now Carlile is coming full circle, co-producing a comeback album for another influential woman in her life, childhood hero Tanya Tucker, for which she and the twins wrote nearly all the songs, tracking them in L.A. even as she was shuttling between Franklin and Cornell fetes in the run-up to the Grammys.
“I’m not overwhelmed,” she says, anticipating the question even before it comes up after admitting that she gets even more obsessive about producing other artists’ records than her own. She doesn’t worry if working with an older Nashville icon might further confuse those who aren’t sure if Carlile is a rock, folk, Americana or country artist. “They ask women to identify themselves,” she says. “They let Jack White and Neil Young get away with being all kinds of things — being rock ’n’ roll and then being country and then being a political activist. I’ve got my sights set on that… All those categories, they’re just borders and walls. I don’t agree with either one of those things.”
“I’m not overwhelmed,” she says, anticipating the question even before it comes up after admitting that she gets even more obsessive about producing other artists’ records than her own. She doesn’t worry if working with an older Nashville icon might further confuse those who aren’t sure if Carlile is a rock, folk, Americana or country artist. “They ask women to identify themselves,” she says. “They let Jack White and Neil Young get away with being all kinds of things — being rock ’n’ roll and then being country and then being a political activist. I’ve got my sights set on that… All those categories, they’re just borders and walls. I don’t agree with either one of those things.”
Ugh, I'm so ready for that album and am LOVING this trend of amazing queer female musicians producing for other female musicians! Also HOW right is she about the way women are pigeon holed by genre while men get to do whatever the fuck they want!
Now for some truly delectable takes from her interview with the Guardian!
Following Trump’s election, she understood that this was a revolutionary act. “I realised I was waking up every day political, as a gay mother with two daughters,” she says. “Being political doesn’t come from outside me any more. It comes from who I am.”
Her empowerment anthem The Joke is up for song of the year. It is for effeminate boys born into an era of hyper-masculinity, and for little girls unable to see themselves represented on the biggest stages. But for Carlile its meaning is ever-changing. The second verse was written about Syria (“They come to kick dirt in your face, to call you weak and then displace you after carrying your baby on your back across the desert”), and yet, less than a year later, she says: “It’s about our own southern border. When I sing it, that’s what I’m thinking of.”
“[After the election] it was like somebody turned on the black light and we were surrounded by the filth of our own ideology and our own complacency,” Carlile says. “That’s when I realised I was part of the problem. To not squander the opportunity I’ve been given is an evolution. If somebody believes I’m wrong, I want them to say it so we can engage. Big inclusive sentiments are a salve. They’re not appropriate.”
Her empowerment anthem The Joke is up for song of the year. It is for effeminate boys born into an era of hyper-masculinity, and for little girls unable to see themselves represented on the biggest stages. But for Carlile its meaning is ever-changing. The second verse was written about Syria (“They come to kick dirt in your face, to call you weak and then displace you after carrying your baby on your back across the desert”), and yet, less than a year later, she says: “It’s about our own southern border. When I sing it, that’s what I’m thinking of.”
“[After the election] it was like somebody turned on the black light and we were surrounded by the filth of our own ideology and our own complacency,” Carlile says. “That’s when I realised I was part of the problem. To not squander the opportunity I’ve been given is an evolution. If somebody believes I’m wrong, I want them to say it so we can engage. Big inclusive sentiments are a salve. They’re not appropriate.”
Oof, very 2019 mood that a political moment of resistance takes on a whole new meaning in a matter of months
One day the church got hold of them and Carlile began studying with a pastor. Around the same time, she decided to come out – Ellen DeGeneres had just done so and the 14-year-old Carlile followed suit. “I was out of the closet in school. Totally content to be out,” she says. The pastor wasn’t as relaxed, and refused to baptise her. “I had my swimsuit on under my clothes, they’d invited my family and friends – everyone,” she recalls. “That’s when they decided to make an example of me. I’d been on a lot of stages in my life, but that was an irreversibly damaging public humiliation.”
She came out at 14 in the 90's! Also religion, what a mess!
Her songwriting is brazenly honest: take the single, Party of One, which documents Carlile’s marital woes after her firstborn’s birth. Evangeline is biologically related to Carlile but was carried by her wife. “It was a strange setting-in of conflicting instincts: the birth mother having to win, me having to understand that I’m also a mother and not a father, but there not being a template. I was wondering if I was worthy of motherhood, whether maybe we aren’t supposed to do these things.” Not only did she confront her own “internalised homophobia” in songwriting, she wrote from a “super queer perspective” and wound up with something universally resonating. Straight couples tell her how much that song means to them.
Look, I know we're not rating "Party of One" but sweet Lord give it a listen! It's one of the most affecting songs I've heard in a long, long time. I'm also a gay person in a long term relationship so it hits quite close to home!
Alright, sorry this was a mess! Now here's the mess y'all made:
Verandi A bit of X Factor-ish emoting here.
Londonrain One of those songs whose score kept increasing the more often I listened to it. This is possibly the first song I’ve actually listened to by Brandi since The Story, and her vocals are about 10x better. The delivery of “the JOOOOOKE’S on me”... I felt that in my gut.
Yuuurei I can tell this is trying to have a good message but I don't really like the "I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends" line because like ... since when do things happen like they do in movies? Plus I'm just not the biggest fan of her voice. So this is just okay to me.
Untitled wonderful strings and delivery, I should listen to her more
The Hot Rock Pretty solid. Could see this one taking me by surprise and meaning a lot to me in time.
Ufint In Norway, “The Story” was such a huge hit, and I had the joy of seeing her live once. The pipes on that woman… STUNNING. This is the first I’ve heard of her for at least seven or eight years, but I’m compelled to listen to more of her stuff.
Pop3blow2 Brandi coming through… as solid as always. I’ve been on a Maria McKee kick recently & Brandi always seemed like one of the more direct disciples of her sound.
Reboot This is so good!?? Welp
CorgiCorgiCorgi I cannot wait for previous PJ00s winner Brandi Carlile to sweep the Grammys. (oh who am I kidding, she’s gonna lose to Post Malone or something)
ed. note: she won 3 but all in genre categories!
Constantino I know this being next to ‘Slow Down’ in the playlist was merely due to the alphabetical ordering of the artists but I feel VERY ATTACKED. I’m a fucking WRECK.
&
Kalonite:
When I started this rate, I was convinced my 11 would go to either Janelle or Christine. It was a certainty. But this song. It's just so good. It's literally everything I want from music. The poignancy of the lyrics reels you in as the music swells and builds toward the climax, before the vocals break and spill over with genuine fury and hurt. A highlight of an incredible album - I really hope this does well
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
I mean, I'm sad to see Brandi leave any rate... but I'm pleasantly surprised she lasted this long.
She's just raw talent to me. When she showed up sang 'The Joke' at this year's Grammy's, well, lets just say I thought she made most everyone else look like they were in gowns. Beautiful gowns.
She's just raw talent to me. When she showed up sang 'The Joke' at this year's Grammy's, well, lets just say I thought she made most everyone else look like they were in gowns. Beautiful gowns.
I'm a big fan of Brandi Carlile, especially her 00s albums, and she's also the only act in this rate I've seen live. The Joke isn't quite a 10 for me (I gave it a 9), but it obviously deserved better. Still, three Grammies and a PJ00s win under her belt, I guess we know who the real winner is here.
londonrain
Staff member
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
she/her
I got the tag and assumed my 11 was out. And honestly, that would've been less shocking. The Joke deserved top 10!
she/her
Introducing our next cut are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls who were out and proud musicians in a time when being one wasn't so welcoming.
32. “The Joke”
By Brandi Carlile
7.773
Highest Scores: 11 x 1 (@kalonite) 10 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Reboot @Remorque) 9.75 x 1 (@Music Is Life) 9.5 x 2 (@Cutlery @ohnostalgia)
Lowest Scores: 3 x 1 (@Ana Raquel) 4.5 x 1 (@Riiiiiiiii)
My Score: 9
You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy?
With your quiet voice and impeccable style
Don't ever let them steal your joy
And your gentle ways, to keep 'em from running wild
I was very concerned when @Ana Raquel dropped that 3 as our first voter on one of my favorite artists of all time! Thankfully, most of y'all showed up with TASTE! "The Joke" is not my favorite Brandi song- not even near my Top 10- but I understand why it's the one that's connecting. It's one of her biggest vocal momenTs and the lyrics are very current. I don't have the time or energy to go into what Brandi means to me or the power of her career trajectory for other queer artists in the current music industry. Instead, let's take a look at some of my fave quotes I found in my attempt at cobbling this together. I hope my efforts are enough for a well placed 11 @kalonite
Here are some standout moments from her interview with Variety:
Other communities want to claim her, too. Carlile has the respect of LGBT fans and allies for being one of the first major women in music to be out from the outset while building a large and very mainstream audience. She doesn’t claim any heroism there, saying, “I’m not pretending that I struggled [to be accepted]. That’s a debt we owe the Indigo Girls, k.d. lang and Joan Armatrading. They were made fun of for being frumpy or not dressing right or not walking right. Me and Courtney Barnett are a product of the fact they took that those hits for us, and now, nobody thinks it’s acceptable to say those things about us.
Interestingly, in other articles that quoted this Variety piece, Joan Armatrading's name was omitted, I wonder why......
Now Carlile is coming full circle, co-producing a comeback album for another influential woman in her life, childhood hero Tanya Tucker, for which she and the twins wrote nearly all the songs, tracking them in L.A. even as she was shuttling between Franklin and Cornell fetes in the run-up to the Grammys.
“I’m not overwhelmed,” she says, anticipating the question even before it comes up after admitting that she gets even more obsessive about producing other artists’ records than her own. She doesn’t worry if working with an older Nashville icon might further confuse those who aren’t sure if Carlile is a rock, folk, Americana or country artist. “They ask women to identify themselves,” she says. “They let Jack White and Neil Young get away with being all kinds of things — being rock ’n’ roll and then being country and then being a political activist. I’ve got my sights set on that… All those categories, they’re just borders and walls. I don’t agree with either one of those things.”
Ugh, I'm so ready for that album and am LOVING this trend of amazing queer female musicians producing for other female musicians! Also HOW right is she about the way women are pigeon holed by genre while men get to do whatever the fuck they want!
Now for some truly delectable takes from her interview with the Guardian!
Following Trump’s election, she understood that this was a revolutionary act. “I realised I was waking up every day political, as a gay mother with two daughters,” she says. “Being political doesn’t come from outside me any more. It comes from who I am.”
Her empowerment anthem The Joke is up for song of the year. It is for effeminate boys born into an era of hyper-masculinity, and for little girls unable to see themselves represented on the biggest stages. But for Carlile its meaning is ever-changing. The second verse was written about Syria (“They come to kick dirt in your face, to call you weak and then displace you after carrying your baby on your back across the desert”), and yet, less than a year later, she says: “It’s about our own southern border. When I sing it, that’s what I’m thinking of.”
“[After the election] it was like somebody turned on the black light and we were surrounded by the filth of our own ideology and our own complacency,” Carlile says. “That’s when I realised I was part of the problem. To not squander the opportunity I’ve been given is an evolution. If somebody believes I’m wrong, I want them to say it so we can engage. Big inclusive sentiments are a salve. They’re not appropriate.”
Oof, very 2019 mood that a political moment of resistance takes on a whole new meaning in a matter of months
One day the church got hold of them and Carlile began studying with a pastor. Around the same time, she decided to come out – Ellen DeGeneres had just done so and the 14-year-old Carlile followed suit. “I was out of the closet in school. Totally content to be out,” she says. The pastor wasn’t as relaxed, and refused to baptise her. “I had my swimsuit on under my clothes, they’d invited my family and friends – everyone,” she recalls. “That’s when they decided to make an example of me. I’d been on a lot of stages in my life, but that was an irreversibly damaging public humiliation.”
She came out at 14 in the 90's! Also religion, what a mess!
Her songwriting is brazenly honest: take the single, Party of One, which documents Carlile’s marital woes after her firstborn’s birth. Evangeline is biologically related to Carlile but was carried by her wife. “It was a strange setting-in of conflicting instincts: the birth mother having to win, me having to understand that I’m also a mother and not a father, but there not being a template. I was wondering if I was worthy of motherhood, whether maybe we aren’t supposed to do these things.” Not only did she confront her own “internalised homophobia” in songwriting, she wrote from a “super queer perspective” and wound up with something universally resonating. Straight couples tell her how much that song means to them.
Look, I know we're not rating "Party of One" but sweet Lord give it a listen! It's one of the most affecting songs I've heard in a long, long time. I'm also a gay person in a long term relationship so it hits quite close to home!
Alright, sorry this was a mess! Now here's the mess y'all made:
Verandi A bit of X Factor-ish emoting here.
Londonrain One of those songs whose score kept increasing the more often I listened to it. This is possibly the first song I’ve actually listened to by Brandi since The Story, and her vocals are about 10x better. The delivery of “the JOOOOOKE’S on me”... I felt that in my gut.
Yuuurei I can tell this is trying to have a good message but I don't really like the "I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends" line because like ... since when do things happen like they do in movies? Plus I'm just not the biggest fan of her voice. So this is just okay to me.
Untitled wonderful strings and delivery, I should listen to her more
The Hot Rock Pretty solid. Could see this one taking me by surprise and meaning a lot to me in time.
Ufint In Norway, “The Story” was such a huge hit, and I had the joy of seeing her live once. The pipes on that woman… STUNNING. This is the first I’ve heard of her for at least seven or eight years, but I’m compelled to listen to more of her stuff.
Pop3blow2 Brandi coming through… as solid as always. I’ve been on a Maria McKee kick recently & Brandi always seemed like one of the more direct disciples of her sound.
Reboot This is so good!?? Welp
CorgiCorgiCorgi I cannot wait for previous PJ00s winner Brandi Carlile to sweep the Grammys. (oh who am I kidding, she’s gonna lose to Post Malone or something)
ed. note: she won 3 but all in genre categories!
Constantino I know this being next to ‘Slow Down’ in the playlist was merely due to the alphabetical ordering of the artists but I feel VERY ATTACKED. I’m a fucking WRECK.
&
Kalonite:
When I started this rate, I was convinced my 11 would go to either Janelle or Christine. It was a certainty. But this song. It's just so good. It's literally everything I want from music. The poignancy of the lyrics reels you in as the music swells and builds toward the climax, before the vocals break and spill over with genuine fury and hurt. A highlight of an incredible album - I really hope this does well
I gave this a 10 too!
D
Deleted member 29256
But... but... I can't dance to this!
No seriously: just not here for that whole sad and tormented music. I'm a happy person y'all.
And wow, I'm never the lowest scorer this high into rates. I did that.
What?
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
The Joke is ultimately a triumphant song. Not even touching the second part about happy people...