30 Day Music Challenge, Day 12: Song from A Band/Artist You Hate

Again, this is more interesting if we frame the question as: “In genres that you otherwise like, what artists do you hate?”

I’ll offer a new and and old song:

New Song: Meghan Trainor, Dear Future Husband

I like dumb pop. I love Top 40 music. I love diva anthems. But: MEGHAN TRAINOR IS WHITE FEMINISM IN THREE MINUTES. And what I really, really hate is the way she couches her progressive message in ‘retro’ musical genres, which makes it *seem* like she’s referencing generic pop history, not white pop that appropriated even older black musical practices.

Old Song: The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?”

I’m generally into stuff that came out of Manchester in the 70s-90s. But Jesus H. Christ I have ALWAYS hated the Smiths, for as long as I can remember. It may be more accurate to say that I find Morrissey completely annoying. As a tween/teen I was deep into the B-52s, so perhaps my admiration for Fred Schneider gave me some affective and aesthetic commitments that made Morrissey’s performances of white gay masculinity just feel…boring and annoying. Tl;dr–Morrissey is not the queer affect I’m looking for.

Runners Up: Maroon 5, “Sugar“; Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” (she’s too manic pixie dream girl).