Shakira’s peak was over 10 years ago now. You may remember “Hips Don’t Lie”, her duet with Wyclef Jean which made it to #1 in 2006.
Diamanda Galas… I know the name, but I couldn’t tell you anything about her.
I’m in the target demographic for none of this stuff, it’s just that I try to keep abreast of the trends in music these days.
I’m going to ask for a cite for this.
I have a feeling when you read, ‘never heard of her’ you imagine the poster puffing out his chest and harumphing as he types, when in truth he is merely stating a fact.
mmm
I just asked Mrs. J. about this. She said she had not known until the Manchester bombing coverage that A.G. was a singer, but had heard of her from the doughnut-licking incident.
Would “I never heard of her until this thread.I went and checked her out, I barely made into the first two notes of her screech and I was done.” fit the bill?
That’s more the “Get off my lawn!” option … 
I’m neither proud nor ashamed of the fact that I never listened much to pop even when I was the age group (I hear it more now due to my teen daughter; my older boys were never pop listeners). Grande’s songs are not what I would choose to listen to if I was not letting my daughter have car radio dial control. But anyone who listens to her voice, her range (reputedly over 4 octaves), and describes that as “screech” has got to be posturing.
Not sure what it says about our country that a 22 year old acting quite stupid with a friend in one incident (that she apologized for) is what some know most or only about a person. Sinead O’Conner ripping up a photo of the pope on live tv it warn’t. Gawd knows I’m glad no one paid attention to every single thing I said and did when I was 22!
Yes I think her voice is shrill and and irritating.
It’s not a get off my lawn thing, it’s a I don’t like pop and I don’t like her voice.
I also think her video is cheap and trashy.
She is nothing more than the next Brittny or Miley, they are all interchangeable, and not worth my time.
Probably the doughnut incident was the first time I heard of her, too. Just like the first time I heard of Kanye West was the “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” thing.
I have heard the singles from her latest album and I like most of them, but I don’t think that the lyrics are appropriate for preteens. Otherwise, I mostly know her from the fake ponytail, cat ears and doughnut-licking.
I think you should come to grips with the fact that your tastes don’t measure quality. Ariana’s voice is very well controlled and objectively not shrieking. Miley is also quite talented in a range of styles, regardless of her antics which may turn people off. You should check out the cover of Dylan’s “I’m in the mood for you” she did on Jimmy Fallon. I honestly think it could change your mind about equating her with Britney Spears.
I voted ‘Other’. I have 14 and 10 year old daughters. They mentioned her yesterday and I think even played a couple of her songs although I couldn’t tell you what they were if you held a gun to me head.
Let’s face it, we are getting older. OTOH, my daughters couldn’t tell you jack shit about hair metal, 90’s pop country and they only know Madonna as an old lady. Even Brittany Spears and Justin Bieber have always been washed-up creepy people to them.
My main complaint about the current generation’s music is that it is so bland, innocent and poppy. We had Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and NWA. They have Taylor Swift and Adele. Well shit, you can’t make a rockin’ concert with those. Kids these days - they study to much and have no idea how to raise hell!
I never said my tastes measure quality.
I don’t see any reason to listen to any more of her stuff, I don’t like pop, I don’t like her voice, and I think her video is trashy.
I like a lot of music that I don’t expect other people to like. How often to you listen to George Abdo, or R Carlos Nakai? Probably never even heard of them, they are not geared to your demographic.
Yet somehow I get criticized for not being interested in stuff that is not my style or geared to my demographic.
Whatever.
Um no.
She’s not my style or geared to my demographic. I would not choose to have my radio on a station playing her music. I am not interested in her music. And I can appreciate the quality and skill of her voice itself even as it is applied to that which I do not particularly like. I do not like her material but her talent and skill still flabbergast me.
What you are being “criticized for” is confusing your not liking the genre and the material for something objective about her voice, calling a voice that objectively is not “shrill” as that, unless all you mean is that you do not like when singers hit the very high notes, specifically in the whistle register. She does not spend much time there but she does get up that high (and pretty low too) but if hitting the very high notes bothers you then any time there will be something you don’t like.
I do not. My exposure to current music is limited to stuff playing in the background at various eating establishments and those stations never say who it was. I might know a song if I heard it but would not know it was her. Same with Taylor Swift and any number of “pop tarts”.
I only know of the donut licking episode. No songs.
I had never heard of her until the Manchester bombing. I just checked a few of her songs on Youtube and they sound like every other female pop “diva”. We don’t have kids either so we are never exposed to it except possibly in malls etc.
You know, if the bakery could have only known in time, they probably could have sold that doughnut for a massive markup.
I’ve heard her name, and she’s on some cellphone commercial. But not being a teenybopper, I don’t know her songs.
I voted
I knew that I had heard her music and didn’t dislike it but without googling, I couldn’t recall the name of any Ariana Grande song. Once I googled her songs, I went "Oh yeah, I remember that and that and that and thought they were well crafted (if not immediately memorable) songs.
Not a knock on her. Between the four of us (me, wife, 17 year old, and 15 year old,) and our vastly divergent tastes, I hear so much music from different artists and genres that a lot gets lost in the cracks.
I am entitled to my opinion as much as you are to yours.
I think her voice is obnoxious and screechy - get over it.
This is getting beyond stupid.
What? You want me to apologize for never having heard of someone?