Paula Irmschler’s current column is about Bruno Mars’ solo comeback after 10 years, AI comparisons in pop music and the new series “Pluribus” about collective consciousness.
First of all: Happy New Year! How long can we continue to ask, how long can we continue to say that? Sorry. I’m a UNC! I recently learned the word; it probably describes someone who doesn’t check anything anymore because they’re too old. I think it’s something like the new “Ok Boomer”, only now it’s especially us Millennials’ turn. Fair enough.
A new word that should now exist is “phubbing”. At least that’s what ZDF, AOK and geo.de report. “Phubbing” means someone looking at their cell phone during a conversation. The attempt at this word installation reminds me of how they tried to sell us “smombie” for “smartphone zombie” back then. Or at the end of the 90s “sit” for no longer thirsty. Or of course:
Once again, I didn’t realize that it was Dry January until all the reels came in about how people couldn’t keep up with not drinking. I don’t understand why people always have to name it somehow and make it a challenge when they don’t drink for a few weeks. But maybe they have a lot more friends and are constantly on tour. For me, January goes like this: You sit down after New Year’s Eve, blink a few times, trudge through some mud, cry a few times, think that the dark hole inside you will never close again and then at some point it will be March.
What reason would you even have to drink in January? What’s there to celebrate right now, huh?
OH GOD! And that’s before Carnival! And after I begged Bruno Mars to release new music a few weeks ago. And like all of you, he apparently reads here all the time. That’s great.
Here is the first single. The first solo single in 10 years!
Now, of course, we were dutifully happy that Mars was giving us something, but we also joked around. The usual: James Brown mix, heard everything 1000 times, self-parody, radio duds… Yes, but then you ask yourself: Where’s the diss? There’s no originality badge to be won here, just a great time.
The joke that was made here and there that this could be AI was also annoying. And as much as you can dismiss it here, I can’t deny that I now ask myself the same thing about every third cultural product. So I’m not necessarily wondering whether it was created by AI, but rather whether it’s still original enough to stand out. Maybe we can establish a new category: things that aren’t AI but feel like it. I’ll begin: The music of Olivia Dean. Sorry to say this, but I felt that vibe several times last year when I listened to them. But maybe that’s what pop culture production automatically comes to, at some point it works a little too “well”, or rather it becomes smoother and catchier and more technical. But you would also have to look to the past for such examples, i.e. where AI didn’t exist to the extent that it does now and it had no place in music. You’ll probably find something there just like you do today. Looking at you, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, David Guetta, The 1975 or Imagine Dragons. I’m really not trying to diss anyone here, it’s just a vibe! A Jeföhl.
But what is most important is what this meme says.
However, not working with AI can mean under certain circumstances that a song may not even exist, i.e. not as a finished track, that it won’t be smeared on my bread, but that I have to make do with a nice little video recording. As in my current favorite song by Jessica Mazin, this one on the Insta loop running.
Editorial recommendations
If you want to think even more about AI and especially about the relationship you should have to it, you obviously have to watch “Pluribus” these days. The series asks some questions that need to be answered, even if it is not primarily about AI. Carol (played by the incredible Rhea Seehorn) is one of 13 people in the world who haven’t been caught by the virus that leads to the collective brain and happiness, and refuses to become part of it. There are already podcasts and reaction videos for the series, lots of takes, features stuff, guys in suits saying something about it, you can really dig into it. My take is that it’s mostly about grief and how the world might feel to you afterwards. Can you tell me if you see it that way if you tune in?
Guaranteed AI-free viewing was still possible back in the MTV era. My generation was shown by real people what bodies should look like and how they should be commented on. Of course also in the music videos, not just in the evil dating and other reality shows. But of course there was also a lot of cool stuff. MTV has been completely gone since the end of last year, but someone has built something there. A website where you can watch tens of thousands of videos that were shown on MTV, as well as concerts, interviews and other specials, even divided by decade, but there is also a shuffle mode. The good thing: you can keep clicking when some nonsense comes up, and you don’t have to go to the toilet like before when something bothers you. And Here you come to the pagehave fun!
So, dear readers and dear Bruno Mars, that’s it for now, you have to slowly get back into it. In preparation for next time, you can listen to or watch this very good podcast interview with Jennette McCurdy (known from “iCarly”).
She’s releasing her second book in a few days: “Half His Age” and it’s about, you guessed it, an abusive relationship. After reading her first book (“I’m Glad My Mom Died”) and this clever conversation, I’m almost certain that the book will be very good. Bye, Bruno!
What happened so far? Here is an overview of all the pop column texts.
