The most promising pop album of the year is under fire three weeks before release now that it has become known how long the record is. According to critical fans, the new album by singer Olivia Rodrigo (20) is so short that you can hardly speak of an album. Everything used to be better (read: longer), is the idea. That is not true, in fact: the length bodes well.
If your debut album entered the books as one of the most streamed records of all time, it’s only natural that music fans would hold their breath for the follow-up. Especially now Guts, the album that will be released on September 8, promises to be pretty good. The first single Vampire got five stars from it The Guardian and even the critical Pitchfork was positive twice. The second single Bad idea right? is one of “the best pop performances of the year,” according to the music site.
This week it was announced that the album is 39 minutes and 12 seconds long. A message about it from news account Pop Base on X (formerly Twitter) received 62,000 likes and nearly 12 million views. Many fans said they were preparing for 39 minutes of enjoyment, but there was also outrage: is a collection of songs of 39 minutes a full-fledged album? Where has the time gone when records lasted at least an hour?
No one complains about these classics
Indeed: twelve songs in 39 minutes is a bit tight. If an extended CD single used to contain a few remix versions, you were also sweet for 40 minutes. Yet the professional site looks variety with astonishment at the criticism. Because when only vinyl existed, a length under 40 minutes was the norm. More could not fit with good sound quality.
And moreover: countless ‘short’ albums are known as classics. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from The Beatles? 39 minutes. What’s going on by Marvin Gaye? 35 minutes. Fleetwood Mac plate Rumors takes 38 minutes, Aretha Franklins lady soul not yet 29. David Bowies The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars did you listen in 38 minutes. Who complains about that?
Olivia is smart
After all, longer is not always better. Especially in the age of CDs, artists tried to fill every available minute. Then you were stuck with almost an hour and a half of music from stars who had only made one nice song, jokes variety. It is no coincidence that the term ‘filler‘, for numbers to fill things up.
A short length is also smart. Olivia Rodrigo has many young fans who discover and share music through TikTok. Everything there is short, fast and made for a short attention span. It has drastically changed the way artists write, according to the magazine. The most successful new artists, think rappers ice spice and singer PinkPantheress, sometimes make complete songs of one and a half minutes.
Complaining that you don’t get enough ‘value for money’ doesn’t hold either. The vast majority of listeners will stream Olivia Rodrigo’s album and they already have that Spotify subscription anyway. In short: Guts not only has a very normal length, it can easily become a classic.
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