Schon länger schwelt ein gewisser Beef zwischen den phänomenal erfolgreichen und zumindest zweitweise durchaus interessanten The 1975 und den phänomenal erfolgreichen und phänomenal uninteressanten Imagine Dragons. Auf letzteren Aspekt hebt The 1975-Frontmann Matty Healy ab:

Songs like “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, it might as well be called “Pikachy Banana.” It’s nothingness. There’s no space for nothingness any more and pop music has so much space for it. I’m not saying I’m John Lennon or Jarvis Cocker, but I will say there’s parts of our record, which has been a massive mainstream record, that have resonated with people for the right reasons, and that won’t be taken away from me.

…woraufhin sich Imagine Dragons – Sänger Dan Reynolds beschwerte, dass Musiker doch sich nicht gegenseitig angreifen sollten.
Dazu Healy wieder:

„Did you see that guy from that Imagine Dragons — he went online quite recently and he’s kinda like “Everyone’s like slagging off my band, everyone’s saying that like we’re not good enough or whatever.” And he was like “Billy Corgan said it, and Matty from the 1975 said it.” And I was like, “Bro, I didn’t say that.” And even if I did say that, why do you care? You’re a millionaire in a huge band, like, you don’t go, “Oh I’m gonna do this and also can I be void of criticism.” It’s like, no.

But that’s not that point. My point wasn’t that Imagine Dragons aren’t good. I don’t care. If you’re that big, if you’re like the biggest alternative band in America radio-play wise, and you’re saying nothing in your music — if you’re just saying words “radioactive whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa,” d’ya know what I mean, it’s… No I’m not… I’m sure that they’re like… But it’s just like, what’s the point? If you can tell me what the point is, apart from escapism…

We’re rubbish with like protest music nowadays as a society. Look at like after 9/11, that was so hard for the country to deal with. Everybody’s listening to fucking Jack Johnson, Norah Jones. Cause people didn’t want to deal with reality. We have to deal with reality now.“

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