The Death of Music Journalism

The Death of Music Journalism

Written by Alyssa Clark

Art by Izzy Maher

As a society, we have lost the art of true music journalism. Big statement, I know, but I stand by it. Now we can sit here and discuss interviewers who are successful and known for their work, but successful doesn’t equal high-quality. As someone who consumes hours of music interviews, music videos, and reads articles about my favorite artists, I feel fairly confident in my ability to judge music journalism at this time. A notable interview for me is David Bowie’s with Playboy in 1976. While I am not a fan of everything said by the interviewer, I do find Bowie’s responses to the quick-witted questions riveting. The interviewer says, “Let’s go back to disco music. You say it’s a dirge, yet you had the biggest disco hit of last year in Fame and you scored again this year with Golden Years. How do you explain that?”, to which Bowie responds “I love disco. It’s a lovely escapist’s way out. I quite like it… I’ll do anything until I fail. And when I succeed, I quit, too.”. This level of candidacy is something I long for in interviews and wish to see more of.

I have noticed that over time, it seems that when musicians are being interviewed, whether it be more professional or laid back, there isn’t much pushback on their work. This isn’t to say every musician needs to have their work critiqued or ridiculed, but shouldn’t we exchange differing opinions on interpretations or learn more about the artist as a person and as musician?

Recently, I watched the Call Her Daddy interview with Chappell Roan, and while I am aware that the host, Alex Cooper, isn’t a music journalist, her questions and responses seemed to lack true depth and curiosity. Roan is a known figure for her appreciation of drag culture through her outfits and references, as well as a queer woman who grew up in the Midwest, an area that can be unaccepting at times. This representation in music is important for young adults struggling with their identity. Roan is also someone who has been consistently in the spotlight for moments like when she called out a paparazzi at the 2024 VMAS who told her to “shut the f**k up”, with her replying, “Don't. Not me, b***h!”. Situations like these, I find interesting to dive into, especially the conversation about the lack of privacy given to artists from the paparazzi. Cooper rather asks more broad questions, which, while they do shed light on Roan’s feelings as someone creating art, they simply need more context and perceptiveness. 

At one point, Cooper brings up Roan’s stage name and her given name, Kayleigh, asking “How do you decide when you have people call you Chappell versus Kayleigh?”. A simple, yet overdone question that most fans likely know the answer to. Instead, this could have been an opportunity to better understand the importance of the two identities and what initially made Roan decide on this. There is also a moment that went viral on social media where Chappell Roan discusses her struggle to balance her career with other vital parts of life, like being politically aware. This is a time when I was looking for more pushback from Cooper, as Roan’s response left viewers feeling upset by her statement since it came off as tone-deaf. It is important to understand not only the art but the artist, something that could’ve been done differently within this interview.

This issue doesn’t rely on just the fact of questions lacking depth; they also lean towards often praising or agreeing with the artist. I find that art is meant to be questioned, interpreted differently, and understood in various ways. I don’t seem to see this in popular media as often as I would like. Zane Lowe is known for his many interviews with musicians and his insightful questions. While I do enjoy his interviews for how curated and tailored they are to understanding the artist and their art, at times, I wonder if it can be slightly harmful if there is no pushback. I am not saying Lowe himself is the issue, but this type of journalism can be the problem when exploring art. I came across this idea when watching his interview with Taylor Swift regarding her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. As a fan of Swift, I was slightly disappointed not to see more productive conversations with her in terms of certain lyrics from the album. For example, in her song “CANCELLED!”, she says, “Good thing I like my friends cancelled (Cancelled) I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal (Yeah)”. Specifically in current times, the song leaves a bad taste in many fans' mouths, this being a chance for interviewers like Lowe to explore. If we don’t have a balance of critiques and appreciation, how can artists improve their work and grow?

Moving forward, Pitchfork, an online music magazine, has become known for its critical reviews of musicians' albums. Most recently, Pitchfork reviewed Halsey’s newest album, The Greatest Impersonator. Many fans were left outraged, leaving comments telling the writer to “count their days”, while others found  reviews like this important. While I do find that the review was a bit harsh, we must allow critics to do what they do best: criticize. Also it was claimed that Pitchfork simply doesn’t like Halsey or her work, yet they have rated her previous albums highly. This is where I find issues in the current culture surrounding music journalism, since people find criticism to be an attack on art or character rather than simply being a reviewThere are ways to improve music journalism and get to a point where critiques are welcomed and understood. I believe a new standard could be set for those interviewing musicians as well as improving culture for the artists to recognize this shift. A balance can be created between critiquing a musician’s art and breaking down their work, ensuring that art is respected but reflection is present. Through increased understanding on both sides, it allows for the celebration of art while still producing pushback when necessary. Interviewers can not only have better awareness of the musician and their work, but also know the times where more inquisitive questions are appropriate.