The Decline of the Music Industry

@tjkurita That whole album was pretty good when it came out. The original title of that track was to have been "Mediterranean Queen", but marketing music peeps thought that wouldn't appeal to the lucrative American audience, so Ocean changed it. 

@audio2design: "I think it is one of the reasons for the rise of black/ethnic "pop" music through the 90’s into the 2000’s. Everyone else had it too good, so there was not enough "emotion" to drive the song writing."

I assume you’re African American? If not, feel free to explain, truly, what exactly "black/ethnic ’pop’ music" is and how you have any agency. @mahgister has it right - that statement is about as ignorant and general as you can get. Please - how about some examples of this genre from that time period? And Id love to hear how "everyone else" had it so good. Like my classmates in our Appalachian high school with a mean family income of less than $27K a year. I assume we had it good.

And this gem - ""White" pop had a peak in the 80’s. It was a reflection/culmination of life. Hey, look at us, we have prosperity, no one is trying to nuke us today, walls are coming down. Let’s celebrate life." -- applies to 1989 and onward - not the rest of the 80’s. I mean, "Walking on Sunshine" and "Take On Me" and "Jump" and "Caribbean Queen" were all mid-80’s, in the heart of the cold war and the threat of imminent nuclear annihilation, and those aren't exactly dirges.

@tjkurita "The PMRC went under in the 90s I think and now we have Cardi B singing about her WAP. Which I think is awesome. I’ve never heard the song but it made a good meme."

It’s a catchy song that actually celebrates feminine sexual agency and power. Male singers have been singing about their own sexual proclivity and aptitude for years, so "WAP" is a good rejoinder to that.

@tjkurita Just make sure you have a bowl of macaroni handy while you listen to "WAP"

@mikeydred  and don't forget about Matthew Broderick and Ally
Sheedie in "Wargames"