From metalcore to alt pop. Country to electro-pop. Emo to straight up pop. Why are all the musicians switching to the “pop” category when all their fans liked them “before they went pop-y”? True, they probably just wanted to try something new and ended up enjoying it. Who knows their true intentions other than the musicians themselves? Nobody on earth, that’s for sure, so why do people still assume that the musicians are simply struggling to make money?

Recently, the band Bring Me The Horizon released their 6th album, titled Amo. Their fanbase was very… shall we say, disappointed. They went from being an extremely heavy metalcore band with incomprehensible lyrics to a post-rock electronica band. That is, alt pop. Which means that hardcore and original fans probably would’ve left the room at the release of That’s The Spirit, as they’ve changed so much. Those fans that held onto the hope that they would return to their deathcore-screamo-metal roots in Amo were sorely let down. I’ve heard people accuse them of putting less and less effort into their albums, starting with Sempiternal or That’s The Spirit. 

Which is 100% untrue. In an interview with London Evening Standard, Oli Sykes, lead singer and lyricist, said, “It’s the most amount of effort we’ve put into anything.” But fans are weird. They get mad when one tiny thing changes, and often don’t acknowledge that the band isn’t typically trying to please their fanbase. They just want to put out music. If they change their style, then so be it. 

Taylor Swift’s evolution of country music princess to snake queen is arguably the greatest evolution in modern pop music. Look at her, with her long hair and songs titled “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops On My Guitar”, you’d never think she could change her style. She built a name for herself under her country-type music. Which might be why her switch to pop music is so infamous.

With the release of 1989, I was confused but still content with the content she put out. Hey, when you find her new album released only a few weeks ago in a Starbucks for $15ish, might as well buy it. Listening to it now, though, the songs aren’t as great as I remembered them to be. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy listening to them. They’re just not what I remembered. 

I prefer Country Music Taylor over Snake Queen Taylor. And that’s alright. I’m not bashing her or accusing her of just “changing styles for the money”. My opinion is as important as the next person’s, but I don’t have a reason to say it so meanly or aggressively. If she wants to change her style for what she wants to do, then so be it.

Panic! At The Disco. What a weird band name. Wonder where they got it from?

Anyway, Panic! At The Disco was originally composed of Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. The band essentially went through the “band member Hunger Games”, with members coming and going. Actually, the main reason why Ryan Ross and Jon Walker decided to leave was because of creative differences when it came to the genre they wanted to play. Brendon wanted to play a more polished pop genre, while Ryan and Jon wanted a more retro-inspired rock sound. So, of course, them leaving caused the band to go more pop-like.

Brendon ended up being the sole survivor of the Hunger Games for Band Members, giving him the creative license to do whatever he wants to do, music wise. Since he’s been alone in the band for the past few years (aside from touring members), the last two albums sound much different from anything Panic!’s ever done. Death of a Bachelor and Pray for the Wicked have a more jazzy-pop sound, with wind ensembles and bouncing drum beats. Lots of people were disappointed in Pray for the Wicked, and although I don’t see how people don’t love it as much as I do, I don’t hate on them for having a valid opinion. Pray for the Wicked is like Death of a Bachelor on steroids, making it even more jazzy and pop-y than what the Panic! fans are used to. And that’s fine. It’s okay to dislike a band’s new music, but it’s not okay to dislike a band for their new music. If Brendon changes the band’s style, then so be it.

Really, fans need to have more respect for the artists. It’s very hard to make it as far as these people have, and to have the courage to change their music style is huge. 

Be respectful. They’ve provided much for you, and you might provide feedback, and if the feedback is negative, say it respectfully. 

If others tell you they don’t like an artist’s new stuff, be respectful of their opinions. They’re human too, and it would be good to hear them out on why they might not like the new stuff. They’ll most likely have a point. 

Everybody’s opinion is valid. If somebody is rude about it, or says that yours is invalid, then respectfully tell them you disagree.

If you don’t like an artist’s new music, then so be it.

I’ll be listening to Amo on repeat for the next few weeks.