Billy Corgan Says Modern Music Has Been ‘Taken Over by Poseurs’
Story by Anne Erickson
Smashing Pumpkins singer gets blunt in chat about the state of modern music
Billy Corgan has always stuck to his ideals and ideas of what makes music great. In that same essence, the Smashing Pumpkins singer and songwriter has never shied away from speaking his mind, even when it’s not exactly popular. Such was the case at South by Southwest (SXSW) yesterday (March 13).
During a one-on-one talk with author Brian Solis during their conversation at SXSW — which went under the moniker of “The End of Business As Usual,” after Solis’s just-released book — Corgan let it all hang out when it came to his thoughts on the music business. He explained that today’s music newbies are simply after getting famous, quickly, and that the art of creating music that’s daring and different is long gone.
“[Artists that break through now] have grown up thinking that being famous is the goal,” Corgan said according to Billboard. “You’re just the fresh stripper…. I was part of a generation that changed the world – and it was taken over by poseurs.”
Corgan did confess to knowing that he was part of a similar system– even back in the ‘90s. “I knew I was being exploited,” he said. “But there was a Faustian bargain to be made.” He also said some kind of, sort of kind words about Lana Del Rey’s debunked performance on Saturday Night Live. “It doesn’t surprise me that she crashed and burned, because she wasn’t ready for it,” he said. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”
Corgan, in essence, described a scenario in which musicians, technology and the business of music are focused more on fame and instant success than true artistic quality and creativity, and it’s safe to say many would agree. “Don’t call it rock and roll,” Corgan said. “I was part of a generation that changed the world – and it was taken over by poseurs.”
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