Susan Boyle Huge Album Sales Prove How Shallow The World Is
By TheRoboticMushroom on Nov 28, 2009 in Features
Lots of folks are buying Susan Boyle’s debut album (it’s currently at #1 on Amazon’s bestseller’s list) even though it’s a style of music that most of the people buying it have no real interest in and certainly would not buy if it was by some random person they had never heard of. I think they’re buying it to prove how they’re not superficial and they don’t care about the looks of the the people who make the music they listen to, but it actually proves the opposite.
When she first hit the public consciousness with her performance on Britain’s Got Talent everyone seemed absolutely shocked that an unattractive older woman could sing well. Why? Why would people assume that only attractive young people can sing well?
The answer is obvious; an overwhelming majority of the famous singers of today are attractive young people who mostly got where they are based on their appearance rather than on their musical talent. This has confused the average cretin (I do recommend watching Whatever Works) into thinking that attractiveness is a prerequisite for singing well even though in reality appearance and singing ability have nothing to do with each other.
So when Susan Boyle came along and shattered their reality they wanted to support her to prove how they didn’t care that she wasn’t attractive, they would like her music anyway! But like I said, this actually proves the opposite of what they think it does and here’s why: People who really enjoy music in a meaningful way do not give a damn what the musicians who made that music look like (whether they look good or bad.)
If most of the people who are buying Boyle’s album had simply heard her recordings on the radio they would not be particularly interested in her music. Boyle fans are interested in her music because of what she looks like and because of her “personal story” not because of the music itself.
To be clear, I’m not saying she isn’t a good singer. She is. But so what? I’m sure there are many people who can sing the style of music she does as well as she can (if not better.) But not many people are listening to them. And if Susan Boyle was just some random person without her personal story, she’d be in the same boat as them.
I have nothing against Ms. Boyle and I wish her well but I think the reaction to her is a bit sad.
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What a condescending attitude you have of the millions and millions of Susan Boyle fans around the world. You are the shallow one — not her fans — it is the “public” that is buying and loving her music and the public is not shallow — i think you should look in the mirror and see who is really pathetic – you should not call yourself a music critic –
lauren | Nov 28, 2009 | Reply
This is a silly review because you are trying to surmise what other people think instead of telling us what you think. You have logically placed Susan Boyle and her fans in a box: If they buy her album it just proves how shallow they are because they buy the music only because of the back story; if they don’t buy her album then they are shallow because Susan Boyle isn’t pretty. You can’t have it both ways.
You obviously like her music, so tell us what you think. How does her music affect you?
Marriah | Nov 29, 2009 | Reply
you have got to be the stupidest person ever noone will pay any attention to whatever you say you have no bussiness being a music critic you have no talent and do not try to speak for susan boyle fans she is loved the world over for her beautiful voice and charming personality——no one wants to read what you think!!!!!!
shirleee6 | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
and also susan is a beautiful woman !!!!!quit calling her names !!!!! she has more brains than you have look were she is and look where you are
shirleee6 | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
Marriah – actually, I don’t like her music. I have no interest in the style of music she does.
I don’t think you understood my point. Just about nobody would be paying attention to this music if it was only heard rather then “seen” (with the whole personal story) … My point is that the Susan Boyle phenomenon is just another example of the superficiality of a “story” (even if in this case the story is different than it normally is) being more important than the music.
Shirleee6 – You read it.
TheRoboticMushroom | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
410,000 copies sold in the first week in the UK… a new record for most copies sold in the first week for a debut album.
Marvin Marks | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
701K copies sold in the US — biggest selling week of the year. How ridiculous is that?
Marvin Marks | Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
You can’t please every one in this world. Not everyone is a fan of U2, Madonna, The Beatles music either. Every single person has his choice. Of course there are better singers but its the humanity and honesty and made her to the top and gave a good wake up call to the world. At the end, she has the last laugh…ke ching!
zulaurus | Dec 4, 2009 | Reply
Susan is such a star!
Did you guys know that tv guide network has her exclusive story? I just read about it, here’s a link if anyone’s interested:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TV_SUSAN_BOYLE?SITE=OHCIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
gfelice | Dec 11, 2009 | Reply
her exclusive story? .. for zebra’s sake.
Marvin Marks | Dec 12, 2009 | Reply
People will buy the cd (like me) not because I feel sorry for her but for myself that I don’t have the voice of a true angel. I will listen to her sing often because she has such talent.
biomarge | Dec 15, 2009 | Reply
Nobody is denying the fact that she sings good. I think what the author was trying to say was that a musician should only be judged by his/her music alone, not their looks (and not even their personalities or back stories).
I don’t have hard scientific data to prove it, but I am sure that a significant proportion of people that bought her music did so because of her performance on Britain’s Got Talent. To put it simply, musical talent being equal, if it had been anyone else with less spectacular personal story, it would probably not have sold as well. Again, I don’t have data to prove it, but I think it’s a reasonable assumption to make.
And why was it such a big deal anyway if someone deemed ‘unattractive’ by the world can actually sing? Anyone who can sing well is a good singer; it doesn’t matter if she looks like Susan Boyle or Hayley Westenra. And to be brutally honest, I don’t think Susan Boyle is actually that bad-looking (even though, coming from me, who has been judged negatively most of my life solely on my appearance, this might not mean much).
deuskatanox | May 21, 2010 | Reply
Well played, OP.
Pixelmovement | Oct 23, 2010 | Reply
I mean.. didn’t you pay attention to what he had to say? Then again you’re probably no-one so I guess your argument is valid.
Josh | Apr 10, 2011 | Reply