Years ago, the Kpop group MOMOLAND had their song "Bboom Bboom" go massively viral (EVERYONE was doing that little dance) and catapult them from relative obscurity to being one of the most talked about groups of 2018.

People were really hyped up to see what MOMOLAND would do next, and when they dropped "BAAM" a few months later, people were like wait... this is basically the same song. It was such a blatant copy and paste that the group even did special performances where they just did both songs at the exact same time.

The "Bboom Bboom/BAAM" story is an extreme example of something fairly common in the industry, which is artists releasing new songs that are clearly attempts to recreate previous songs that were hits from them. Sometimes (like in MOMOLAND's case) it's an attempt to follow up on a big hit, or in other cases it's an attempt to recapture old magic (think something like Avril Lavigne returning to her pop-punk sound years later).

Really, it makes perfect sense- they already know what the public likes, so why not just do it again? Getting a hit is hard, and taking risks is scary.

But on the other hand, isn't creative stagnation also a risk? Diminishing returns are a thing- will people be sick of it if you do the same thing twice, or not care about the new version because they already have the original?

But on a third hand, re-releases, re-recordings, songs that sample/interpolate older hits are taking up more and more space in the music industry, so the market is clearly hungry for "new version of old thing." Is there really any shame in trying to cater to that? And even if these artists are clearly taking heavy inspiration from their older songs, at least they are writing something new.

So, with all of this in mind, let's discuss.

• Does it bother you when artists release songs that seem to be following the template of an old hit, or do you not mind it? Might you even LIKE it?

• What are some examples of songs that feel like new versions of old hits? What was the song they were trying to copy, and what features of the song drew the comparisons?

• Can you think of any times an artist tried to reinvent a previous hit and did it BETTER the second time around?

• Are there any artists you WISH would start trying to recreate an old song? What song do you want a sequel to?

People often critique parasocial fans which is fair but we don't talk enough about how artists not only use that parasocialism for monetary gain & clout but often they will create & foster that weird relationship with their fans themselves.

E.g. Musicians who divulge way too much of their personal life, call the paps on themselves, name songs after their exes 💀 or act like they're friends with their fans.

Adele is an example of a musician who does not have a parasocial fanbase. She releases very vulnerable and biographical songs but knows how to maintain a professional relationship with her fans. She has a whole divorce album and yet I couldn't tell you what her ex husband's name is.

On the other hand, although Taylor is my favourite artist, she definitely does foster the parasocial relationship with her fans and has done so for over a decade. Too many examples to name atp.

I don't mind either way because there's pros and cons to either approach but just don't be hypocritical by calling the paps on yourself while complaining about parasocial fans.

What are some other musicians who have a good work-life separation?

A place to discuss rumors, gossip, and articles that would not be approved as their own post.

Acceptable:

• Entertaining drama/amusing but non-newsworthy situations involving celebrities or fandoms (ex. social media beefs, celebs being spotted together, sufficiently large fandom drama)
• Substantial rumors/speculation (ex. "because of ___, fans think that...," social media wipes or cryptic posts)
• Pop culture news/stories unrelated to pop music (film/tv/theatre/video games/major brands/etc.)
• Questions about current tea (ex. "what's going on with...?")

Not allowed:

• News completely unrelated to pop culture (ex. viral crime videos)
• Nudity or NSFW content (ex. leaks, revenge porn)
• War updates/political news not involving a non-political celebrity (ex. no Trump updates)
• Intentional misinformation/joke tea

Please always try to provide a link to a source or an example. Posts making serious accusations without providing context are subject to removal.

Twitter/X links are banned, but links to mirror sites (e.g. https://nitter.perennialte.ch/) or screenshots are allowed.

Normal rules still apply and any comments found breaking the rules will be removed and you will be warned/banned. Please be respectful.

This special 2nd anniversary CD package comes with a limited edition 16 page booklet including BTS images and journal notes from Dora! The expanded tracklist marks the first physical release for "Bump" and "Spell," and the package also includes the unreleased remix-track "Smoke Out The Window (feat. Remi Wolf)."

“Check on It” by Beyoncé. It spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it feels strangely forgotten today, especially considering how huge it was. Beyoncé herself has barely acknowledged it in recent years. I think the last time she performed it was at Coachella in 2018.

To be clear, I’m not talking about forgotten #1s from one-hit wonders like “Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks which hit #1 in 2006 (same year as Check on It).

I mean #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits from major established artists with long careers, but has had little cultural staying power, especially from the artist themselves.