So it’s not like he’s gone on and done some great musicianship with it
This is kinda irrelevant? I mean that’s sampling in general, of course there is no “musicianship” in it, they’re playing someone else’s music.
People are acting like she’s taken his instrumentation and ruined it or something when it isn’t his, for the most part
Not really, people are saying she’s taken his sample, which she did, and made a derivative product which is self-evident from all the people who can’t tell the two songs apart until she starts singing, which doesn’t apply to the original as it’s truly a sample and not the same as the rest of the song.
I personally like both songs. I don’t get why people are so up in arms at her about it
Because hers is unoriginal. Taking a song from the 60s, sampling it, and making something new is one thing. Taking a song built from a sample, and basically just remixing it with your own lyrics, is not as creative or original. That’s the issue people take with it.
If you truly only take a sample from a song and build your own thing around it, people are a lot less up in arms about stealing music. See also Vanilla Ice and Under Pressure, where someone did not build enough of their own thing from a sample.
Ok so your points boil down to “she wasn’t creative with the instrumentation as he was”. Even though while yes that is true, he hardly was so to any real degree. She did her own lyrics entirely (which are, in my opinion, a lot more creative than Gotye’s) and gave the song a different feel with her delivery. And still, is the fact that Gotye was a bit creative with the instrumentation and she wasn’t really a reason to give her so much hate? Let’s be real too, most people hating on her don’t know Gotye also sampled, they think it’s entirely his. It’s such a wild thing to get so mad about
Edit: wait I’ve just realised you said she “stole” it too. She didn’t and both Gotye and the guy with the original 60s song are getting a lot of money for it because of it. Also Gotye is getting so many more plays on his song because of Anxiety being released and loads of people being reminded he exists in general
She did her own lyrics entirely (which are, in my opinion, a lot more creative than Gotye’s) and gave the song a different feel with her delivery
Well, that’s not enough, apparently, for many people. Gotye took 2 seconds of a classical guitar song and made a completely new song from it. The new girl just took that same new song and put her words on it. A change, sure, but still essentially the same song. New lyrics can make a song feel completely different, but that still means the rest of the song is the same song.
is the fact that Gotye was a bit creative with the instrumentation and she wasn’t really a reason to give her so much hate?
Criticism is not hate. If she makes a song that is a slightly tweaked version of a well known hit, she is going to be seen as derivative and uninspired.
Let’s be real too, most people hating on her don’t know Gotye also sampled
So she should take more obscure samples then? Isn’t that part of the art of sampling, taking something obscure and breathing something fresh into it? If people cannot even tell if your song is the original or not, then you didn’t change enough.
It’s such a wild thing to get so mad about
Who’s mad? You like the song, others don’t, both are valid.
I mean it’s pretty much just the sample, a xylophone playing “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and some very simple percussion and flute. It’s a new song yes, but it relies heavily on others’ work and what is his addition has barely anything to it. What makes it good is his and Kimbra’s vocals. With this whole “not changing anything means it’s bad” standard you do realise that writes off all covers that are done with the same instrumentation as not worthy of praise right? And yes those cover artists aren’t claiming their song is an original, but neither is Doechii out here saying the instrumentation is hers. She didn’t steal it, as you said
Why are you saying she has to take more obscure samples? Again this is a pretty arbitrary standard to have. Sampling doesn’t have to be what you describe. It means they have more skill of course, doing it that way and it certainly can be more interesting. But Gotye has far from done some skillful with his sampling here. I’m just pointing this out cos of the hypocrisy of calling her out on this front but then only having good words for Gotye. And no one is out here claiming she’s done some good instrumentation or that it’s original in that aspect, either her or anyone who likes it. The people who do like it like it for the most part because she took the instrumentation and made a new song with a different feel to it and did it well, in their eyes. Like I don’t think she’s done some amazing work in general or anything, I just think the hate she’s getting is undeserved
I’m not claiming you’re mad yourself, I’ve no idea if you even have any feeling around it. Just in case I was coming across that way. And it’s totally fine not to like the song, that’s valid as you say. But there’s a difference between saying you don’t like it and thinking it’s bad. There’s plenty of stuff I don’t like personally but that I can appreciate has been done well. I’m talking about having seen so many threads and so much discussion online of people saying how much they don’t like her and it’s ruined her reputation, or giving that as a reason why so many others do. I don’t know if it has actually ruined it, seems she’s gotten mad plays on it at least. But certainly so many people were/are pissed about it
I heavily disagree? There’s a litany of other samples that he’s compiled to make an entirely different song, see here, I think the general point people are making here is that her rendition is the musical equivalent of a reaction video. The lyricism is good, sure, but I think she absolutely should’ve taken more creative liberties with the way she handled the instrumental.
That is just demonstrably untrue, Somebody I Used to Know is transformative to the point to not be confused with the original, which cannot be said for Anxiety.
With this whole “not changing anything means it’s bad” standard
Didn’t say that.
Why are you saying she has to take more obscure samples?
Because her song is being mistaken for the one she is sampling, leading to people not liking her song and thinking she is unoriginal.
Again this is a pretty arbitrary standard to have. Sampling
Not really, proof is in the pudding. Ice Ice Baby is able to be confused for Under Pressure, so people think it’s unoriginal, same here. If it isn’t transformative enough, it is derivative.
I’m just pointing this out cos of the hypocrisy of calling her out on this front but then only having good words for Gotye.
It’s not hypocrisy, the Gotye song does not sound like the song the sample is from, whereas Anxiety sounds exactly like Somebody I Used to Know.
But there’s a difference between saying you don’t like it and thinking it’s bad.
Right, and I never said it’s bad
There’s plenty of stuff I don’t like personally but that I can appreciate has been done well
If the thing you appreciate from a song is not a part that artist added to the mix (for example, if you really like the bass line from Ice Ice Baby), where does the appreciation lay? Because that’s the crux that you don’t seem to grasp. People like the Gotye song because it’s more than the sum of its parts; it made something new. Whereas, as demonstrated by Anxiety being seen as “just Somebody I Used to Know with different lyrics,” it is not transformative or unique. As you mentioned, covers can bring something new to the table, or just be the same song with a different vibe. But it’s still the same song.
Or maybe the consensus is just that she didn’t do it well enough, or it was just too derivative, or any combination of things. To me it certainly feels like the music version of how Hollywood does reboot-sequels that’s basically the same movie but remade for modern audiences, I’d rather just watch the original.
This is kinda irrelevant? I mean that’s sampling in general, of course there is no “musicianship” in it, they’re playing someone else’s music.
Not really, people are saying she’s taken his sample, which she did, and made a derivative product which is self-evident from all the people who can’t tell the two songs apart until she starts singing, which doesn’t apply to the original as it’s truly a sample and not the same as the rest of the song.
Because hers is unoriginal. Taking a song from the 60s, sampling it, and making something new is one thing. Taking a song built from a sample, and basically just remixing it with your own lyrics, is not as creative or original. That’s the issue people take with it.
If you truly only take a sample from a song and build your own thing around it, people are a lot less up in arms about stealing music. See also Vanilla Ice and Under Pressure, where someone did not build enough of their own thing from a sample.
She simply fails the originality test.
Are you a hip-hop fan?
Ok so your points boil down to “she wasn’t creative with the instrumentation as he was”. Even though while yes that is true, he hardly was so to any real degree. She did her own lyrics entirely (which are, in my opinion, a lot more creative than Gotye’s) and gave the song a different feel with her delivery. And still, is the fact that Gotye was a bit creative with the instrumentation and she wasn’t really a reason to give her so much hate? Let’s be real too, most people hating on her don’t know Gotye also sampled, they think it’s entirely his. It’s such a wild thing to get so mad about
Edit: wait I’ve just realised you said she “stole” it too. She didn’t and both Gotye and the guy with the original 60s song are getting a lot of money for it because of it. Also Gotye is getting so many more plays on his song because of Anxiety being released and loads of people being reminded he exists in general
Well, that’s not enough, apparently, for many people. Gotye took 2 seconds of a classical guitar song and made a completely new song from it. The new girl just took that same new song and put her words on it. A change, sure, but still essentially the same song. New lyrics can make a song feel completely different, but that still means the rest of the song is the same song.
Criticism is not hate. If she makes a song that is a slightly tweaked version of a well known hit, she is going to be seen as derivative and uninspired.
So she should take more obscure samples then? Isn’t that part of the art of sampling, taking something obscure and breathing something fresh into it? If people cannot even tell if your song is the original or not, then you didn’t change enough.
Who’s mad? You like the song, others don’t, both are valid.
I mean it’s pretty much just the sample, a xylophone playing “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and some very simple percussion and flute. It’s a new song yes, but it relies heavily on others’ work and what is his addition has barely anything to it. What makes it good is his and Kimbra’s vocals. With this whole “not changing anything means it’s bad” standard you do realise that writes off all covers that are done with the same instrumentation as not worthy of praise right? And yes those cover artists aren’t claiming their song is an original, but neither is Doechii out here saying the instrumentation is hers. She didn’t steal it, as you said
Why are you saying she has to take more obscure samples? Again this is a pretty arbitrary standard to have. Sampling doesn’t have to be what you describe. It means they have more skill of course, doing it that way and it certainly can be more interesting. But Gotye has far from done some skillful with his sampling here. I’m just pointing this out cos of the hypocrisy of calling her out on this front but then only having good words for Gotye. And no one is out here claiming she’s done some good instrumentation or that it’s original in that aspect, either her or anyone who likes it. The people who do like it like it for the most part because she took the instrumentation and made a new song with a different feel to it and did it well, in their eyes. Like I don’t think she’s done some amazing work in general or anything, I just think the hate she’s getting is undeserved
I’m not claiming you’re mad yourself, I’ve no idea if you even have any feeling around it. Just in case I was coming across that way. And it’s totally fine not to like the song, that’s valid as you say. But there’s a difference between saying you don’t like it and thinking it’s bad. There’s plenty of stuff I don’t like personally but that I can appreciate has been done well. I’m talking about having seen so many threads and so much discussion online of people saying how much they don’t like her and it’s ruined her reputation, or giving that as a reason why so many others do. I don’t know if it has actually ruined it, seems she’s gotten mad plays on it at least. But certainly so many people were/are pissed about it
I heavily disagree? There’s a litany of other samples that he’s compiled to make an entirely different song, see here, I think the general point people are making here is that her rendition is the musical equivalent of a reaction video. The lyricism is good, sure, but I think she absolutely should’ve taken more creative liberties with the way she handled the instrumental.
This whole thread is wrong lol. Sampling is musicianship. Simplifying a pop banger from the 60s down to its essence is creativity.
That is just demonstrably untrue, Somebody I Used to Know is transformative to the point to not be confused with the original, which cannot be said for Anxiety.
Didn’t say that.
Because her song is being mistaken for the one she is sampling, leading to people not liking her song and thinking she is unoriginal.
Not really, proof is in the pudding. Ice Ice Baby is able to be confused for Under Pressure, so people think it’s unoriginal, same here. If it isn’t transformative enough, it is derivative.
It’s not hypocrisy, the Gotye song does not sound like the song the sample is from, whereas Anxiety sounds exactly like Somebody I Used to Know.
Right, and I never said it’s bad
If the thing you appreciate from a song is not a part that artist added to the mix (for example, if you really like the bass line from Ice Ice Baby), where does the appreciation lay? Because that’s the crux that you don’t seem to grasp. People like the Gotye song because it’s more than the sum of its parts; it made something new. Whereas, as demonstrated by Anxiety being seen as “just Somebody I Used to Know with different lyrics,” it is not transformative or unique. As you mentioned, covers can bring something new to the table, or just be the same song with a different vibe. But it’s still the same song.
Or maybe the consensus is just that she didn’t do it well enough, or it was just too derivative, or any combination of things. To me it certainly feels like the music version of how Hollywood does reboot-sequels that’s basically the same movie but remade for modern audiences, I’d rather just watch the original.