I mean, why wouldn't I? There's only one thing that guy does: writes songs. He's not in it for some other thing. There's only one reason he does what he does, and that's to write songs! Writing songs is the reason he writes songs. It doesn't get any more basic than that. It's almost a completely pure exercise with that guy.
People might accuse him: is he trying to get a pop hit? Is he trying to sell out? Uck that! Selling out doesn't even come into the picture for this guy! He's got a song to write, he's going to WRITE it. Whether the song itself decides to sell out, that's not his problem - but he's going to make sure that song grows up big and strong, fully-formed and as capable as he can make it. Once it wings its way out, set loose into the big world, it's got to fend for itself. Sometimes a song is conceived in innocence and simplicity and that song goes on and sells out. That's not the song's fault. And it's certainly not a reflection on Rivers Cuomo! It's more down to the vicissitudes of the buying public, frankly.
The types of songs he writes - hey, these are sturdy, basic, accessible rock tunes on the sorts of themes a lot of folks can relate to. He writes songs like that not to score big with the common denominator, but because that's his music. That's the music he's into making. I'm so sick of having every songwriter with a certain amount of populist sensibility, a certain amount of heart-on-sleeve mixed in with their individual odd perversities and their quirky humors, be accused. Just because of that honest luster of accessibility, they get accused of diluting their artistic integrity making a play for the charts. That's bullshit. For almost anyone not part of the lockstep anti-conformity army, a certain amount of accessibility is PART of your artistic integrity. It is the pure love of music's most elemental power: the ability to reach us all on a fundamental human level, a level that transcends petty divisions of scene, chic and anti-chic.
But even dealing with lesser artists than Mr. Cuomo, people really need to quit that accusation. To claim that the purveyors of what rules the Hot 100 are somehow compromising their artistic vision - as if they'd be capable of so much better - it's ridiculous. It's a simplistic, baby-minded conceit and anybody over the intellectual age of 14 ought to know better.
The music people make is - for better or worse - the best music they're capable of making at a given time. Sure, from time to time an artist will claim that they produced schlock because they were pressured to produce schlock. I don't buy it, pal. No, you made the best music you could. And then people saw it for what it was: empty and shallow. And now you're trying to claim you were capable of better all along, if only the mean old music industry hadn't pressured you. Really! What a cowardly excuse. A second-rate excuse from a third-rate artist with pretentions to being better than they are - all the while knowing that their public output damns them for a hack, dead-to-rights. They're trying to exonerate their talent for the crimes of their work. Well, it ain't gonna fly until they can produce the genuine and inspired goods! C'mon. Show us what cha. If you had better in you, what's stopping you from putting it out there RIGHT NOW? Knock us out, beeyatch!
But such hacks aside, many first-rate artists have an artistic vision that IS populist, is popular, IS POP - including some great talents, genius-rank artists. Loving music that is accessible, loving to produce music that is catchy and well-crafted - this is no knock at all. This is perhaps the highest calling within music.
So anyway, don't sweat it Rivers. Pursue your muse.
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