Black Eyed Peas At The Super Bowl
I’d like to say they were terrible, unwatchable, the end of the world as we know it.
But they were not.
They were a representation of America…yesterday.
Have you noticed the new BEP album has stiffed? That none of the singles has broken through? Live by the hit, die by the hit.
But I want to give the NFL credit, for imparting the kiss of death upon musical acts. If you perform at the Super Bowl, you’re now over.
Oh, don’t tell me about U2 and Prince. The former was ten years ago and Prince has always functioned in his own sphere. But if you’re part of the hit parade, once you appear on the Super Bowl, you’re toast.
I will say the BEP were better than the Who. The Who were just sad. Like Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. Once upon a time they were great, now it’s just creepy.
But classic rock is dead.
And the Peas are dead too. Because once the mainstream endorses you, you’re toast. Especially in an era where Facebook is more important than the "New York Times".
Don’t expect the NFL to be cutting edge. That’s not their job. They don’t even want excitement. Did you see that penalty for excessive celebration? No man is bigger than the game. But a great musical act is bigger than radio, bigger than the middlemen, the gatekeepers who are more about money than music.
Great production. Come on, those green lights and the hearts in red? It was a modern day version of a marching band.
Did you see the moves? It’s not like those lame rock stars of yore who practiced their instruments! Now you’ve got to dance, you’ve got to move.
Wait a minute, that was ten years ago on MTV…
The BEP were entertainment. They were watchable. They fit the bill.
But music, when done right, is cutting edge. It’s about questioning the status quo. Which is how we know Springsteen and the Who and Petty were done when they were complicit with the NFL. After all, they’ve got to sell tickets. To all those old farts who remember the old hits and the young ‘uns who want to see you before you die.
Wave goodbye to the Black Eyed Peas. Bye-bye! Fergie will have a solo career, with more peaks than Slash’s. Will.i.am will always find a gig and I’d say the other two would be forgotten, but they were never known.
Don’t go for the victory lap. It’s hollow. In an era where there’s no mainstream, why go for mainstream acknowledgement?
We’re on the cusp of musical breakthroughs unseen since the late sixties. Everything’s up for grabs. You’re gonna be wowed, you’re gonna be moved by artists doing it their own way, following their own path, not worried about mainstream acknowledgement.
And this new music is going to rain down money. And these outside stars will be revered. Because instead of playing along, they threw out the rule book and started over.
Football is all about the rules.
Music is not.
I hope you enjoyed the spectacle. I did.
But it was meaningless.
And when done right, music means everything in the world.
