2000s Pop's Bittersweet Remains

Though BRITNEY SPEARS has finally achieved separation from her dad, the seismic confluence of legal wranglings surrounding her and R. KELLY continues to cloud the music business and music itself—though obviously in very different ways. Spears and Kelly were essential parts of how we remember and celebrate a long ago period when physical music flew off the shelves in record amounts. This is now a much more difficult exercise.

In the decade between 1999 and 2009, Spears had 28 singles reach the top-10 worldwide. They don't all sound like they used to. The blithe and delightful European chart-topper "LUCKY" now bears foreboding lyrics. "And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning/ But tell me what happens when it stops" feels like a harbinger of doom instead of the saccharine invention of a songwriter's imagination. As for R. Kelly, he is officially credited as the producer of 100+ songs for a who's who of top-selling artists of the 2000, to go along with his own albums and a seemingly innumerable slew of features. There's an arc of R. Kelly's work that stretches from MICHAEL JACKSON and WHITNEY HOUSTON to LIL WAYNE and DJ KHALED with an impossible-to-count number of artists in a plethora of genres in between. But hits like 2003's "STEP IN THE NAME OF LOVE" (canonical to generations of African American weddings) and his hip-hop club-crushing appearances on songs like FAT JOE's 2007 posse cut "MAKE IT RAIN" hit differently today. Instead of causing unparalleled euphoria, they inspire soul-wrenching sadness.

It's often said that hindsight is 20/20. In this case, hindsight is indelibly flawed forever. And confusing. We might try to cancel R. Kelly, but even if we do, replacing the memories engendered by a decade of incredible hits is likely a much more difficult hill to climb.

Country Equity

Country music was once a space wherein success for non-white artists happened in singular, once-in-a-generation spurts. However, the past week has highlighted a profound evolution. BMI's Nashville-based executive director, SHANNON SANDERS, partnered with Apple Music Color Me Country host and groundbreaking Black country singer RISSI PALMER to host what's believed to be the first all-Black songwriting round at the city's iconic Bluebird Cafe on Tuesday. In a post-AMERICANA FEST presentation, Palmer was joined by LEON TIMBO, the de facto lead singer of the Grammy-winning gospel act the FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, and KAM FRANKLIN. After a week at the festival that saw breakout Black female country and Americana stars including BRITTNEY SPENCER, ALLISON RUSSELL, VALERIE JUNE, JOY OLADOKUN, AMYTHYST KIAH, ADIA VICTORIA and YOLA significantly featured in programming, it's a hopeful note as country music continues to wrestle with equity for marginalized people in its ranks.

Etc Etc Etc

As VERZUZ continues to expand its considerable reach into (other) 2000s pop-rap hitmakers, the most entertaining music story of the day could be FAT JOE's proclamation that "everyone" is too afraid to battle one performer: BUSTA RHYMES. Verzuz battles inspire conversations about "dream battles," often. But one artist being such a hitmaker that he inspires fear in all others? Maybe thinking about DIDDY or JERMAINE DUPRI in the role of opponent is a point to ponder... The triumphant return of opera to the Big Apple's stages post COVID is worth noting. TERENCE BLANCHARD's "FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES" reopening the METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Monday after an 18-month closure is enormous as the vaunted space allows for the continuation of a nearly 140-year tradition, plus the return to gainful employment of numerous theater industry professionals.