Ignition (De-mix)

One of the things we've learned over the past few years of #MeToo and other criminal and moral scandals in the music biz is that it's difficult—if not quite impossible—to deplatform a guilty (or suspected) artist's music from the streaming universe. Labels could probably go a long way toward doing it if they really wanted to (ask fans of any artist whose music is digitally out-of-print), but as a rule they don't, and individual streaming services find themselves caught in all sorts of quandaries, both ethical and logistical, when they try it on their own. YOUTUBE appears to be trying to thread a needle with convicted sex offender R. KELLY that SPOTIFY unsuccessfully tried with Kelly and XXXTENTACION three years ago—letting his music be but ceasing all efforts to actively promote it. On Tuesday, YouTube took down two official Kelly channels—R. Kelly VEVO and R. Kelly TV—while leaving up, for now anyway, the individual videos those channels have posted. Other users' Kelly videos are still playable and Bloomberg reported his catalog will continue to be available on YOUTUBE MUSIC. "Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users," YouTube's top lawyer, NICOLE ALSTON, wrote in a memo quoted by Bloomberg that raises some questions about what that protection entails. YouTube also reportedly refused to promote YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN's new album, SINCERELY, KENTRELL, even though YoungBoy is a major YouTube star. The album topped the BILLBOARD 200 albums chart this week—beating out DRAKE—while YoungBoy sits in a Louisiana jail facing gun charges. ATLANTIC RECORDS promoted it heavily, as you'd expect any label to do. YoungBoy's Atlantic product manager, VERONICA LAINEY, told the New York Times his outlaw image has been a hindrance to promoting him, but "his streak of getting No. 1s, that’s really helped change the narrative." With Kelly, who's facing the potential of life in prison as well as additional trials, one likes to think the number of people in the business who *want* to change the narrative has seriously dwindled. But if someone still wants to play "IGNITION (REMIX)," it's hard to imagine anyone's going to try too hard to get in the way.

Point, Counterpoint

I get no small amusement picturing PITCHFORK editors spending hours and hours engaged in passionate conversations about how much they regret awarding CHAIRLIFT's 2016 album, MOTH, a 7.6 out of 10 when it really deserved an 8.5. And imagining Chairlift's relief, five years later, at being told the pop music judges, after much reflection and consideration, had awarded the album those additional nine-tenths of a point. Thank you, Pitchfork! Maybe the band will rethink breaking up now.

There's nothing wrong with admitting you're wrong—more people should do that!—but Pitchfork's revisionist editorial board might consider spending less time adjusting decimal points and more time asking why it still awards decimal points. Maybe the historical problem isn't having slightly misjudged Chairlift's electronic balance-beam routine, or getting GRIMES' 2020 album, MISS ANTHROPOCENE, wrong by 1.3 points in the other direction. Maybe it's having a scoring system in the first place. And/or rushing to judgment on albums before they've had time to truly sink in. And/or asking writers and editors to rush to that judgment and then, five or 10 or 15 years later, calling them out for the judgment they made under those circumstances (possibly for no pay). Maybe the better revision would be to rethink how you do reviews tomorrow, instead of dragging yourself for the ones you did yesterday. Just a thought. My 7.2 cents if you will.

(Also, if I were LIZ PHAIR I might request you keep the 0.0 points you assigned to my slightly controversial self-titled 2003 pop turn instead of apologizing by upgrading it to a thoroughly mediocre 6.0 two decades later. You've reconsidered it and still think it sucks, but just a little bit less? Thanks but no thanks. At least the zero point zero gave people something to talk about.)

(Also also: Pitchfork isn't the first music outlet to revisit its scores of exactly 19 albums.)

Good Art Friends

Tyler, the Creator (see quote of the day above for more) thanking his forebears at the BET Hip Hop Awards: "I appreciate you guys so much for just opening the doors and throwing the key—not just opening the doors but talking to young guys like me and giving me gems." The key is key.

Etc Etc Etc

TINA TURNER has sold her share of her publishing and her solo recording rights to BMG for an undisclosed sum. On Oct. 30, the 81-year-old legend will be inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME—for a second time... Besides Tyler, the Creator, the big winners at the BET Hip Hop Awards were CARDI B and MEGAN THEE STALLION, whose "WAP" took home three awards including Song of the Year, and LIL BABY, named Artist of the Year... There's a new ADELE song coming out on Oct. 15 and an album, possibly called 30, to follow. Will she save the music business again, or maybe just Las Vegas this time? It's been a minute.

Rest in Peace

Irish folk musician ROBIN MORTON, co-founder of the Boys of the Lough... DEBBY KING, a longtime attendant to the stars at Carnegie Hall's fabled Maestro Suite. She was "the soul of Carnegie Hall," according to Yo-Yo Ma.