Finally delurking after weeks of reading (and enjoying to no end) ATOP to completely agree with you.
IMHO, pop music is called that because it is meant to be popular, which unfortunately means it HAS to be sort of mediocre to be liked by the largest possible masses.
I like to think of it as fast-food vs. fine dining. McDonald's is huge in its own business world not because it is extremely good, but exactly because it isn't. It is consistently mediocre. But it is cheap, relatively filling and available everywhere.
Same with modern pop music vs. other genres that might be of higher quality, but because of that also less accessible to the uneducated ear. I would include here progressive rock, jazz, classical music, opera and so on. We know Adam can shine when singing rock (see EMA with Queen!), musical/opera/rock-opera (see CTMBTM, Heaven on Their Minds) and so on, but if he would release an album with that kind of music, it wouldn't be played and it wouldn't sell much regardless of his fantastic vocals.
So we should remember that he is trying to get recognition and a star status in an industry where mediocre singers like LFMAO or The B.E.P. are celebrated. I see this single release as a political move in an attempt to storm the heights of the radio charts with music people are prepared to listen to. I like the song (although I don't like the direct emulation of the R&B vocal lines CK had in the demo), but I suspect I might like some other songs on Tresspassing better.
For the record, when I heard WWFM on FYI, my first reaction was "No wonder Pink did not included it on her record, this is throw-away junk". Imagine my surprises when it became the biggest hit from the album (I LOVE the Acoustic Live version, of course!
). But in light of the above thoughts about fast food and pop music, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise.
Before you ask, my favorites from Era 1 were Voodoo (not even on the album!) and CLYG (ditto). I appreciated SFW, SW, Fever and enjoyed Broken Open on the record, but not live.
Anyway, hi everybody! (wave to all ATOPers).
I happen to be a hetero male in his 40s married to a "little monster" (the Gaga kind) and have been following GNAFL online since the night he sang "Satisfaction" on Idol 8 EVERY FREAKING DAY, which I suspect makes me some sort of ...Bert.
Your family members HAVE TO SHARE their laptops with you!!! >:(
