Growing up I was scared of few things. One of those few things was The Sixth Sense. The imagery isn’t what really fucked me up; it was that epiphany at the end. It was the reevaluation of what was reality that I had to do when I was having a tough enough time mastering long division. The funny thing about one’s reality is that no matter how stark and scary or warm and lovely it is, the one who has accepted that reality is comfortable with it. Changing it sends us into shock and panic. Something else that stirred up fear in my heart was Marilyn Manson.

Plainly, he looked odd and he looked scary. Growing up, I was probably a more visual and imaginative (in the worst way!) kid than most, so to actually witness some of the things that Marilyn Manson would do in his videos and live performances would chill my blood.

As I grew up, I got over the reality-rattling of “The Sixth Sense” (and the fact that M. Night Shyamalan will never make another good movie) and fear inducing of Marilyn Manson. I even embraced a generation of my own shock artists like Eminem and studied up on originals like Ozzy Osbourne. I divulge in creepy books by Edgar Allen Poe and praise demented paintings by Francis Bacon. Yes, it takes a lot to shock me. My pop stars bleed on stage and shave their heads; my rap-stars wear red leggings. I think that last time I was genuinely, impressively shocked by someone was around the same time Sandra Rose was being referred to as a credible journalism source. Being so well-versed in shock tactics and pop culture tricks, it’s fate that I am hardly impressed with music’s latest offering of weirdos, Odd Future.

I’m no robot. I do still get shocked. Last week, I lost forty-dollars and I was shocked followed by upset. Last summer, I was cheated on by an ex- boyfriend and I was shocked and followed by anger (that eventually was followed by me practicing my cursive with a crowbar on the side of his car). But when you, the audience, are shocked and that initial shock is followed by entertainment and enjoyment, that’s when you create shock-art. That’s the formula. To move and disturb, but to do it in a way that the audience is fascinated and addicted that they’re on your every last word. That’s precisely what OddFuture is attempting to do with much success with tricks that have tossed out before by everyone from the aforementioned Eminem, Ozzy Osbourne, Wu-Tang Clan, and even the Insane Clown Posse.

Odd Future has a virtual how-to map of how to maximize on angst-y teens and upset-for-no-reason white kids with money (and cocaine) to blow. Throw some tunes about eating girls, some homophobic lyrics and killing people in there, and you have the perfect formula for success. But why be lazy, Odd Future? Why not push boundaries and do things that don’t just make me feel like I’m listening to the bomber of Columbine meets Ice Cube?

Wait, wait. What am I saying? Tyler The Creator (the breakout act of Odd Future) is absurd. He’s vulgar and violent, why would I ask him to up the ante? Maybe, Odd Future isn’t lazy. Maybe, I’m just demented for wanting something sicker, more obscene, more left-of-center. Well, if I am demented, so are you. We’re in a general public that is hardly impressed or shaken by Odd Future. When Eminem came out, he had faggots and faux-Christian disciples hailing him as the anti-Christ for his lyrics. These kids are gaining steam, but hardly any backlash from any of the groups that they disrespect in their lyrics, besides a few disgruntle B.O.B. fans that really liked the song, “Airplanes.”

Is this the sign of the times? Do we just not care? Is nobody scared of a black teen eating vaginas, hating ‘fucking’ faggots, and being successful because of it? This would never fly in Reagan’s heyday. It’s not even clear what exactly would scare the public back into shape? What will it take for us to create some standards of what we deem shocking and disturbing, again? Maybe, it will be the uncontrived and not-so strategically marketed, truly disturbed child that is produced from this mad world we’re living in.

In this entry of our Poptimism series, strange emcee Alex Ludovico tells a story about his current situation to himself five-years-ago.

Dear Kyle,

The first single off of Dr. Dre’s much-anticipated/delayed album, Detox, is quite a shocker. Newcomer, Skylar Grey, who has helped pen Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie,” as well as Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home,” sings the hook with such passion that you’d think she was laying on her death bed with only a few seconds left to live. “I’m about to lose my mind. You’ve been gone for so long. I’m running out of time. I need a doctor. Call me a doctor. I need a doctor, doctor, to bring me back to life.”

Music listeners have been conditioned to Eminem’s rage, whether he’s talking about his mother, or his ex-wife, but few know the story behind Slim and Dr. Dre’s relationship. It goes beyond being just a friendship or a business opportunity. As Eminem raps on “I Need a Doctor”, it is revealed that their bond will last to the grave. “You risked your career for me; I know it as well as you. Nobody wanted to fuck with a white boy. Dre, I’m crying in this booth. You saved my life maybe it’s my time to save yours.”

There is no build up in Em’s delivery and if one didn’t know the history behind the artists, you would think he was ripping Dr. Dre a new one. Detox will be released later this year.

Rating: 8.2

MP3: Dr. Dre feat Eminem & Skylar Grey – I Need A Doctor (Right Click + Save Target As)

2010 may have sucked when it came to substance and clear common sense. Chris Brown I’m talking you. And of course underage four loko lovers around the world. But at least we had a full 365 days of awesome music. I can’t say enough about the amount of exceptional material artists put out this year. Indie darlings like Theophilus London & J*DaVeY kept us content with the most ingenious tracks and music heavyweights like Kanye West & Cee Lo gave us albums. Yeezy’s twisted fantasy, Katy Perry’s sugar coated pop bliss, Gil Scott Hering’s rebel anthem, this is our soundtrack for 2010. Find out what albums made the first part of our list from Art Nouveau editor Kendrick Daye aka GreatEclectic and pop culture journalist Swiper Bootz.

17. Drake – Thank Me Later

GreatEclectic: This is one of those albums that tried to give something for everyone so how could it fail

Swiper Bootz: haha that is valid, but it’s so much of everything else and nothing in and of itself. so many empty lyrics
all punchlines no juice.

GreatEclectic: Ha, I do think it’s downright ridiculous how he raps so hard and then jumps into singing a cassie-esque hook

Swiper Bootz: EXACTLY. and even when he raps hard i hear nothing. i hear unsubstantiated swag that cancels itself out with contradiction

GreatEclectic: but what i do like about him, is he’s only rapping what he knows. i respect an artist that gives me them no matter how vain that may be

Swiper Bootz: i wanted to feel that for him. but i don’t get that from him. it’s like one of those lies people tell where they are creating it in complete reaction to your questions about what happened or assumed questions about what you’ll ask about what happened. i feel like people told him what he should be feeling about where he is. it’s the tumblr of albums

GreatEclectic: of course, drake was created to make money. but most albums now are as vain as most tumblrs

Swiper Bootz: “and we gon be alright if we put drake on every hook”

GreatEclectic: the real genius behind drake’s album and Nicki’s is Wayne. he created other versions of himself to make deals and checks he couldn’t possibly do. drake is the cleaner version of wayne, nicki is the female version.

Swiper Bootz: and that came through glaringly obvious. whereas with kanye you can argue the real genius behind his album is himself and that’s a bit rough for business hours but he can always have people pick up his mini-mes. both drake and nicki had mtv documentaries this year

GreatEclectic: yes, i caught that, and big debuts because of it

Swiper Bootz: and it humanizes them

GreatEclectic: 6.5

Swiper Bootz: 6.

Final Rating: 6.25

16. Ke$ha – Cannibal

Swiper Bootz: 7. boom as far as ke$ha goes, the deluxe edition made it happen. animal was catchy and odd and a bit of a dollar store version of GaGa – the haus for a post-foreclosure economy. it’s quite teenage dreamy in a next morning hangover sort of way it’s caught in a lot of grey hazy areas

GreatEclectic: “lol at dollar store version of GaGa”

Swiper Bootz: haha well… #letsbeserious. she wore a trashbag to the vmas

GreatEclectic: I think that’s why I always had a hard time giving her any chance. But there are some gems on the album, “Cannibal” is awesome.

Swiper Bootz: the first four tracks off of cannibal are quite quite epic arguably the hardest first four ive heard since… i can’t remember actually possibly the fame. but coming off of animal they were defined, and more deliberately reckless

GreatEclectic: peep the credits, man Dr. Luke and Max Martin are pop music. I didn’t know they produced those same 4 four tracks

Swiper Bootz: yep, and you could hear it, she moved from misguided rebel to borderline pop anarchist but in a very britney blackout way the sound of blackout completely tweaked, dark, confused, electronic sonic trip… stemmed from a place of sheer inebriation but it’s packaged better animal versus cannibal the animal was the fame the cannibal feeds off of that weaker point of origin to fuel the bigger better badder beast where gaga faced her demons from a place of adoption and acceptance understanding they came from her and she is the beauty and the beast, the monster and the maiden fair, etc

Final Rating:6.5

14. Rihanna – Loud

Swiper Bootz: #kindof. but in the presence of cee-lo and miguel it’s like… yknow but objectively as a pop album, i mean it has catchy tracks. undeniably.  it gets a bit weak midway.

GreatEclectic:

Final Rating: 6.75

14. Miguel – All I Want Is You

Swiper Bootz: i liked it a lot, i was shocked
but not like shocked shocked in a way of justin bieber being good, because i didnt have pretense, so it was better than baseline which is good too. haha so maybe he got the benefit of the doubt

GreatEclectic: given male r&b

Swiper Bootz: which is why it was refreshing to hear his album

13. M.I.A – /\/\ /\ Y /\

Swiper Bootz: m.i.a. brought what she said she would and i cant hate her for that. it’s the electronic moshpit the digitized revolution static and cacophonus but its that chaos that will spark creation people hate on it now by and large but that’s fine. i like that it is so blatantly raw

GreatEclectic: i think she was the problem with selling this album. to diss Gaga and release XXXO, an awesome track BTW, threw everyone off.

Swiper Bootz: Like, stop being a bitch it’s okay to be a bitch like a free bitch but only when it’s being bitchy not a legit mean girl. and the GaGa diss was unsubstantiated because it came from mia. i see where she was going but when everyone’s a part of the same machine it’s easy to ping the glaring similarities

GreatEclectic: I mean, I get it, but that’s seriously the pot calling the kettle black, you both went to good schools, which most people consider privledge

Swiper Bootz: from the jump education like that you wouldnt get the kind of music they make without that fundamental piece they always say stuff with their music it’s like a dissertation or a symphonic speech and debate piece. right, and that pretense doesnt work people stop listening and talk all over your stuff

GreatEclectic: And see what’s messed up, we are discussing her and not the music. It had potential for big singles
Lovealot, Steppin Up

Swiper Bootz: it had potential to be everything it wasnt. they put a lot of press into it. but it was so much bad press that couldnt be spun right.

GreatEclectic: dope album, but the mess still factors into everything so i’d have to say 7.

Swiper Bootz: i’ll give her a 7.25 im going to give her the change i took from cudi

Final Rating: 7.125

12. Katy Perry – Teenage Draeam
GreatEclectic: she’s this generation’s britney spears

Swiper Bootz: hm i wouldnt give her that credit. there’s too much potential with ke$ha on the sonic front and miley on the social front

GreatEclectic: some wouldn’t give britney that credit

Swiper Bootz: haha it’s unfair, katy’s from california, she chose this, britney was chosen

GreatEclectic: i mean that’s how our stars are made these days, but in terms of money being poured into katy perry, it reminds me of the way Oops I did it Again was marketed. Of course they didn’t get same results. but the music is awesome. A step up from the pop of Britney’s hey days.

Swiper Bootz: right but i mean i liked teenage dream when i first heard it and then less and less each following time. it is what it is.  i think it was what christina needed bionic to be

GreatEclectic: Oh her, Xtina is Late lol. she just can’t make it work

Swiper Bootz: soooo late. happy 30th birthday to that. she also doesnt understand that she can sing and thus doesnt need to make pop albums. pop music is for pop singers. people make pop albums because they cant do what she can and she’s running from that instead she goes backwards and tries to do what they do because they cant do what she does and seemingly doesnt want to do

GreatEclectic: she could have a celine dion like career, but she’d rather gross people out

Swiper Bootz: it’s like the play no exit which (digress) has three people in a room together for eternity
a straight guy, a straight girl, and a lesbian the guy likes the lesbian, who likes the straight girl, who likes the guy, it ends and someone says ‘hell is other people” and you realize they’re in hell

GreatEclectic: her album i’d give a 2. it has a moment. but we’re not talking about boinic lol

Swiper Bootz : i’d give bionic a “see me after class”

GreatEclectic: I’d give Katy a 8. It was an awesome pop album though.

Swiper Bootz: hmmm i give katy a … 6.5 #dontshoot

Final Rating: 7.25

11. Kelis – Flesh Tone

GreatEclectic: I love Kelis, and I like some of the songs here, but the most interesting parts of the album are the bits in between each track, some of those beats are awesome. #nowplaying HOME

Swiper Bootz: so fresh i liked that even though it was electronic it was basic too. Home came out like a daft punk track
and was tron before tron haha. i love albums that are atmospheric

GreatEclectic: I still think it could have used at least 4 Neptunes tracks

Swiper Bootz: her and the neptunes make magic last decade haha that looked worse than i meant it i meant it as ever since last decade haha with in search of and truth or dare i feel like for what she wanted with this, if she brought on the neptunes there might be a divide and youd have good tracks but they wouldnt necessarily flow

GreatEclectic: she had a very heavy hand on this album i think left to his own devices david guetta would have made these tracks sound more like fun than labor flesh tone is one of those albums i like because i like the artist.

Swiper Bootz: exaaaactly #THISISNTAGAMETHISISREAL just kidding lol we can’t be playing games when im worried about divorce court and even with the room for improvements it is her imperfections and it’s her

GreatEclectic: but i wanted more. and yet the album still feels very complete

Swiper Bootz: complete in a way that will stand as a starting point from future better works, she wouldnt be able to make ‘that” album unless she had this as a launch pad right

GreatEclectic: plus i think will.i.am ruined it for me, with him attached to it I expected pop genius

Swiper Bootz: will. i. am … #lesigh so much with that one so…so much. i want him to not do some of the things he does
and not wear most of what he does or be cooler so i can back you

GreatEclectic: lol they are so rich they are beyond being cool i think bep as a unit are corny

Swiper Bootz: so so corny my goodness

GreatEclectic: but that’s what mainstream america wants

Swiper Bootz: or so they think or actually probably yeah that’s a dream the whitewashed united colors of benneton crew

GreatEclectic: so agreeable you’re unappealing but, will.i.am can make some pop hits though lol

Swiper Bootz: really cant lie about that one haha . check it out wasnt bad

GreatEclectic: Kelis’ Flesh Tone for me is a 7.5

Swiper Bootz: 7.5.

Final Rating: 7.5

10. Eminem – Recovery

Swiper Bootz: eminems album was a throwback to the marshall days but like an old man on the lawn. it was good solid
i liked it for what it was great lyrics much better than his recent efforts and a well deserved best-seller of the year i say… 7.5 because of the other people on the list and he’s not top 3.

GreatEclectic: I’ll take your word for it because I didn’t even listen to this album.

Final Rating: 7.5

09. Rick Ross – Teflon Don

GreatEclectic: most rap albums have an athem or two, this entire album is an anthem. though the content is hard, it’s made for the mainstream

Swiper Bootz: that album was beautiful. i can’t say enough about it it speaks for itself but it’s so universal as well as far as the sound and the scene and the familiarity look at maybach music 3. it is so universal. versus mc hammer and it’s so pop. it’s full of references and labels it builds the atmosphere and when you listen to it you’re in modern day miami with the hard east coast style and cred with the ever-present white girl sitting at the soul he had everyone and their mom on the album too but it wasnt gratuitous and the parallels aston martin music with drake and chrisette michele vs. maybach music with t.i. jadakiss and erykah badu aston martin is a bit more polished and safe maybach is luxury the curtains are there to keep the backseat safe now everyone knows big meech and larry hoover

GreatEclectic: Ithink it’s crazy how that whole correctional officer thing didn’t even phase him. I thought that would even this guy.

Swiper Bootz: it actually gave him greater perspective, he was able to talk from both sides without highlighting the correctional aspect, it was like he was an incognegro CO, scope out the law from the inside then know how to navigate it as a kingpin

GreatEclectic: everybody just ignored it

Swiper Bootz: haha not everybody

GreatEclectic: well not XXL

Swiper Bootz: haha and rolling stone which was surprising

GreatEclectic: rolling stone will do anything to look cool in 2010

Swiper Bootz: haha true 7.5

GreatEclectic: 8

Final Rating: 7.75

We can’t dare sit around and think we are shocked. The 52nd edition of the Grammy Awards occurred last night, and as expected, the recording industry, in the face of declining record sales and a perceived lack of importance made a dramatic stand for the international mainstream, and in the process delivered an awards program that was perfunctory and devoid of intrigue or controversy, a call to norms instead of a call to arms. In many ways the awards show that has become the stamp of cultural importance has become MTV’s Video Music Awards, the 2009 event being landmark for a lack of adherence to any social or moral compass on one hand, and on the other having a fairytale ability to tell the stories of Taylor Swift and Kanye West. But the Grammies soldiered on, and in the 2010 edition, we learned a great deal about how an industry hunkers down and prepares to make a comeback.

The big trophy winners of the night were the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga. These were all worthy champions, but in some cases, the most maligned of artists in the past year. In accepting their award for “Use Somebody” as the Record of the Year, the Kings stated they were “drunk, but a happy drunk,” as the cleaned up indie rock gods finally ascended to the throne of pop royalty so richly deserved.

Lady Gaga by comparison to her MTV Awards histrionics was muted, instead of appearing to have lost all semblance of common and sartorial sense there, last night her fashions were wild, but definitely toned down. Her show opening performance with a slightly less than stellar “Poker Face” was more than made up for with the always excellent Elton John doing a duet of The Fame Monster’s torch ballad “Speechless,” and Sir Elton’s “Your Song.” The bizarrely staged spectacle did more than her two gramophone wins for cementing her growing instant legacy as an icon of gay camp blended with immense and universal entertainment value.

Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Carter were front row center and Beyonce’s six wins is a Grammy record for a female artist, as her maturation into this generation’s Diana Ross is near complete, even shining through a curious choice of performing “If I Were a Boy” and a spirited yet misguided cover of Alanis Morrissette’s “You Oughta Know” while flanked by Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 era recalling footsoldiers. Her husband took home awards for “D.O.A.” and for “Run This Town,” more nods to his cross cultural importance blended with the excellence of the songs. If anything, from doting on Solange Knowles’ son who was front row center, or Beyonce thanking “her husband,” to Jay-Z appearing to be a proud husband, the Carters are destined to reach pop royalty status as the first family of pop excellence.

As always, fantastic performances dotted the evening. Swathed in white linen then once again dazzling the crowd with Cirque du Soleil level mid-air histrionics, Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” was, as was her performance at MTV’s event that duplicated the feat, the most visually arresting moment of the proceedings. Jamie Foxx, T-Pain, Slash, old school rap legend Doug E. Fresh and a full orchestra gave the most energetic performance of the night, Foxx looking like a Civil War general exhorting the orchestra and crowd to feel every word of the R&B Song of the Year. Drake, Eminem and Lil Wayne with backing on the drums by Travis Barker and a live band gave an excellent but expected performance of “Forever,” easily one of the more pop friendly and successful collaborations of the past year.

Darling of the universe Taylor Swift underwhelmed in the spotlight, as her performance suffered from the inclusion of Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks, who in one minute ofher guest spot singing “Rhiannon” excised from the minds of millions any belief that Swift was a polished and prime time performer worthy of eight nominations and four victories. Her Album of the Year win for Fearless after her performance feeling more like flash in the pan and guide to country success than promise of pop prominence. Country took a beating again in the performance department with Best New Artist winners the Zac Brown Band performing with pianist Leon Russell. As was the case all night long, experienced veteran performers shined with tremendous poise and charisma when next to their younger counterparts. The final “eh” performance of the night were the Black Eyed Peas who in theory gained the most from the night as their venture into underground dance yielded immense profit, but to borrow a line from Jay-Z, the Peas are the leading force of innovation in pop music right now and appear to be mentally already checked out of the success of The E.N.D. and “on to the next one,” the next style to co-opt, infiltrate and make lucrative.

Props need to be extended as well to the likes of Maxwell, who merely walked onstage and proved his talent in a situation where he needed to be successful. His award winning BLACKsummer’s Night album stands to be a big gainer on the Billboard chart due to his composure and elegance in front of an audience that may have never seen him prior or had completely forgotten how understated yet elegant the superstar R & B vocalist is. The 3D performance of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” was tastefully done and moving, if surprisingly unspectacular. Usher, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Celine Dion were flawless, but in bookending it with Michael’s oft paraded for pathos children offering paeans for their dead father, it more signaled a need to finally let the Jackson family have peace and closure than anything particularly awe-inspiring.

The Grammy Awards were more substance than spectacle in a post Kanye West world. He wasn’t there, and neither were any fireworks or histrionic behavior. Sadly, these are now perceived as necessity on music award programs instead of happy accidents. In a recession in a depressed and tired society, the sizzle matters more than the steak. The talents that won were certainly deserving, but on a show where the most shocking thing was host Stephen Colbert’s terrible and forced opening monologue, we were all expecting more. Somehow in expecting more from the hype than from the artists shows just how much we as a society have devalued music on a financial and personal level. The Grammys were a tale of excellence and decadence, a plethora of one, a lack of another, thus providing so many answers about the nature and state of the music industry.