HAL’s Review 9f Cr9nus’ New Al6um - A Measured Resp9nse
Recently, Cr9nus Amp9ra, an aspiring 6ef9ran musician, released an al6um (linked here: x). I, as s9me9ne wh9 prefers t9 f9rm my 9wn independent 9pini9ns 9n things, t99k the time t9 truly a6s9r6 every n9te 9f his artistry multiple times 6ef9re settling 9n a decisi9n regarding my 9pini9n 9f the al6um. I refrained fr9m reading HAL’s review (linked here: x) until I had settled 9n my 9wn feelings 9n Cr9nus’ music. This p9st is n9t a review 9f Cr9nus’ al6um. Rather, it is a measured resp9nse t9 HAL’s review, specifically.
Preemptive warnings f9r the f9ll9wing p9tential triggers: art, music, critique 9f criticism, criticism, rejecti9n, 9pressi9n in general (n9thing specific 9r detailed in this p9st, 9nly 6rief menti9ns and allusi9ns).
Click thr9ugh f9r my th9ughts.
I’ll 6egin with my th9ughts 9n the al6um. It w9uld 6e disingenu9us 9f me t9 dig int9 HAL’s review, s9 t9 speak, with9ut a disclaimer a69ut my 9pini9n. In as few w9rds as p9ssi6le: I th9r9ughly enj9yed the al6um. 6ut then, that is what music is f9r: enj9yment. Is it n9t? I d9n’t expect every9ne t9 agree with this 9pini9n. G99d music is and will always 6e su6jective. H9wever, I will say that the quality 9f s9me music is m9re su6jective than 9thers, 6ut that is a min9r digressi9n. I’ll c9ntinue.
HAL ackn9wledges the eff9rt laid 9ut 6y Cr9nus in the al6um, specifically n9ting the “charm” in l9ng s9ngs--which I wh9lly agree with. When y9u c9nnect with a s9ng, it is nice when it lasts l9nger than three minutes. As HAL puts it, “They immerse y9u in a w9rld crafted 6y the artist.” This is a w9rld 9f “t9rtured-ness” as HAL puts it. 9n all these fr9nts, HAL is right. Unf9rtunately, this is the p9int at which my appreciati9n f9r his review ends.
HAL claims that the music 9n Cr9nus’ al6um is “6ullshit,” “whiny,” and “mastur6at9ry.” All 9f these criticisms are a testament t9 the fact that HAL is clearly n9t t9rtured in the same ways that Cr9nus clearly is, 6y the t9ne 9f his music. Music all9ws the listener t9 peek int9 the experience 9f an9ther 6eing. In this case, that is Cr9nus. Any9ne wh9 has had the privilege 9f 6eing a6le t9 listen t9 the twelve s9ngs 9n this al6um have 6een gifted a view 9f Cr9nus’ unique experiences.
What I see when I read HAL’s review is an ina6ility t9 take the perspective 9f an9ther pers9n. I see an ina6ility t9 accept that 9ther pe9ple have differing experiences. I see a lack 9f c9mpassi9n f9r s9me9ne struggling with the t9ils 9f rejecti9n.
N9t many pe9ple truly understand the pain that c9mes with 6eing rejected in the ways that Cr9nus has. And his a6ility t9 p9rtray this pain in his music sh9uld n9t 6e 9verl99ked.
The s9und quality is irrelevant, 9nly the c9ntent matters in this instance, and the c9ntent is 96jectively g99d, as l9ng as y9u are a6le t9 c9mprehend the 9ppresive nature 9f rejecti9n, and the pain that g9es al9ng with it.
I will 6e listening t9 the al6um again after I p9st this, and I enc9urage any9ne wh9 reads this t9 give it an9ther listen while c9nsidering what I have said.
