The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt on Why Adele Fans Are Racist, and Other Topics

By Dan Weiss Thu., Mar. 22 2012 at 4:30 AM

Categories: Beef

Merritt, on left

Stephin Merritt might be the greatest songwriter of his generation. Still, as has been reported before, interviewing him can be quite difficult.

He takes extraordinarily long pauses, then suddenly decides to interrupt just when you thought it was safe to speak. If you refer to him calling himself "introverted" in the past, he will deny that he's introverted. Black is white. Up is down. Adele fans are racist, a charge Merritt has faced himself.

So let's do this. This symbol * will denote an uncomfortably-long pause.

What's the difference between being an L.A. songwriter and a New York one?
I think that the main difference is that you can't sit in a bar for hours in L.A. drinking and drinking, or else you'd have to take a taxi home.

Everyone on the new album seems at wits' end with their partner. There's so much revenge and jealousy, topics that are usually associated with more extreme music.

More...extreme music?

The topics of revenge and jealousy seem to pop up on a lot of the new songs?
Um. Yeah, that doesn't seem to be a new theme for me. I think there's a lot of violent death and destruction in my lyrics.

Yeah--
Most people do.

"Your Girlfriend's Face" echoes the--
The most dramatic topics in the world are love and violence.

Oh no, I agree. I guess I just noticed it more on this album? "Your Girlfriend's Face" echoes the revenge sentiment of "California Girls." Was it intentional to have a girl sing these violent songs to make sure the irony isn't mistaken?
I don't know what you mean.

So that it isn't taken literally the way it might be with say, a rap-metal band?

I could see it being either gender. I gave it to Shirley because she's got more of a "pop" voice than I do.

Is it an artistic decision to choose who sings what, or does it have more to do with the lyrics and character of the narrator?
The decision is arbitrary, frankly. It often has to do with what key it happens to be recorded in.

Do you record a lot of alternate versions with different singers?

Yeah, I record everything first. And then some things are just clearly not suited to me.

I heard there was a title song for the new album and you didn't end up using that.
Oh no, it wasn't a title song for the album. It was a song that had the title that the album now has.

Is "God Wants Us to Wait" your first political song?
Political?

Well it concerns abstinence, and it's very pointed in its satire.
I don't know. "World Love" is pretty political. It advocates overthrow of the government and anarchy now.

That song and "The Horrible Party" appear to satirize conservatism more directly than anything you've done before.
Oh.

I wouldn't know.

Is it strange to be known as this introverted figure but having your sexuality upfront and discussed from early on?
Do you think I'm known to be an introverted figure?

Tags:

Adele, Stephin Merritt, The Magnetic Fields

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britbrit

You apparently don't know anything about the range of black music. Do yourself a favor and google Leela James, Janelle Monae, Elle Varner, and Shakka. On a side note, when did rap artists become the ambassadors of the black race?

Jasons0660

Perhaps if blacks stopped making trashy music videos where half-naked women are portrayed as whores for fully clothed black male pimps, I might start buying black music again.

Guest

Interviewing musicians like Merritt isn't tough if you're good at your job. He HAS given a couple awesome interviews -- you just need to ask better questions.

N M

There's only a SMALL kernel of truth in that Adele statement. Yes, Adele does get more attention becuase she is white but that only gets her through the door (for a large part of the American population). 21 is one helluvan album and she's a great singer. Anita Baker has NEVER written such a great album. Also, I CAN like Adele AND like Estelle too, so how would that make me a racist?

Guest

It has never seemed to me that Adele is popular because she's white and performs soul music. She's popular because of her talents, although personally I'm burned out on her right now (and believe her first album was better). So as far as Adele is concerned, race isn't even an issue nor is it likely an issue for the great majority of her fans.

I can't let you or anyone diss Anita Baker without firing a rebuttal, though. Granted no one is really wild and crazy about her today; but then, 25 years ago, things were quite different. "Rapture" IS a classic album in every sense of the word. As far as breakup ballads go, I'll listen to "No One in the World" over the whiny "Someone Like You" any day.

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Guest

Songwriter of his generation? I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. How about a piece on where David Bazan is nowadays.

Voccal

oh wellThe easiest way to get press attention nowadays: say something controversial about Adele, knowing that people in the world will read avidly anything about Adele.sad really

Guest

for starters, one or the other wants the others pen15 in his mouth...and that people love a Brit who sounds like a black American, whether that is a fact or not, is not racist...it sounds rather positive...especially since Adele is so successful...now if he was to say people *HATE* Adele because she sounds like a black American then it would be racist...silly liberals, always having to be taken back to school...

West Coast Sound

I once had a pen15 in my mouth. So tasty and inky.

Guest

i prefer my pen15's veiny...

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