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

Um, would you say you're an introverted figure?
Not particularly. I mean, I'm perfectly comfortable onstage. I don't have stage fright.

In the grand scheme of music, where you have a lot of people who chase headlines, you wouldn't necessarily be in the upper percentile of extroverted artists.
No, I don't particularly chase headlines.

Synth-based music made a huge comeback over the last decade, which is when you stopped using synths.
I don't really know what you're talking about.

You don't think dance music and synthesizers have made a huge comeback in the last several years, as opposed to guitar-based rock?
Well, I sit in gay bars for hours every day and in no way has the synthesizer ever gone away.

Right.
Rock comes and goes but dance music and the synthesizer have been nearly predominant since 1976. Almost all of the music I hear is essentially disco.

Is that--
Because that's what they play in gay bars.

And you don't really find yourself--
And there's plenty of new things I like. I like Robyn. She actually sings pretty. I liked Amy Winehouse, poor thing. Ummm...I like Adele, though I have some reservations about why people like her.

What reservations?
She really has a lovely voice, but I only get suspicious when people get excited about British people who sound like American black people.

That's fair.
Basically she sounds like Anita Baker. And people are not, you know, wild and crazy about Anita Baker.

And I think about the whole, with the racism, when people love when British people sound like American black people.

What's the funniest song you've ever written?
Definitely "What a Fucking Lovely Day."

I haven't seen the film about you yet. Are you happy with how it turned out?
Um, well, no. [makes a sound that resembles a laugh] I was relieved to just not be horrified.

Follow us on Twitter @LAWeeklyMusic, and like us at LAWeeklyMusic

Tags:

Adele, Stephin Merritt, The Magnetic Fields

We Recommend

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.

Kent

my co-worker's aunt makes $88/hour on the laptop. She has been without a job for 8 months but last month her check was $14831 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Here's the site to read more lazycash42.c()m

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...

edithamillan

great..payingonlinejobs....makecash10.com

edithamillan

my buddy's aunt got paid $15674 last month. she is making

cash on the computer and got a $452900 house. All she did was get fortunate and putin action the tips leaked on this siteMakeCash10.comONLY

edithamillan

my buddy's aunt got paid $15674 last month. she is making

cash on the computer and got a $452900 house. All she did was get fortunate and putin action the tips leaked on this site...MakeCash10.comJUST

edithamillan

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||my roomate's step-aunt made $13705 past month. she is making income on the computer and got a $469700 home. All she did was get lucky and put in action the advice written on this web page MakeCash10.comONLY