To quote Paul Stanley: people, let me get this off my chest.
With the ridiculous game of hype and backlash escalated even further with the end-of-year Top 10 lists, some have been using this opportunity to slag off my old pal Leslie Feist.
Now, if you think her music is boring, or if it’s too “soft” for your musical machismo, that’s fine – a matter of personal taste.
But to people insinuating or saying outright that she’s some kind of manufactured pop star, I must say with respect: you don’t know shit.
She has worked really hard to get where she is and she started at ZERO – working her ass off, making huge sacrifices, playing gigs in front of nobody for no money and eating air sandwiches for YEARS – and I know this for a fact because I did a bunch of those gigs with her.
So here’s a thought: next time you’re about to idly criticize someone, try walking a mile in their shoes – or better yet, eat a big bowl of STFU.
REAL TALK!
Hey I’d like to walk in Feist’s shoes. They’re always so pretty!
Also, I support this. Even though I haven’t really heard anything related to hate. Everybody loves that woman.
I remember a quote from Brendan Murphy in Montreal’s Hour from a ways back that I liked: (I’m paraphrasing) “Everyone loves Feist, from your mom to the hipster who still can’t figure out how to hate her.”
Not altogether true anymore it would seem…. but as I said I get it if some people don’t like the music, it’s the disparaging of her artistic integrity and work ethic that bugs me.
Top ten lists are a tremendous waste of intellectual resources. Disagreeing with a top ten list, doubly so.
Well said Malcolm. If some people think that Feist is “manufactured”, it’s likely because she makes it seem so easy. More than anything, this is a true testament to her undeniable talent. And nobody gets anywhere on natural talent alone.