Although Nine Inch Nails have remained in demand for a long time now, it wouldn’t be proper to call Trent Reznor a pop musician. In fact, he himself says that he doesn’t really even get pop music as it stands today. In a recent interview, as part of a conversation about fans knowing more than ever about the artists they admire, Reznor says he’s “not as well-rounded as I used to be about pop culture,” and that while he isn’t a fan of Drake’s music, he at least understands how skilled he is at keeping fans interested:
“I don’t pay much attention, but I see what Drake’s been able to pull off in terms of being omnipresent and constantly engaging an audience that seems to enjoy the way he’s engaging them. I’m just not part of that audience. I’m not as well-rounded as I used to be about pop culture. I’m not saying pop music isn’t well-crafted or the people who make it aren’t wonderful, but it’s not for me. I’ve asked people, ‘What is it that’s good about Drake?’ I’ve said to my friends at Apple: ‘Explain to me why.’ As the old guy, I don’t see it…
I wasn’t even asking cynically. I was curious what it is that he’s touching on. The answers I got made me go, ‘That’s it?’ But knowing the right way to interact with your crowd in a way that feels cool is a good thing. I’m just doing it for a different sized audience. The stakes aren’t the same for me, and that’s fine.”
The conversation was pretty broad-reaching, and in it, he talked about Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” music video:
“Is that supposed to be sexy? How about we just have full gynecological probing in a video? There’s a vulgarity to it.”
The commercialization of music (specifically, about Grizzly Bear):
“When I hear Grizzly Bear in a Volkswagen commercial, it kind of bums me out. I like Grizzly Bear a lot; I don’t want to think of a f**king car when I hear their song.”
Radiohead’s ability to create an aura around the band:
“I appreciate what Radiohead has been doing the last few years. You’re not saturated with stories about them. They’re not in the press constantly talking about stuff.”
He discussed a lot more than that, so find the full conversation here. Revisit our review of Nine Inch Nails’ Add Violence here.
