Is Carolina Polachek the top Pop Indiva? "Desire, I Want To Turn Into You" review

[@yukiyuji1309]

took the line "look over the edge but not too far" as caroline wishing she could've protected sophie

[@oversensitivenipples]

this broke my heart

[@underworld8805]

Omg yess, you should check her album pang and her work with chairlift as well. Also all the crazy vocal stuff you hear on her songs she can actually do live, cause she was trained as an opera singer.

[@whizzardblizzard5696]

Yes, please review pang! I want to know how it compares to Desire’s first listen.

[@dfwherbie8814]

Reviewing this instead of Kelela’s album is sus

[@whentheworldwasatwar8717]

@@dfwherbie8814 This is way better than Kelala O.O

[@dfwherbie8814]

@@whentheworldwasatwar8717 it’s not. You’re just basic Af and white

[@QvakeOfficial]

@@whentheworldwasatwar8717 ?

[@tawfiq5741]

the track "I believe" is indeed dedicated to Sophie as described by Caroline in the Spotify annotation for this song. She also describes the song being very sincere and genuine despite the cliche sample hits and some of the lyrics. RIP Sophie ❤

[@keeeelay5272]

fantastic review and breakdown! I adore this album. Caroline’s dad passed away from covid early on in the pandemic, which is why she mentions him in a few of the lyrics. And your spot on with the Sunset/Gerudo Valley reference! Caroline actually poked fun at this on her socials, made a mashup of the songs and dances around with Zelda images in the background. Self aware Indiva for sure.

[@professorskye]

That makes me very happy to hear!

[@dfwherbie8814]

Reviewing this instead of Kelela’s album is sus ​@@professorskye

[@turtlesand12]

The common thread between Caroline, Charli, Danny, AG, and some of the other indivas you mentioned is the PC Music label, their label comps are essential listening for sure!

[@roli9091]

I love Carolines Album "Arcadia", which she released as "Ramona Lisa" back in 2014, it's beautiful and mysterious. And almost overlooked so that's why I have to mention it.

[@naverdadendada]

It would be great to have him review Arcadia. It's just such an interesting album and I kept thinking about it while listening to the new one.

[@elisallanos4116]

It's so mad to think she recorded it between Chairlift shows on her laptop ,with the laptop mic !!

[@lilithdvs13]

Charli XCX and Charoline Polachek are, funnily enough, currently roommates and not on the opposite sides of the Atlantic at all. They both live in LA and have been living together since COVID. They talked about this at length on Charli's podcast.

[@actualawry]

there must be some mythological narrative going on in this album. the lead single's video, bunny is a rider, featured the minotaur maze, which then appeared briefly in the welcome to my island video. apart from the "mythicalogical" in blood and butter, i'm pretty sure she mentions odysseus in some song, and she definitely does mention cornucopia in billions. also, hopedrunk everasking is supposed to be inspired by a piece of prehistorical artwork. to me, the album kind of sounds like this imaginary travel to the mediterranean, or an idea thereof, presented as a metaphor for introspection and discovering primal (ancient?) urges within the individual

[@jonmitguard6174]

Yeah she has grabbed me like Kate Bush did back in the 80s. I've had to listen everyday. Though I go to Butterfly Net, Sunset, Bunny is a Rider and Crude Drawing of and Angel.

[@Jkjkjkkj2001]

Best part in the album is the entirety of Billions.

[@stay_puft]

Kate Bush, probably the most famous pop indiva.

[@Lucas-hz8ts]

rina sawayama is the definition of a pop indiva

[@jomarimagayanes3525]

It’s Caroline Polachek

[@shiningnightmare5616]

And then she released Flop The Girl

[@yukiyuji1309]

she could've been but then she dropped hold the girl which was.... disappointing to say the least

[@Lucas-hz8ts]

@@yukiyuji1309 spill

[@joshuakuester2633]

@@yukiyuji1309 She tried to do everything, but gave us nothing -_-

[@joaquinlopeztorres1071]

this type of music's genre would be art pop

[@gauthamkrishna623]

is it the right time to tell you that "billions" is a song about sperm?

[@professorskye]

Hmm… not yet!

[@tomasschiappacassi2401]

"Life is a rumor under the theater" is the realest lyric in the album "they'll find our bones and yet they won't"??? NOW, COMMON NOW!!!

[@ksneezy]

You should really listen to Pang, would love to hear your thoughts on it! A lot to dig in and expound upon, I think you would like it. "Don't drop my name" is the bunny is a rider lyric ;p

[@SteMail926]

Would love to see your thoughts on the new Kelela album!

[@Missjunebugfreak]

It's such a shame he's ignored that album. Raven is stunning and worthy of an analysis video.

[@Nacra]

Great video. I'm intrigued by the Indiva classification, it's okay if you find it necessary. While genre brackets might be important, sometimes i think about Caroline and her contemporaries as an artistic movement - this post Sophie PC music pop infused net of connections between producers, "lead" vocalists and everything in between/behind the scenes. Genre-wise i think this album is art pop alike Magdalene by FKA Twigs or, more controversially, Fossora by Bjork.

[@alwaysknow3356]

Nah not Fossora - that's way beyond this kind of pop music. Caroline is definitely in that Florence and the Machine, FKA Twigs kind of category. They are pretty good and arty but not on Bjork's level

[@eduardom2903]

@@alwaysknow3356 I agree with you, but in my opinion it's not about "being on Bjork's level", they just have different aspirations in music, they want to stay in a pop territory while pushing it to the limit. Bjork isn't intentionally doing this at all and her work is way far from that pop mentality at this point.

[@kabakaybug]

I love Caroline’s voice so much! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of her voice as a siren! I say this all the time!

[@underworld8805]

Also you asked if she was inspired by greek by mythology and yes it has been a thing for her even before going solo with chairlift her band. She has songs and visuals inspired by greek mythology like the videos for "billions" and "bunny is rider". The song "Romeo" by chairlift is inpired by the tale of Atalanta.

[@ARCHIEBRADLEYSELFTAPES]

My top 5 pop indivas 1- Björk 2- Sophie 3- Charli xcx 4- Caroline polacheck 5- Kate Bush

[@mathias7666]

based

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

Kate bush so low although björk is my fav i would put kate bush on number 1

[@ARCHIEBRADLEYSELFTAPES]

@@syntheticsilkwood2206 I don’t really connect with a lot of Kate’s music post Ariel

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

The terrible dad puns are awesome keep 'em coming

[@tananiiz1258]

Her voice sounds a lot like imogen heap

[@endorphonic]

Imogen Voice fits in some ways in Caroline’s music, however for Imogen is not easy “intend to sing” like Caroline…. I think both can do a collaboration 😊

[@nicholasofficial4141]

Caroline Polachek is not independent... shes signed with Sony/TheOrchard....

[@Blackmamba-ce3nb]

Her voice was so good live that I thought she was lip syncing. Then during a song she dropped her mic and it completely cut off so I could tell it was legit. I've never heard a live artist sound so much like their recording

[@GabrielFerreira-ue8hs]

She basically made Ray of Light 2.0

[@Oudri125]

Not really.

[@maritzamejia5312]

11:40 thank you!! i've looking for that reference, that 'hey hey hey'sounded familiar !

[@tmthycnnlly]

I can't unhear that Gerudo fortress comparison it's definitely similar enough that I really get it

[@Preston-9118]

I love how informational your videos are! Also I had cinnamon rolls for breakfast lol

[@andrewwilson2300]

I love your channel and I think your brilliant but I have to say there's already a word for this kind of music; it's called PC Music, and yes PC Music is more than what gets released on the label. In our youth (we're about the same age) the cool kids used to call it postmodernism. And to avoid confusion, when I say Caroline Polachek is just PC Music, I don't mean just in like only, but rather just in like it's fucking amazing because it's PC Music.

[@mikelmontoya2965]

Also, PC Music/bubblegum bass, being at its core an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) style, sometimes doesn't even have vocals. Take for example Life Sim's Lightning Lipgloss Life kzbin.info/www/bejne/q36ygId5oKdseNk this is PC Music in its purest form: futuristic, off-kilter sound design, pristine trancey synthwork, chopped-up, bouncy beats, ultra-compressed percussion & the most euphoric EDM build-ups & drops. Another great example is Life Sim's as well IDL kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaq2mHaFrMaYgs0 no vocals either, just pure PC Music.

[@mikelmontoya2965]

And to contrast PC Music & hyperpop, you have for example on the one hand Lady Gaga's 911 (Charli XCX & A.G. Cook Remix) kzbin.info/www/bejne/on3FfKxmns5-sK8 which is PC Music, & on the other Lady Gaga's Replay (Dorian Electra Remix) kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ3LhnVsa9areJo & Lady Gaga's Plastic Doll (Ashnikko Remix) kzbin.info/www/bejne/iV6nmqueeJdlfaM which are both hyperpop (much dirtier sound than PC Music, with heavy influence respectively from the 2000s-alternative rock's-scene/emo/pop punk-revivalist nostalgia of the early 2020s & from the hugely commercially successful late-2010s-and-early-2020s trap-pop best represented by artists such as Ariana Grande & Doja Cat).

[@arcadia14]

I don't think Caroline fits in the PC Music or hyperpop genre, while she's very electronic in terms of production she uses her natural voice pretty much always (no autotune) and a lot of acoustic instrumentation, which is not very common in that genre

[@matthewbrown7572]

I listened to this album and thought to myself, this is a woman that has been listening to a lot of Imogen Heap and Fru Fru.

[@joshuakuester2633]

Imogen Heap actually covered Caroline’s song “Door” so the love goes both ways! :)

[@matthewbrown7572]

@@joshuakuester2633 I can see( hear) why Imogen Heap would do that.

[@stevebob240]

Loving this album. Indiva is definitely a great descriptor. Caroline is one of my favorites so far, between her and Weyes Blood I think.

[@eduardovasquez5803]

I understood the reference about sunset sounding like Legend of Zelda, but after that the comparaison with videogames became so poor

[@professorskye]

Fair criticism!

[@alwaysknow3356]

I love this but have to pick you up on one idea here: Indiva. While it's a great theoretical idea, your thoughts about who belongs in this genre seem to me a bit scattered. Please hear me out. Back in the 90's when this thing was happening there were crappy female pop singers and artists being bundled under the same headings (such as at the Brits), irrespective of what kind of music they were making. You had originators like Bjork who is a musical polymath like Prince: a writer, singer, producer, director, art director and orchestrator. If you look at the work of Charlie Chaplin or Prince, you will read things like: composed, performed, produced, arranged and directed by Prince. Bjork is exactly like this in her execution. Kate Bush is too. They do bring in collaborators but are artists to their fingertips. Lets be clear here - Kylie was always a pop singer of the My Little Pony variety. Nick Cave, a fellow Australian, made a gorgeous song with her and she instantly got a smidgen of street cred. Thats great, shes a nice girl, but hardly an artist who can sit down by herself and write a song. No offence! So i think we need to consider the Indiva concept and who it represents. To lump a pop star like Kylie - who is clearly not a musician - into a category like Bjork - who is clearly a musician - because Kylie was trying to be indie is just preposterous. I would concur that Caroline qualifies as an Indiva and her album was surprisingly good (bar the annoying Simple Minds, heh heh heh) which is unfortunately imprinted on my mind.

[@jacobcaudill6357]

Always Loved Caroline she was good live.

[@aaronapitius4775]

How'd that Sailor treat you Sky... Asking for a friend

[@underworld8805]

watch these videos of her singing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXKVq2CaZtFsb9E kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmXSo3SQmaljr7M

[@shreynoot]

Grimes m.i.a and lana del rey holy trinity of 'political' pop indivas

[@MarinaAndTheDevil]

Didn't have breakfast, dorm life

[@robotubetwob]

ever do Aldous Harding?

[@JoeMama-qm5rd]

What is the difference between what you call "indiva" pop and artpop?

[@ptjaeckx]

I think Robyn is my favorite Pop Indiva.

[@icystorm9968]

Please do pang as well, i feel like you're gonna love that one, it's definitely got a darker more electronic vibe to it!

[@Gamblers_Prayer]

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who got some Frozen 2 flashbacks from Hopedrunk Everlasting! Been thinking about it the minute I heard it.

[@misogynbluu]

i have seen your videos before but i hadn't subscribed yet. when you sang that FREEEE line, i immediately subscribed lmao you got me

[@morgenlefay]

Oh yes must also add that indie is not a style…it’s a manner of doing your biz. It’s doing a lot of harm to actual indie artists to coöpt their movement as a mere style of, vaguely, quirky hipster non-culture. Indie can encompass all genres/styles. CP has always been under some subsidiary/imprint of Sony from the beginning. Just like Paramore had “fueled by ramen” as an initial imprint/moniker faux label because their major label wanted to give off the image of indie. Indie means exactly that, independent. It’s not that deep stylistically.

[@ARCHIEBRADLEYSELFTAPES]

SO EXITED FOR THIS

[@morgenlefay]

Oh yeah have to add that obsolete Brooklyn hipster dads who write for Pitchfork are in a small world NYC circle…if they’ve played at baby’s alright they are prob in some way in the network of the small world circle…so it would be awkward af for such a local reviewer to “bad mouth one of their own”…the pitchfork score is no surprise. They wouldn’t be able to mobilize or circulate themselves without some level of social circle discomfort or ostracization in wanting to stay in the “good graces” of this network-as-net-worth small world circle. That’s why their reviews read…exactly that way.

[@Followmybliss777]

I love her - she’s so creative.

[@SuperMrdumm]

Pop!

[@guidogromadzyn1668]

Hey Professor I think you would love to know (if you don't know already) that Black Country New Road ("Isaacless") recorded a couple of months ago a Caroline Polachek cover. It is difficult to find because it was a limited edition EP of covers. And it works amazingly well... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGXIZmOQedyWnqM

[@brandonhamaguchi]

So good analysis you are hurting my feelings

[@antoniochavezdominguez6488]

Omg you Just mention my favourites singers Right now, Charli, Carly, Kim, Sophie and Caroline ❤

[@MCSquidward]

Can you review “He Left Nothing For The Swim Back” by Skcech185. I would love for you to unpack this!

[@AndrewAmbroseLee]

I love the Comedy Bang Bang references you weave into these videos

[@professorskye]

Glad some pick up on them. 😀

[@OurFamilyInMotion]

Looking forward to your review of the new Black Country New Road live album/video.

[@paolomasia91]

I hope he'll review it, as well. All great songs.. especially Turbines/Pigs and Dancers blew me away. What a great band!

[@professorskye]

Working on it!

[@mcjcave18]

I'm glad to see you see reviewing this.

[@markstuartwakeley]

Caught her live in the UK last week wow just wow.

[@purple455]

my favorite pop indivas are probably Charli XCX and Kim Petras. Also pancakes sounds very nice, I had grilled cheese and coffee for breakfast.

[@axlgzrdmattick]

I don't eat breakfast

[@wheatonna]

You touched on a question that plagues me. How many times should I listen to an album that doesn't really do much for me on first listen?

[@professorskye]

I’d say if it is a genre you don’t love, 2 times to be sure it’s not an outlier. If it’s a genre you love and an artist you respect, then 3 - 5 times. If it’s an artist you absolutely love and trust, the I’d say no less than 50!

[@smguy7]

Indivas? Shiina Ringo, Mika Nakashima, Wednesday Campanella, Seiko Oomori, Kimbra, Sa Dingding

[@pebis2978]

Great review as always, any chance ur gonna do a video on live at bush hall by bcnr?

[@professorskye]

Yes I will. Lots to digest.

[@noname-sv6of]

ive lived with the chirp for years

[@ThomasKerr-nj4ce]

Listened to the album three times this morning, wrote my thoughts, and came here to hear what you've got to say. 16 minutes in AVAA! edit: scrambled eggs for breakfast

[@mirandameyer237]

I know this video is a year old, but I'm partway through and I had to stop and say that she did acknowledge Suzanne Vega! I had been thinking it too and it turns out she said that the dut-duts were a nod to her. I hear a more general Vega influence than that (if Caroline Polachek doesn't love "Rusted Pipe," I'd be shocked), but that's definitely the obvious moment.

[@gerardfletcher1203]

a modern day kate bush. like her vocals. catchy vocals and song. writing. its a change fom taylor. swift

[@lizzypandora6986]

I never realised until I went on tiktok how many people don't replace the batteries in their smoke detectors. You can hear that sound in the background of so many videos.

[@iHappy12345]

Excuse me Professor, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this beautiful new Pierce the Veil album.

[@oddblood-]

I would classify her art pop more than I would indie pop.

[@TheWinteste]

not indiva. dead

[@sa8die]

i like her armpit hair,., +her voice is amazing,.

[@ninopiamonte2]

Smashed the like bucket and scubscride! ❤

[@professorskye]

Thank you!

[@tunksaraylovesta]

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[@danielporpino3189]

LISTEN TO PANG

[@twentythirtyforty]

11:56 thanks for pointing out the Don't You Forget About Me quote in Welcome To My Island

[@scottwatrous]

I definitely agree that Sunset feels way Gerudo influenced. Def not my favorite song on the album but that part is a vibe.

[@landonkandon]

Youre not wrong. I got lots of video game vibes from this record. Blood and butter especially

[@kyleysneed]

I like that term “1indiva” I feel like if it was possible to study in school, they would all be masters or even doctors of pop music. I I feel like they master the pop sound and push it further

[@bryan-bryan-bryan]

The highlight of the album has to be Blood and Butter! Pleeease the acoustic guitar? The vocals that act like drums? The bagpipe solo?? Doing the same melody Grimes did in the previous song??? Thank you for such a good video, it was very interesting to get a deep dive into another mind that has turned into desire

[@bryan-bryan-bryan]

Also: she says "don't drop my name", not "don't rub my neck" in Bunny is a Rider 😂

[@ethanlammar5554]

Day 78 of Asking for you to Review the song Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youth

[@ARCHIEBRADLEYSELFTAPES]

I had chicken tikka masala for breakfast thank you for asking!

[@paolomasia91]

Whenever Pitchfork (or any other famous magazine) and/or Fantano give very high scores to albums, it seems to me that everyone starts talking about it in a super positive way. I consider myself an independent listener and thinker, so I simply sometimes get on board with others and find the hype justified, and sometimes I don't. But this makes me wonder how much the most famous experts can actually influence and direct musical taste. I don't have an answer to that and maybe it is just the ‘Ipse Dixit’ factor that exist ever since in every field, but I would be curious to have some data in hand, and also to know what you think about that. For this reason, even if I imagine it's not the best thing for monetization, I love when you also talk about artists like Etta Marcus or Murder Capital. I didn't know both artists, and I found those albums you reviewed really good (but not many people are talking about them). On this album that everyone seems to love madly.. I liked it and I want to listen to it again for sure.. but it doesn't blow me away. I listened to some interviews and read her biography. I think she's a very intelligent and such an interesting person with a rich past behind her in terms of cultural stimuli (she lived in different parts of the world as you mention in the video). And this is evident in the different valuable cues with which she enriches the whole album. I don't know who produced the album, but it's really a high-level work in that respect, as well. Your ‘Pop InDiva’ definition is fascinating, and seems to be pretty accurate. However, the majority of this album just seems very similar to me to other well done pop (InDivas) mainstream releases. Maybe it’s just ignorance from my part, and I don’t want to suggest that they all sound the same, but I can’t manage to understand where her supposed originality really is. Unfortunately, I can't listen to ‘Welcome To My Island’ because the chorus is soo similar to a terrible Italian song (I won’t say the title because I don’t want to ruin the Polachek song to whoever is reading this comment) and my mind can't help but make that connection. However, I live in a beautiful island in Italy (Sardinia), and in a few months I think I will listen to this album again (first song included maybe), because it really is very summery. P.s. I know it's really a sick comparison ... but the 'uh-oh-oh' part of the song Billions reminds me of how Thom Yorke sings the last word of every verse of Decks Dark.

[@g0lddustt29]

Have you heard her first album, "Pang" before? If not, you should listen to that first & give Desire another try afterwards - it's much more digestable sonically while still being an amazing showcase of her vocals & lyricism. Personally, I'd rank both albums about the same in terms of greatness, but Pang sliiiiiiiiightly outreaches Desire.

[@paolomasia91]

@@g0lddustt29 I have never listened to it, but I will shortly. I really appreciate her, and Desire is a really good album. My long comment was more about whether and how critics can actually direct listeners' taste. I had never heard of Caroline.. however I noticed that friends (who themselves had never heard of her), internet users in the various blogs and KZbin channels started recommending Desire after Pitchfork gave it a very good rating. Which made me a little suspicious of the mechanism, not suspicious of the artist, nor of the intellectual honesty of fans like you and those who have known her well for so long. I don't notice the same word of mouth with less critically acclaimed albums. It may be that popular taste is more similar than I think to critical taste? Or it may just be coincidence, I don't have an answer.. but the doubt remains. That said, I will listen to Pang with pleasure, thank you!

[@harrymcilroy3830]

I had 3 croissants for breakfast

[@vyl3nt]

its just alot of queer fan-based artists, which i think speaks for itself agvaa

[@dfwherbie8814]

Reviewing this instead of Kelela’s album is sus

[@tangentpuppet]

I feel like the "Look over the edge but not too far" is her version is "life is for the living". Like peer through the veil of death to remember your loved ones but don't let it stop you from living your life because that's not what they would have wanted. That's what I get out of it. Caroline is very close friends with Hyd so most likely was connected closely with Sophie too. I even have a theory that WHOLE NEW WORLD was supposed to be a project (probably EP) between Caroline and Sophie because it was written on a box in the Bunny Is A Rider video. Explaining the video, Caroline talked about storing away things that were supposed to be something more. SOPHIE FOREVER 🤍 Also Butterfly Net is the best song on the album imo. Billions is the best single imo.

[@twominutenudels]

i had muesli for breakfast (36:07)

[@oversensitivenipples]

this man just wont stop spitting fax. it's like u put all the thoughts i had about this album in order and now my brain is a little bit more peaceful. thanks.