Like many of you, I'm lstening to Bjork's latest project, Vulnicura -- occasionally painful, often poignant, and generally quite beautiful as she leads us through her own romantic breakup with ex-BF and filmmaker Matthew Barney. It got me to thinking, though, about how potentially unfair breakup albums and songs are to the other party in the relationships they detail.

From one point of view, there's no unwritten rule an artist shouldn't offer publicly their account of a failed relationship. And in Bjork's case, I suppose Barney could technically concoct some weird-ass film metaphor of "his side" of the story. But are these projects, by virtue of the fact they tell the private tale not only of the artist, but of another individual -- and by virtue of the fact they enjoy a broad, thirsty, and likely somewhat biased audience -- just underhanded? I'm on the fence.

What do you think?

[Edited 1/22/15 9:48am]

Art comes from many places.....................no such thing as fair or unfair.

That is left 4 the courtroom.

So is this a Taylor Swift thread or not?

One that isn't, would be Richard & Linda Thompson's Shoot Out The Lights where they are basically collaborating on songs about the dissolution of their own marriage.

I'm not sure if Rumors is meant to be a "he said, she said" conversation between Stevie & Lindsay, but it often felt that way to me.

As for the rest, is it "fair" to put that stuff out in public? Hey, if you want to be a great artist's muse you better take the hate songs along with the love songs.

bobzilla77 said:

I'm not sure if Rumors is meant to be a "he said, she said" conversation between Stevie & Lindsay, but it often felt that way to me.

You hit on it; Rumours is the most balanced of popular music's "breakup album" heritage.

I think message of the art matters more to the audience than the events of the breakup themselves. Think of the famous albums that were written about or during breakups:

In The Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra

Talking Book, Steve Wonder

Sign O The Times, Prince

My Life, Mary J. Blige

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill

Bitter, Me'Shell Ndegeocello

Sea Change, Beck

these and so many others have songs or moments people relate to. The actual circumstances matter less and less. Plus, the audience should KNOW they're only hearing one side, but some of them are familiar enough with the artists to presume it wasn't all the "other"'s fault.

Neil Young has two breakup albums, Homegrown (unreleased, 1975) and the new Storeytone. In both of them, among a bunch of songs about how down he is over losing his baby, there's also one or two songs about how cool it is to screw somebody new for the first time. I imagine the estranged women listening to these songs about themselves, getting all weepy eyed, then going "Wait a minute who is this TRAMP you're singing about now?!?!"

According to Boy George, most of Culture Club's greatest hits were inspired by his then-real life relationship with Jon Moss. Not once had Jon ever complain about it nor was there anything written in the public press that Jon ever gave a damn for that matter since all four original band members were getting royalities as songwriters anyway.

It's also well documented that No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album was inspired by the break-up between Gwen & Tony. Despite the fact that Tony was lyrically being buried by Gwen everynight the band were performing on tour, it didn't seem like Tony gave a damn either way because they were all getting paid regardless.

So to answered to question, "is it unfair to the "other" party?", I say it depends on the individual who is on the receiving end of those breakup songs and/or album. In most case, the men seems to take the lyrically abuse a lot better then the women can, as long as the men are being rewarding financially of course.

[Edited 1/27/15 14:59pm]

As long as they don't name the "other party", it's all good.

Some of the best music has come from breakups, because that's when emotions are strongest and emotion is an essential ingredient in quality music.

No breakup song will ever top this one IMO:

I bet every guy that tries to date her takes her straight to the theater.

bobzilla77 said:

I bet every guy that tries to date her takes her straight to the theater.

I think you're right!