Pop Pantheon

What Exactly is a "Flop"? (with Brittany Spanos & Chris Stedman)

Nov 7, 2024

Brittany Spanos, a Senior writer at Rolling Stone, joins Chris Stedman, a writer and host known for his insights on music, to dissect the concept of a 'flop' in pop music. They dive into Katy Perry's underwhelming '143', exploring how audience expectations and commercial performance affect reputations. The duo discusses how flops can lead to artistic growth, the shifting definitions shaped by digital culture, and how fans, particularly in the queer community, embrace these 'failures' with a sense of affection.

01:00:49

Creator website

Episode guests

Chris Stedman

Brittany Spanos

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The term 'flop' in pop music encompasses not only commercial failure but also shifts due to evolving fan culture and expectations.

Queer fans often develop deep connections with perceived flops, fostering a sense of community and shared adversity in supporting misunderstood artists.

As consumption habits evolve, the definition of a flop may diminish in significance, prioritizing artistic exploration over traditional notions of commercial success.

Deep dives

The Concept of Flopping in Pop Music

Flopping, traditionally understood, refers to the underperformance of an album or single, especially compared to previous successes. This term originated in the film industry, where a movie that failed to recoup its costs was labeled a flop. In music, the definition becomes more nuanced as fan culture evolves, with stan Twitter contributing to a redefined understanding. Flops can encapsulate commercial underperformance, critical disappointment, or unmet expectations, all of which have shifted over time as the music landscape has changed.

Intro

4min

Understanding 'Flops' in Music

10min

The Art of the Flop

9min

Redefining 'Flop' in Pop Music

26min

Exploring Artistic Expression and Reception in Pop Music

2min

Exploring Musical Flops: Misunderstood Albums and Artists

2min

The Evolving Flop: Reassessing Success in Pop Music

7min

Katy Perry's latest album 143 lit the internet ablaze for all the wrong reasons when it dropped earlier this year, mostly because of how wrong it got nearly everything and how hard it underperformed as a result. 143 was a capital-F flop in the classic sense of the term. But what exactly does the moniker "flop" mean when it comes to pop music? What constitutes a true flop? How do pop fans use it? Where did it originate and how has it morphed over time into a term of endearment for diehards, especially queer ones? All that and more in this fascinating conversation.

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