In a recent post, PoorBritney took a whack at those people who seem to think that, in order to have credibility as an artist, even to BE an artist, you have to write your own material. From this, someone drew the remarkable conclusion that Britney is a “manufactured” act. This is odd enough, when you consider that she has served her full apprenticeship in every aspect of becoming a star, beginning when she was scarcely out of her infancy.
Are people who make these allegations merely ignorant? Don’t they realise that Britney became a star the hard way? Do they know nothing of Star Search, “Ruthless”, the New Mickey Mouse Show, the years and years of plodding around state talent contests, learning how to sing in the style of the big stars of the day, followed by more years and years of learning her craft in Performing Arts school? If she’s “manufactured”, then she manufactured herself.
But these would-be critics seem to be trying to introduce a kind of “auteur” theory into music to parallel the one sometimes advocated in the world of film criticism. According to this theory, a movie is in essence the reflection of the director's personal creative vision. This has led, in some cases, to the director gaining most of the credit for a movie, eclipsing its stars, and appearing to dismiss their contribution as negligible. When imported into the world of music, most of the creative credit for an album is given to the producers, especially if they also happen to be writers.
However, the “auteur” theory in movies is strongly challenged by those who argue that each and every movie is a collaborative effort, involving the chemistry and synergy of many contributors. And, although the theory was doubtless conceived in order to snatch a share of the spotlight away from the headline stars, it can scarcely be denied that the long-term success of almost every movie depends on great performances by actors. And that is what audiences see and remember.
The exact same thing is true of music. No matter who the producer may be, the long-term success of an album depends on great performances by singers and musicians, and that’s what audiences hear and remember. Audiences in the past were happy enough to hear brilliant performances by stars like Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, and Dusty Springfield. None of them ever wrote a song. What was important was how they breathed life into a song, brought it to an audience, and gave it the special lustre that belongs to a special singer.
Just as much as movie-making, music is also a collaborative process. Singer-songwriters may still anguish over their words and imagery in a lonely bedroom, but the majority of pop songs these days come into being in a recording studio, and aren’t “written” so much as worked up from a demo or basic concept by everyone present. The singer, by his or her very actions in bringing these embryonic creations to life, will be thoroughly involved in making suggestions that could have a major effect on the final outcome. Thus, some singers (such as Beyonce) demand a writing credit for changing a single word. Some, of less greedy disposition, do not. But don’t you think Britney, or any other singer, could do that if they wanted to?
It would be a sad and desperate thing if that was the only way you could obtain credit as a supposedly authentic “artist” . Please take careful note of what Britney said in her recent Rolling Stone interview: “I have always been heavily involved in every album I have ever made.... I have to feel connected before I record and the song has to spark something inside me.... I wanted to make a fresh-sounding album for the clubs or something that you play in your car when you're going out at night that gets you excited but I wanted it to sound different from everything else out right now. I wanted to experiment with all the different types of music I love... I also really wanted to play with my voice and change up my sound here and there. I listen to a lot of different music from all over the world and I guess I just gravitate towards what sounds fresh and what makes me want to move. I really didn’t want to record anything on this album that could be mistaken for anyone else out there.”
I don’t know what all of that says to you, but to me it says that Britney herself is the main conceptualizing, motivating, and deciding force behind her albums. If, despite all that I’ve said, you still believe in the “auteur” theory, it kind of looks like Britney herself is the “auteur”.
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