Thursday, July 23, 2009
National Skyline Paramore or Less: Hayley Williams and the Charismatic Frontperson Problem
Posted by Steve Haruch on Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Jennifer's Body is a new movie that's got all kinds of stuff I can really get enough of: Megan Fox, vampires, high school. It's also got a hot-shit soundtrack full of hot-shit music that people over the age of, say, 17, might find irritating: Panic! at the Disco, Cobra Starship, etc. It's all so very 2009-sounding (except maybe Screeching Weasel and Hole), and there's even that Black Kids song.
So what does Williams' foray into first-name-last-name solo recordings for soundtracks to vampire movies say about the rising of her star vs. the star of her band? Maybe nothing. But it's hard not to see the parallels with Paramore's current tour partners, No Doubt. Remember when they were all like, "We're a band--you can't just take pictures of Gwen for our photo shoot!" And remember the strain of two exes being in the same band together? It all sounds pretty familiar. And we all know who broke off and became a megastar (with mute Japanese dancing girls!) on her own.
Call it the Charismatic Frontperson Problem (CFP). The average fan tends to identify more with whoever the lead vocalist is, and the more charming that person is, the more likely they are to be singled out and courted as a solo artist. I don't have any data to back this up, but something tells me that it's more of a problem with bands comprised of all dudes plus a female singer.
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