POPPY — I Disagree (review)

Album · 2020 · Alternative Metal

0.5/5 · 2020-10-14
666sharon666

Here are two facts about myself: I'm female and I'm a massive fan of metal music. Once upon a time that would have openly been considered a paradox, but fortunately we've moved on somewhat. Not enough, but progress has been made; in 2020 being a girl and into this kind of music really isn't noteworthy. There are many women now performing in major metal bands in a variety of roles and sub-genres and more women are attending metal gigs (or we would be if not for that little bastard known as Covid-19). There are also some female musicians who have become notable for starting their careers in other genres before making the jump to metal. The 2010s saw Amalie Bruun go from various indie pop outfits to atmospheric black metal as Myrkur. Chelsea Wolfe released a doom metal album and started the sludge metal/noise rock act Mrs Piss. And Rose Kemp went from psychedelic/folk music to doom metal.

Enter Poppy.

What can we say about Poppy? Well, she's followed a similar route having made a name performing electro-pop styles, but for her third studio album I Disagree has made the jump to alternative metal. That's where the similarities in these stories end. You see, Poppy's I Disagree doesn't necessarily sound like the work of an artist who decided to embrace a love of metal the way someone like Myrkur did. Instead it sounds like the work of a hipster pop artist who decided to add some heavy guitars to her sound for the purpose being ironic without caring an iota about how the result may be perceived as a metal album. And that result is what may just be the most offensive metal album to female metalheads ever created and the stupid thing is if my suspicions are right about what Poppy was actually going for with I Disagree then she probably will never have a clue about why that is.

Let's add some context, the rarely spoken about female experience of being a metalhead. Like in many walks of life, women into metal have had to put up with a lot of unacceptable crap from men who half the time probably don't even realise they're doing it. Actually not just men, but other women who don't like metal as well can actually be just as bad or at least bloody judgemental toward a woman who listens to metal. As a female headbanger I have often found myself on the receiving end of the assumption that when I speak about metal that I don't know what I'm talking about, never mind that my Dad practically raised me on a diet of classic 70s and 80s metal and hard rock bands. There was even a meme posted here on Metal Music Archives once with the words 'When a girl says she likes heavy music' picturing Slayer as 'what you hope for' and Nickelback as 'what she means'.

And that's just the start of the shit we have to deal with, especially in the online context which for many metalheads regardless of gender is often the only place we get to actually discuss the music we love with like-minded people. Online I have been accused more than once of not being a girl, but a G.I.R.L. which you internet savvy folks will know stands for Guy in Real Life. One guy even went so far that in my early days on YouTube took it upon himself to actually make a video about me and how I was a 'sock account'. This was after I wouldn't agree with his opinion on something so trivial I no longer even remember what it was.

Does anyone realise just how fucking offensive that is? And this is not to mention the situation at gigs. It was more of a problem a few years ago, but still, I've had to put up with people assuming I'm just someone's girlfriend dragged along against her will or that I'm just there to be provocative to guys. In fact I was even sexually assaulted at a gig once by some drunk arsehole which ultimately resulted in me getting kicked out by a bouncer after I defended myself.

What does this have to do with Poppy and her first (and please God let it be her only) metal album I Disagree? Because this kind of thing is how historically women in and into metal have been perceived and treated and I Disagree sets all kinds of wrong impression. Even before we hear a single note of music we have that atrocious cover where it looks like Poppy got done up in corpse paint (complete with a spiked collar), but then you'll notice it's actually just a bad Photoshop job hiding that she really doesn't look 'metal' at all. And that's a problem in that looking metal really doesn't matter to actual metalheads. Akercocke wore tweed suits for crying out loud. Image is the selling point of the pop album. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words and true to form the cover art actually gives a glimpse at the kind of music that will be found within. Not black metal, but basically what Poppy must have been doing before dressed up as metal, just like she is on the cover. That's not a very good image to set for women in metal. It reaffirms the kind of crap people expect of a girl when she says she likes metal.

Everything about the album screams wrong when trying to listen to it as a metal album. The really heavy guitars in the opener Concrete are nice, but everything else about that song made me just switch the album off in disgust on my first attempt to listen to it, with Poppy mixing those heavy riffs with sunshine pop vocals. You may as well just listen to an actual novelty act like Babymetal if you want your metal to sound cute. Personally it makes me want to go barf up my lunch.

And it really doesn't get any better across its ten songs, if anything it instead gets worse, such as at any point that Poppy abandons her pop singing for rapping, where she manages to sound like a petulant child about to throw a major tantrum rather than anything remotely close to convincing. The more bearable parts are where she drops all the pretences of being a metal album and the heavy guitars are removed, but that just leaves us with with various elements pop, electro, dance and hip-hop, which after you scratch its surface is what you're left with across the whole release. There's precious little actual metal that's anything more than vapid and generic stuff playing a supporting role in her sound. Of course metal does mix well with other genres and it's the other elements that often raise an otherwise standard sounding release up, but that's not the case here. Maybe it works form the point of view of any of the other genres she has in the mix, I won't speak for that as that is not music I care for, but as a metal album I Disagree may just be the worst thing I've ever heard.

Poppy represents a popular artist who genuinely could have introduced metal to people who wouldn't have given it the time of day before this for no other reason than its metal and as the narrow minded have taken time out of their busy days to remind me before, metal is 'evil, unfeminine and just a load of noise'. The majority of people hearing her go metal will be in this group (the rest will be existing metalheads like me who got curious without thinking about what killed the cat). This is not a good album to give newcomers an impression of what metal sounds like. It is not even a good album to get an impression of what alternative/nu metal sounds like because frankly it makes me want to shout for the dreaded Limp Bizkit to come back because all is forgiven.

On an earlier album Poppy posed the question Am I a Girl? Well Poppy I don't know what you decided, but you look like a girl and sound like a girl, and you sure as hell made a pretty awful album to judge women in metal by with this piece of work. We're in an age where female musicians in metal are becoming more plentiful and recognised for their work, not just as eye candy. I Disagree is far from representative of female achievement in the genre and yet this will likely be the most heard album from a female solo artist in metal in 2020. Maybe even the most heard metal album. And that sucks for the genre as a whole, not just the women who are embarrassed by this perversion of an album (because I sure as hell hope I'm not the only one).

Now that I've got off my chest how it makes me feel, I'm going to do my damnedest to pretend this album doesn't exist.

more than 2 years ago
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siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Oh BTW if you want a really cool trans metal artist that i love check out Victory Over The Sun

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/artist/victory-over-the-sun/?ac=victory

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Hey, let's agree to disagree. As i've already stated i've had very close trans friends and i have asked them more than enough questions to come to my own conclusions. I didn't remove anything, the admins did. Disagreeing with you doesn't make me transphobic and it's a fairly weak argument to simply pull out the phobia card just because someone doesn't agree with you. Lots of love your way! This is the last i care to discuss this on this site :)

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Okay, let's all just take a step back. This is a music website. While we're open to having this discussion in the general forums, we'd only do so if it could be carried out in a reasoned and respectful manner. The admin team agree that the previous thread made following the recent comment chain here was not so, and it was removed because of that.

MMA does not support any kind of discrimination, even if accidental. My review here was changed because of this, and apology issued. That should have been the end of it, but it escalated. That ends now.

Again, this is a music website. All fans of metal and other heavy music are welcome here. It is important to us that everyone who comes here also feels like this is a safe space. I'm afraid that over the last couple of days we have fallen short of the mark. But we can, intend to and WILL do better. Metal is for everyone.

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I saw what you wrote. I can't find it now, which I hope means you came to your senses and removed it. Because you are full of shit. You pretend to be pro-trans, yet present your personal theories as facts and not only undermine who we are, but you make a conspiracy theory out of it. You'll be telling us it's all a mind control plot by aliens next.

You are not transgender. That much is clear. Do not pretend to know transpeople better than transpeople themselves do. You're ignorant and a bigot to think otherwise.

Being transgender is not a choice, any more than it's choice if we are attracted to men, women, both, or neither. It's not like we wake up morning and say 'I fancy men today' or 'I want to be a woman'.

It doesn't work like that. It's a choice whether to ACT on it. A choice between being who you are, or living a lie. It's no different from being homosexual and staying in the closet. You can even deny it to yourself, but you are still gay. Or you are still trans.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@SJT, sorry my friend but both Scientific American and Forbes are disinfo sites that are the fake science sites. Let's continue this in the forum. I'll start a thread.

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2020/06/15/the-myth-of-biological-sex/

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

My last words here. @SJT. You really think biology is outdated thinking? I think the disconnect from reality is what gets transpeople the backlash that they do. They want the entire world to accept them but then they deny the very chromosomes that unequivocally determine one's biological gender at birth and BitterJalapeno makes a great point. I'm glad Sharon changed the review though because sometimes our words can be interpreted in a way that we didn't mean for them to be. I had a similar situation happen for a review on RYM regarding an album that i thought sounded like it was schizophrenic and someone called me on it and i changed it because i could see how it was being taken the wrong way. Anyways, none of this makes me want to check out Poppy! LOL

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I've changed the line. It wasn't my intent to cause offence to transgender people. SJT is right to challenge me on it and I apologise. I simply felt it a good closing metaphor given how confused the music on the album comes across to me. I realise now that it was unnecessary to bring her earlier gender questioning into it, and while I still reference her previous album, I hope my revised line is more acceptable. The theme of the review was about the perception of women, specifically in metal, but what the record makes me feel could also be applied in a more general sense.

Bosh66 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Guys, I get that this is an important subject and we at MMA don't wish to curtail the discussion, but can one of you open a thread in the General Discussions section in the forum please to explore issues of gender identity within music or society in general. Enough has been said on these comments, which really should be for observations on the music. Thank you.

BitterJalapeno wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I have to agree with siLLy puPPy. Anyone has the right to identify as whoever/whatever they feel like and that should always be respected by others but it most certainly comes down to choice.

It's people making the choice to deviate from their natural biological identity that gives definition to the word transgender in the first instance.

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It's that kind of outdated thinking that sets people against transpeople and makes you part of the problem.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Probably not the best place to have this debate but i don't think anyone here was trying to be insensitive or insulting in the least. This is a music review and the reviewer has every right to trash an album she finds to be very bad.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

At the risk of sounding callous, first of all living in the SF Bay Area i've known many transgender people over the years and some have even been close friends. Of course it's a choice! You are and will always be genetically the gender you were born no matter what you feel like on the inside therefore you choose your identity whether it lines up with your biological gender or not. I am a proud defender of anybody's choice to be whatever finds them in pursuit of happiness but as a biologist i can safely say that only a very small percentage of mammals born exhibit hermaphrodite qualities that include both sets of genitals and chromosomes and therefore the vast majority of transgenders do choose their identity. I for example can't choose which age i am or which ethnic group even if i feel like i'm a 77 year old Swedish man.

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Gender identity is not a choice. By suggesting that we may choose to label ourselves as 'the kitchen sink' or an animal, you are trivialising who we are. It's transphobic.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I´d say that´s more of an insult regarding genre confusion and an insecure artist. It could just as well have read: "Wether you´re a duck, and dog, the kitchen sink or a toaster. I can´t see how that would be offensive to someone in terms of gender identity. It´s a blunt and direct review, but to my eyes it doesn´t cross any lines as far as what I think is alright to say in a review. I´m sure Sharon can fend for herself though, and will do that if she sees these comments.

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

'On an earlier album Poppy posed the question Am I a Girl? Well Poppy I don't know what you decided, whether you're a girl, a boy, the kitchen sink or a toaster'

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Which part of the review says something about gender identity?

SJT wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It's fine if you don't like the music.

What's not fine are your comments on the artist's possible gender identity.

It's very disappointing to run across this while exploring the website. Even more so that not one person in this comment thread has challenged you on it.

It's the 2020s, people.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I always have thought that artists were the worst people to describe what they actually play but post-genre is a new one on me.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Well that makes some sense given my impression of the album as described in my second paragraph. Although if that's the case then she really is trying even harder than I thought with that cover image.

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Hmm, apparently she doesn't consider this metal herself. I feel like that's the go to line every time someone releases something that obviously is metal but they know many are going to hate. Almost like they're they're trying to put a wall up against criticism from that side of things from the start.

Actually the term she uses for this is 'post-genre'. Sounds really fucking pretentious to me.

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

My Bell Witch review was a 0.5 and a then new album that others were gushing over. 6 comments. Perhaps the difference is that before this review popped up most of us, me included, hadn't heard this.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Damn wish we could edit these comments. I meant to say IT CAN BE THE OFFICIAL POPPY HATE CLUB. Personally i haven't listened to her but perhaps i should just to know what all this is about :/

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Well let's keep this going! I can be the official Poppy hate club LOL

Tupan wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@Unitron I did listen, don't like it very much but I've added the videos!

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

If we had an official timeline, it would be. I'm pretty sure 83 comments is a site record.

TheHeavyMetalCat wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Is that an official point in MMA history? The Great Shitstorm of 2012?

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

This is nothing compared to the Great Shitstorm of 2012 when Wilytank reviewed Haken's Aquarius. I think that's still the one to beat for comments posted. 83. Unless anyone knows different and I've forgotten.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

lol someone listened to Velcra after I mentioned them based on the videos added!

I think similar happened with this as my old Elder review (which I honestly don't like that review, I should've just turned it off and asked for a different album. I still hate everything about that album though). Older albums, especially ones regarded as classics, don't tend to instil much of a reaction. They've been out long enough for people to already have listened to and have solid opinions on it. Unless it's someone's all time favorite album, it's just kind of whatever. New albums are fresh in everyone's mind but haven't had the time to reach everyone, and unfortunately negativity is more popular than positivity when it comes to music in general.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Now that you mention it, my Pain of Salvation review didn't get half this much attention and I was under the impression that The Perfect Element was one of those albums that must not be bashed on pain of death, especially on a site that was spun off from Prog Archives. I was honestly expected some heated comments for that day's work.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I'll believe that just as soon as anything that isn't Filosofem permanently unseats it as RYM's top black metal album. As an entire genre metalheads do tend to put a lot of emphasis on historical importance. That very much includes Varg.

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

That's because it's Burzum and it's been a lot of years since anyone really gave much of a shit about Varg.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

You say that but my negative Burzum review only got 3 comments and surely saying Filosofem is a load of crap is more controversial than giving a 0.5 to Poppy?

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

'It does seem that these negative reviews get the most comments!'

They really do. We don't see many reviews rated at the real lower end of the scale here so they stand out. As Mornium said it's 'the curse of a negative review'.

I don't know how many five star reviews I've seen here that get absolutely no reaction.

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I'll say for thing for her, she can sure make some really messed up lyrics sound all sunshine and roses.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I won't speak for her talent if you look at it from the perspective of all the other stuff she's throwing into this, but the bottom line is this is a review for a metal website and as a metal album this is extremely lacking even without it/her winding me completely the wrong way.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It does seem that these negative reviews get the most comments! There are lots of talented ladies out there in metal and other genres but this doesn't seem to be one of them from what i've been reading.

Tupan wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I couldn't resist... And didn't like it. Garbage, to be honest. I think it must have some appeal for Babymetal fans.

Nightfly wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Been trying to listen to this and strangely my Spotify keeps freezing every few bars.Clearly I am blessed.

Psydye wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It's 2020 and there are still plenty of misogynistic shitheads who think women are only good for their sex drive. Sad.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@Mornium Join the club...

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I dared.

It sucked.

I must be a glutton for punishment.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@voila_la_scorie, thanks. Obviously the majority of metalheads are all great people and that includes everyone here - I did make a reference to something posted on MMA in the review, but that was posted by a member who went on to get banned (for unrelated reasons). Unfortunately like with everything there are a few who let the side down.

666sharon666 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@Mornium: I wouldn't recommend it but who knows, maybe something will just click for you where it just made me (perhaps unreasonably) angry.

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

To listen or not to listen, that is the question...do I dare?

voila_la_scorie wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I love a good half star review. The ire. The angst. The irritation. This was a fun review to read except for that you had to put up with so much rubbish from dickheads.

I heard part of a song in a video for this album and I was like, "Baby Metal just got copied by an entry level reject."

MorniumGoatahl wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Now here's the curse of a negative review - I now find my interest piqued more than it would have been otherwise.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Nice rant! I'm sure your review is much more entertaining than the album itself! But then again i've never been drawn to experience the world of Poppy :D

TheHeavyMetalCat wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I've purposesly avoided this but I can relate to so much about what you said about being a female metalhead. Great review.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I made it three tracks in a while back and stopped.

Tupan wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It was a interesting reading and a great review. Unlike Patrick, i don't want to check this out, though.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah, nah. What a fucking shower of shit.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I have read really mixed reviews of this. I really want to check it out now, just to see how bad of a trainwreck it is.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I find it ironic that you criticize Poppy's switch to metal for the same reasons many criticized Myrkur for (I didn't, but regardless). Especially considering that unlike black metal, alternative metal and especially nu metal are still scorned among not only many metal circles but pretty much every online music community and there's still many elitists that try and claim that it isn't even metal. If anything, that just tells me that she's not trying to just hop on a hipster bandwagon.

I don't love or even really like this album a lot, in fact I don't like the J-pop sounding moments at all and think the songwriting's really inconsistent, but I think there's promise and with some refinement she could make something really good. Like something along the lines of a band like Velcra, who had a well-combined blend of metal, pop, hip hop, and various electronic styles.