and this is true
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“People revel in the pain of others for all kinds of reasons, but the idea of applauding Gibbard’s heartbreak because it would presumably result in better music seems especially perverse to me. Maybe he wasn’t all that torn up — what if the couple’s separation was a mutual, amicable decision? Maybe was a long time coming. Maybe, like many breakups, it was a secret relief in the end. Whatever it was, the widely regarded assumption was that he had to be devastated, because that belief fell in line with the mythological narrative we created for Gibbard over the years. We hailed the news as the precursor to a return to form for the band and Gibbard’s songwriting.” —— Ben Gibbard and Why We Want Him to be Miserable
This interests me not so much about Ben Gibbard and DCFC but on fans reacting to artists changing. Perhaps it’s as simple that when you are associated with one type of feeling—especially if you are magnified to represent a subset or people/generation—then there isn’t space to try and be something else.
Songs with a hint of sadness have always been my favorites, even better when paired with a peppy beat.
