The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel
Medium

Two Faced: Calvin Harris v. Zayn Mailk

Assistant Arts & Entertainment editor Ryan Schocket and Arts & Entertainment editor Sarah Vassello don't agree on most things, especially when it comes to pop culture. We've started Two Faced, a semi-regular series where we argue about current entertainment "news" with sass always and class sometimes.  For our debut, we discuss the Twitter feud of Calvin Harris v. Zayn Malik. 

Ryan: 

Zayn Malik retweeted a pro-streaming tweet of side-by-side pictures of Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Each picture had a quote about their position on streaming services like Spotify.

Swift’s current beau, Calvin Harris, took to Twitter to fire back. “Cool...fuck the 99% of musicians who depend on these services to survive right? Yeah fuck em.”

He’s referring to the streaming services that don’t compensate writers when customers subscribe or sign up for free trials.

Zayn’s apathetic attitude towards independent and under-the-radar artists and writers is the same one Daily Tar Heel’s Arts and Entertainment Editor, Sarah Vasello, has decided to adopt.

You would think that the underpaid editor slash writer would favor Harris and Swift, the two defenders of underpaid writers and musicians. Guess not.

However, I think Sarah is secretly one of those people who’s seen the One Direction movie and instantaneously believes the now-foursome is sonically revolutionary.

Spoiler alert: they’re not.

Apple, a $700 billion company, agreed with Swift (and, transitively,with Harris), but I guess when a former boy-band member with a manbun feels like he has enough money, then so does everybody else.

Artists like Jack Antonoff, Kirk Franklin, Justin Peeling, Roseanne Cash, and Majestic echoed the same anti-streaming sentiment.

Harris also alludes to what musicians and journalists call “The Swift Effect,” which refers to boosted sales and prominence after having performed with or having hung out with Swift. On Twitter, he explains that “artists should use their celebrity to benefit every other musician and songwriter in the industry,” like Swift does.

In her open letter to Apple, Swift writes, “This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.”

Streaming services and its burglary have drawn a line. On one side: Zayn and Miley, the rich who are satisfied. One the other: Calvin and Taylor, the rich who demand more for those who work so hard for so little. 


Sarah

First of all, can I just point out how funny it is that Zayn Malik kind of started a Twitter feud by retweeted an account called “Bitch Problems?”

Second of all, how funny is it that he/problematic fave Miley Cyrus are absolutely right? What does that say about Calvin’s argument? What does that say about his reserve against embarrassing himself on the internet via fight on Twitter?

As Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor, Ryan Schocket has made some good points. Calvin Harris — and, subsequently, Taylor Swift — isn’t a terrible human being for wanting to stand up for independent musicians, songwriters and the talented underdogs of the music industry, some of whom we cover in our desk.

We’ve both talked to independent musicians, we’ve both met independent musicians. Hell, Ryan wrote about superstar indie goddess and my personal fave, Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth. Of course independent musicians deserve credit, recognition and, absolutely, payment for their work. Frankly, it’s a shame that creative work in general is so monetarily undervalued.

As Ryan gracefully pointed this out in his post, I’m underpaid for the work that I do. So is he. So is everyone else at the Daily Tar Heel. I’m writing this blog at 1:15 a.m. — why? Because I love this job, and also because I sometimes have problems with time management.

Even though I’m underpaid in my job doesn’t mean that I’d stop working — I would do this job for free. I’m incredibly glad that I don’t have to, and so is my roommate because we have to pay our bills somehow, but I’d keep working this hard to continue doing cool things where I get to be creative and interview people who inspire me.

It’s almost just the same for independent musicians, yeah? It’s almost like you do the things you’re passionate about, even if you won’t earn $39,699,575.60 in 2013 from touring, album sales, royalties, and streaming fees in the U.S. alone? (Hey, TSwift) It's almost like the music itself is more important than anything else. 

It's okay, though. I understand how Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift wouldn't understand that. I've heard their "music." It's like eating candy -- sure, I like it. It was produced in a factory for that express purpose. Of course it'll make money.

Listen, it’s really cool of Calvin Harris to sit on his golden cloud of moderate success in his J. Crew outfit with White Pop Princess Taylor Swift by his side and speak about the independent musicians like himself who are so, so hurt by lack of royalties on music streaming services. I’m sure he’s really hurting financially after constant international Top 40 radio play.

Also, I was just about to write that it’s incredible that he’s still on Spotify after dragging it, but then I remembered that he might not have removed his songs — I just didn’t care enough to ever look for them. I know I can’t say that about One Direction, that’s for sure.

And, when you’re arguing against music legends like Dave Grohl, who’s famous for loving music above all else, you’re probably on the wrong side of the argument.

Honestly, Calvin Harris just came off in this feud as one of those people in high school who overhear your conversation and then talk shit with their friends, like, five feet away from you. They know you can hear them, and they kind of want you to hear, but when you call them out on it, they say, “all good, it was the quote not you personally mate;” “best of luck, genuinely. You've got a great voice.”

Okay, Calvin, this was just one big subtweet and I hate it. Automatic disqualification for either being terrible at Twitter or for just not having the guts to tag someone in your tweet. Double disqualification for making Louis choose him over Zayn.

I guess if you hang out with Taylor Swift long enough, though, you’ll end up following in her footsteps. It’s just so unlike him to pit men against each other... 

medium@dailytarheel.com

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.



Comments

Special Print Edition
The Daily Tar Heel's Collaborative Mental Health Edition