Over the last few days, Jake Bugg’s been poking a hornet’s nest in the shape of the One Direction fans.
From questioning whether they’re even a band to saying that they “Don’t really have a clue” musically, Bugg’s criticism of the X Factor band has really kicked up a gear of late.
While some fans of the boy band have simply called this sour grapes or just mean sniping, Bugg's speaking a whole lot of sense with what he's saying. While he may only be starting in the music world himself, Bugg really does have quite a few genuine points.
He’s not calling them bad people, he’s not calling anyone who buys their records idiots, he’s simply saying that he’s not a fan of the band. He’s not even said that they’re music is that terrible, simply that some comments that are being made about the group are ridiculous.
Bugg’s right to do so as well, as comparing One Direction to The Beatles is beyond lunacy. The Beatles were a ground breaking band who would go on to define most of the music of the next few decades and become cultural icons for generations following them. We struggle to believe that One Direction will have anything like the same impact.
Also, Bugg’s questioning of their classification as a band isn’t too out there. They don’t play instruments or write their own songs, so by the old conventions, they’re not a traditional band at all. This isn’t just a One Direction criticism though, as all boy-bands fall into this weird grey area where they actually have more in common with barbershop quartets than they do with a full blown rock and roll band.
That the group doesn’t write their own songs is another crucial factor brought up by Bugg. Speaking to Radio 1, he said that “It’s very hard to listen to music that’s not coming from the heart and soul”. From his position of being an aspiring singer and songwriter, it’s a statement that makes complete sense. Of course it’s going to be difficult for a man pouring it all out on to the page listen to others singing tracks they have little connection to.
Bugg’s influences are clearly not the same as One Direction’s. He’s influenced by Johnny Marr, Oasis and The Stone Roses. One Direction’s musical influences come from, well, we’re not really too sure as the five guys aren’t actually all that connected to their songs.
They might have garnered a massive amount of fans and have shown that they’re able to hold a tune good enough to keep them interested at least, but Bugg’s right. One Direction aren’t about artistic integrity or expressing their honest emotions or desires though their songs. They’re about selling albums and making teenagers happy. That’s why they’ve had two albums release in a year.
We just hope that Harry, Naill, Zayn, Liam and Louis know this too.
Tagged in One Direction Harry Styles Jake Bugg