New York Times music writer Jon Caramanica wrote about former Nickelodeon TV star Ariana Grande’s second album last Sunday with the simply inaccurate headline “Staying Safe, Exploring Sassy.” It’s a misleading headline, because Grande is beginning to walk the path to what might be called “the full Xxxtina,” when Christina Aguilera felt the need to “grow up” and sing very overt sexual songs.
Caramanica just grew silly by arguing Grande’s first album last year was some sort of throwback to Fifties “Puritanism,” as if she was singing Annette Funicello songs about pineapple princesses (okay, that was early Sixties):
Jon Caramanica
By Tim Graham | August 30, 2014 | 7:43 AM EDT
NY Times Critic Happy Country Music Finally Shedding Its Conservatism, Showing 'Intellectual...Range'
By Clay Waters | April 10, 2013 | 2:30 PM EDT Music critic Jon Caramanica reviewed country star Brad Paisley's latest album "Wheelhouse," in "Taking Country Less Conservative" for the Arts section of Wednesday's New York Times. Caramanica gave Paisley backhanded compliments for "openmindedness" while insulting the genre of country music as rigidly conservative (Caramanica has previously given backhanded praised to country music itself, for not being as homophobic as some people think).
These are country music’s postmilitarization years. A decade ago, there were songs about strong soldiers and a just war, weeping soldiers and unimpeachable ideology -- the genre latched onto the political moment and held fast like a remora.