Happy New Year! Let’s dive into the world of music history, where today’s date has seen some intriguing moments worth noting. Amongst these, we find the pint-sized dynamo known as Poppy, who has transitioned from a viral quirk to a Grammy-nominated metal artist.
January 1 marks the birthdays of some significant figures in music. In 1923, jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson entered the world. A founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, Jackson made waves with his composition ‘Bags’ Groove.’ Jumping ahead to 1958, we celebrate the birth of Grandmaster Flash, the hip-hop pioneer whose DJing and production shaped the genre, introducing techniques like scratching and back-spinning. Meanwhile, Morgan Fisher, born in 1950, is celebrated for his keyboard prowess with Mott the Hoople and his adventurous solo projects.
Spotlighting Poppy, a phenomenon who took her first steps into the limelight with oddly surreal YouTube videos. ‘Hi, I’m Poppy. Hi, I’m Poppy. Hi, I’m Poppy,’ she declares in a consistently enigmatic style. Fans of Grimes and Dorian Electra might find solace in her hyper-pop industrial metal beats that tackle themes of technology obsession, often described as a journey into the uncanny valley. Genres like existential synthwave and avant-garde AI-core paint her musical landscape.
Born Moriah Rose Pereira in 1995, Poppy initially captured attention with her eerie yet childlike YouTube presence. Her 2017 debut album, Poppy.Computer, introduced a quirky pop persona, but it wasn’t until her ventures into metal with ‘Am I a Girl?’ and more prominently, ‘I Disagree,’ that audiences met a more unmasked Poppy. ‘I stand by my belief that everyone is wearing a mask in entertainment,’ Poppy once revealed, highlighting her awareness of the performative aspects of artistry.
Poppy’s music mixes sweet, robotic vocals with heavy distortion, a combination that has earned her Grammy nods and captivated live audiences. Her projects challenge the boundaries of art and music, with a unique commentary on digital culture. ‘Poppy Eats Cotton Candy’ was her first viral success, and her work continues to invite listeners into its strange yet enticing realm.
Her album ‘I Disagree’ is a vibrant embrace of industrial metal, still retaining her pop roots. Tracks like ‘BLOODMONEY’ not only deliver sharp guitar riffs but make biting statements on capitalism, signaling Poppy’s evolution as an artist finding her ground.
If there’s one song that encapsulates Poppy’s blend of chaos and melody, it’s ‘Concrete.’ The song mixes jarring industrial elements with catchy pop hooks. Listening, you might just find yourself joyfully humming along to the chorus as you move through your day.
On this day in music history, 1953 saw the untimely death of Hank Williams at 29, leaving a profound imprint on country music. In 1959, Johnny Cash performed at San Quentin Prison, a pivotal moment that inspired a young Merle Haggard. Meanwhile, The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, and The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on ‘Top of the Pops’ in 1964. The day also includes a reminder of the Beatles’ audition with Decca Records in 1962, which (surprisingly) fell flat, a story that resonates in music lore to this day.
January 1 has indeed been a date of diverse musical happenings, from groundbreaking auditions to the rise of new music genres. It’s a reminder of music’s constant evolution and the vibrant characters who continue to shape its history.
