Let’s be fair, when it comes to music, someone like Bono could be considered to have a pretty relevant opinion, right? After all, he’s been the frontman of one of the highest-selling, and most successful bands in history. However, according to a new interview, it seems that he believes music has become too “girly” these days.
U2 have had a pretty big year in 2017, having been touring the world in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their The Joshua Tree album, and releasing their 14th studio album, Songs Of Experience. Now, finding time to sit down for an interview with Rolling Stone, Bono has had the chance to explain just what he thinks about the current state of music.
During the course of the interview, Bono revealed the sort of music his kids listen to, explaining how many of them have rather different tastes. “Jordan is a music snob, an indie snob. Eve is hip-hop,” he revealed. “Elijah is in a band, and he has got very strong feelings about music, but he doesn’t make any distinction between, let’s say, The Who and the Killers. Or, you know, Nirvana and Royal Blood. It is not generational for him. It is the sound and what he is experiencing. He believes that a rock & roll revolution is around the corner.”
When asked whether or not he does indeed believe that that the next rock and roll revolution is incoming, Bono replied, “I think music has gotten very girly.”
“There are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment – and that’s not good,” he explained. “When I was 16, I had a lot of anger in me. You need to find a place for it and for guitars, whether it is with a drum machine – I don’t care.
“The moment something becomes preserved, it is fucking over,” he continued. “You might as well put it in formaldehyde. In the end, what is rock & roll? Rage is at the heart of it. Some great rock & roll tends to have that, which is why The Who were such a great band. Or Pearl Jam. Eddie has that rage.”
Of course, with a controversial statement that implies women are lacking the rage that music needs, the Internet has been rather quick to respond.
Hey remember when U2 forced us to download their album and everyone flipped out?
— Conway Tweety (@LaurenInk) December 27, 2017
It’s cute cause Bono doesn’t realize he stopped being relevant last millennium | Bono thinks music got ‘very girly’ and it’s been great knowing you dude https://t.co/NNs3jhXag4 via @Mashable
— linuxlibrarian (@linuxlibrarian) December 27, 2017
Music Has Become a Little Too ‘Girly’ for Bono’s Taste https://t.co/3Xz9eTmvkU pic.twitter.com/niWQsHqWpg
— MaryElizabeth Williams (@embeedub) December 27, 2017
While there’s no word yet on when U2 are planning to tour Australia next, Bono’s belief that music is lacking female rage seems to indicate that we won’t be seeing any bands such as Camp Cope, Wet Lips, or The Preatures in the support slot. Here’s hoping that Bono opens his mind somewhere down the line.