Sorry we’ve delayed this week – our schedule has been at the mercy of travel commitments and a bad cold but we have this week's episode ready for your weekend. And if you happen to be reading Jessica Simpson’s Open Book this weekend, even better, let this be your companion.
Duana is obsessed with Open Book. All her current references and quotes come from Jessica Simpson. This book, no doubt, is the best work of Jessica’s career – and it took a lot of people by surprise; it took her reputation by surprise. But it’s not like there haven’t been celebrities who’ve written memoirs so why is it that this one, by Jessica Simpson, is the class of them all. How did Jessica Simpson set the new standard for celebrity memoirs?
We discuss Jessica’s achievement and what went into it to make it the success that is and a lot of it has to do with the ultimate work nirvana: Jessica Simpson has no f-cks to give and when she let go of all those f-cks, she seized the power.
Speaking of power, the biggest band in the world right now is BTS. Their video “ON” just had the biggest premiere in YouTube history yesterday and it’s not like there weren’t other artists making headlines. Several of their songs are ranking on iTunes in the top positions, they’re about to secure their fourth #1 album in a row on the Billboard charts, and as usual they are dominating social media activity.
You could say, then, that BTS has all the power. Do they? There is actually something that BTS wants and they’ve so far been denied – and they’ve been pretty obvious about claiming this goal: Bangtan wants a Grammy, or Grammys. They namecheck the Grammys all the time in interviews, and have been during this press run for Map of the Soul: 7. In their own viral messages, the Grammys come up a lot. They did an interview with the Recording Academy last week. And remember, they have the fanbase and the spotlight that the Grammys want. It’s not like BTS is some kind of poor cousin that the Grammys can afford to shut the door on. The Grammys probably need BTS more than BTS needs the Grammys.
So …should BTS be aiming for Grammys? And what’s the strategy for getting there? Also, what are the possible consequences? Can you believe Duana actually spent 45 minutes studying BTS with me?!
Thanks for listening! Please let us know your thoughts on this work and your work and all the work. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts – we’re back on the regular schedule next week!
