The myth of the ‘critically acclaimed’ artist debunked
Why do unknown bands keep releasing 'critically acclaimed' albums?
Music journalism isn’t drowning in AI-generated hits, streaming algorithms, or viral TikTok dances. It’s being slowly smothered by that wearisome and hollow word: “acclaimed” (or worse “critically acclaimed“). You’ve seen it. You’ve rolled your eyes at it. You’ve scoured your inbox and pressed delete a hundred times, yet it’s still creeping around.
Day after day, press releases trumpet the “acclaimed debut” or the “critically acclaimed / lauded third album” of acts that sound like they emerged from a random name generator. Their “legendary status” arrives prepackaged – never tested, never earned. Want proof? Try to track down these lauded reviews. You’ll often end up on a barren Tumblr from 2011 or a Bandcamp bio littered with self-congratulatory adjectives.
Some classics: “Following the success of their acclaimed 2022 EP, ‘XXXXX’, post-industrial dream-grind trio XXXXX returns with their most personal work yet.” “Success”? “Acclaimed”? From where – someone’s cousin’s WordPress page?
Then there’s the ubiquitous: “Already celebrated in underground circles from Vilnius to Vancouver…” So underground that nobody outside their small group chat knows they exist.
Or my personal favorite: “Out Now: Acclaimed Noise-Folk Duo XXXXX Drops Haunting New Anthem.” You open it to discover two guys in a garage with a Zoom recorder and a combined follower count of 27 (including the cat).
When you ask the PR flack who actually provided this “acclaim”, they vanish into the ether. You’re left with a lonely SoundCloud link and a suspicious list of “influences,” from “early The Cure” to “late capitalism”, plus some scribbled note about “vibes”.
Keep archiving ‘acclaimed’, ‘critically acclaimed’, …
Why say “we put out a new album” when you can fling “acclaimed” around like confetti and hope it lands on Wikipedia? It’s become decoration, a shapeless stand-in for actual praise, much like the word “artisanal” on a greasy pizza box.
This has always been the game. The same press kits that link every unremarkable synth duo to Depeche Mode now automatically tack “acclaimed” onto anything that records past the bedroom. Watch out for variations like “genre-defying” because that is equally hollow.
Next time you spot “hailed by fans and critics alike”, remember this: “Fans” = the band’s roommates. “Critics” = the unpaid intern who wrote a one-liner on a forum post.
Until then, keep archiving “Acclaimed” as it has become background noise that only the most gullible or sleep-deprived might mistake for reality. And, to be honest, it deserves nothing more than a swift trip to the spam folder.
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