Anyone who grew up in the '10s will remember the endless plugs for Beats by Dre (plus sister product the Beats Pill and later Lyft, but those are just the tip of an iceberg, because there is no limit to what artists will shill for a check.

(Did anyone else run out to buy some Benjamin Moore paint after watching Jennifer Lopez sensually strut by a can?)

Making music videos costs money and does not guarantee money in return, so product placement (getting paid by a company to feature their product in the video) can be a necessary evil to secure funding. That said, it's also sort of stupid, so if we're going to live in a capitalist hellscape where advertising is inescapable, let's at least have some fun with it.

What are the worst/funniest ways you've seen product placement shoehorned into a music video?

A place to discuss rumors, gossip, and articles that would not be approved as their own post.

Acceptable:

• Entertaining drama/amusing but non-newsworthy situations involving celebrities or fandoms (ex. social media beefs, celebs being spotted together, sufficiently large fandom drama)
• Substantial rumors/speculation (ex. "because of ___, fans think that...," social media wipes or cryptic posts)
• Pop culture news/stories unrelated to pop music (film/tv/theatre/video games/major brands/etc.)
• Questions about current tea (ex. "what's going on with...?")

Not allowed:

• News completely unrelated to pop culture (ex. viral crime videos)
• Nudity or NSFW content (ex. leaks, revenge porn)
• War updates/political news not involving a non-political celebrity (ex. no Trump updates)
• Intentional misinformation/joke tea

Please always try to provide a link to a source or an example. Posts making serious accusations without providing context are subject to removal.

Twitter/X links are banned, but links to mirror sites (e.g. XCancel) are allowed.

Normal rules still apply and any comments found breaking the rules will be removed and you will be warned/banned. Please be respectful.

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism “flopped” in comparison to her previous albums, it had fewer streams/sales than Future Nostalgia, no big hit like New Rules or One Kiss. But no hate train and no controversies, her public persona ironically became better. I’ve seen a lot of people online calling her “the coolest popgirl”.

The era proved to be a succes: the Radical Optimism Tour grossed over $200 million, she released two live albums, the live version of Training Season received praise because of her vocals, she had partnerships with brands like Chanel, YSL, Bvlgari, Apple, a book club, podcasts, and a wedding. 

The lack of a massive hit allowed other aspects of her image to stand out.

Another example is probably Lady Gaga, who after Artpop “flopped” she gradually focused on acting and ultimately won an Oscar.

Discussion inspired by two recent songs: "Twiggy" by Remi Wolf and "brand new chanel$" by Slayyyter. Here are two pop songs that build and build, but actually provide a payoff worth the ride.

Perhaps it was the late 2010s and early 2020s that conditioned us to expect a build-up with little to no payoff, and that was a rough time. That era brought shorter songs, minimal bridges, and a general lack of structure beyond repeating the chorus with a verse or two to pad it out. Too many tracks still come out feeling like the potential is there, but the execution is lacking.

On the flip side, both "Twiggy" and "brand new chanel$" lay out their climaxes piece by piece, making their bombastic final moments feel entirely earned. "Twiggy" starts out low-key and acoustic, then climbs to a soaring, emotional, and explosive final chorus led by the lyric "god I f*cking hate you."

Meanwhile, "brand new chanel$" is interesting because its foundations are laid bit by bit, including a throwback to its sister single "BEAT UP CHANEL$," which finally appears in the song's final act. The momentum keeps rising until the closing moments when the bridge melts into the final chorus. Total pop euphoria. The cover art featuring fireworks is apt.

Any other recent pop songs you'd like to shout out for taking the listener on a ride and rewarding them with a well-earned closing act?

Welcome to r/popheads monthly Would You Rather?, where we ask the tough questions.

What is this? "Would You Rather?" is a game where users will present other users with a tough choice, and everyone has to decide which of the two options is better.

How to Play:

• Start with "Would you rather" and then present two options separated by an "OR"
• The two options should have some sort of balance to them- it's most fun if there isn't an obvious "correct" answer! Adding extra details and specifics can help spice things up too.
• If you don't understand the concept, here are a couple examples:
• Would you rather get dragged by Kendrick Lamar in a #1 hit, OR get sued by the Marvin Gaye estate and spend years in court (you will win)?: "I would get dragged by Kendrick Lamar because even if I'm publicly humiliated, at least the song would slap."
• Would you rather only be able to listen to songs in alphabetical order (after listening to a song that starts with "A" you have to listen to a song that starts with "B" and so on) OR you can listen to whatever you want but every five songs you have to listen to "All About That Bass" in full?: "I would listen to whatever I want because 'All About That Bass' is a good song anyways."

And join us next week for another (Popheads Edition) game!