The imperial phase is the period in which a musician is regarded to be at their commercial and creative peak.[1][2]
Origins
editThe phrase was coined by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys to describe their feelings on their career circa "Domino Dancing" (1988).[3] It has since been applied by pop music critics and fans.[4] For example, the Uncut journalist Michael Bonner identified 1973–1979 as Pink Floyd's imperial phase.[5] While its original usage implied that an imperial phase was a one-time occurrence for a single artist, artists have been referred to as having multiple imperial phases.[1][6] The term may also be applied to non-musical entities, such as film studios.[7]
Criteria
editThe Pitchfork critic Tom Ewing described three criteria for defining an artist's imperial phase: "command, permission, and self-definition". He defined "command" as the ability to push the boundaries of their medium in a way that produces lasting change; "permission" is the public's goodwill toward and interest in the artist's work; "self-definition" is the concept that the imperial phase defines the rest of the artist's career, and that future works will be compared to those from the imperial phase.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 Ewing, Tom (May 28, 2010). "Imperial". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ↑ "Ariana Grande rediscovers her Midas Touch with new album". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ↑ "Pet Shop Boys Please & Actually & Introspective: reissues". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ↑ Molanphy, Chris (1 December 2014). "Why Is Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" No. 1?". Slate. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ↑ Bonner, Michael (6 March 2017). "An interview with David Gilmour". Uncut. Kelsey Media. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
Aubrey Powell is reflecting on Pink Floyd's imperial phase: the enormous successes of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.
- ↑ Macpherson, Alex (10 January 2019). "Ariana Grande's Imperial Phase As A Pop Star Began In Earnest With 'Thank U, Next'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ↑ Breihan, Tom (8 February 2019). "With Guardians Of The Galaxy, Marvel made household names out of interstellar second-stringers". A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
External links
edit- Griffiths, George (15 June 2017). "Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and the End of the Imperial Phase". TMRW Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
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