The Undefeatable Britney Jean Spears
A 17-year old girl who’s an ex-Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer is dressed up in a 13-year old’s schoolgirl uniform and cast in an instantaneously iconic music video. This same teen then releases three albums that would go on to sell 70 million copies, go on three world tours and have acting roles in three globally-released films by the time she was 21. If I then told you by the time this teen was 25 that this one-time child superstar of superstars would be shaving her head, living as a divorced single parent and “going crazy,” it could almost be expected. However, as she nears 35, and after nearly two decades of recording music, Britney Spears has evolved past being a girl, is now completely comfortable as a woman, and is impressively on her way to being a superstar yet again.
For as much as we at Decades love to talk about how cool the ‘90s are, it’s this 2000s era pop priestess who likely deserves as much love as we give the ‘90s. To showcase just how cool Britney is, there’s a very real arc between Britney Spears and Elvis Presley that isn’t just tied to performing in Vegas. This linkage showcases just how massive of a star she is. Similar to Spears, Elvis did the following:
- released three iconic albums and had roles in three films before his 21st birthday
- had four consecutive #1 albums
- after eight consecutive years of releases had a stress and pressure-induced recording hiatus
- has an undeniable mystique attached to his career that is tied to a generation of kids and teenagers loving his visuals as much as they loved his music
2016 finds Britney Spears releasing her ninth studio album Glory while also in the midst of her third year of her Las Vegas performance residency at Caesar’s Palace. What’s interesting is that for an artist that so many have believed to be in “decline,” let the record show that Spears has released four albums since 2007, done two limited tours, released perfumes via Elizabeth Arden, been active as a charity contributor and also is raising two children aged 10 and 12, respectively. Though her last Billboard #1 single was 2011’s “Hold It Against Me” and she’s removed from an era of having four consecutive number one albums, the idea that Spears ever “fell off” could be argued to be completely wrong. If anything, Britney’s the 21st century’s ultimate pop music survivor.
Since Britney’s Vegas performances haven’t been publicly aired, her magnificent Elvis ‘68 Comeback Special-similar performance was recently alongside G-Eazy at MTV’s 2016 Video Music Awards. These are the same VMAs where in 2007, her performance of “Gimme More” signaled to the world that her life was in possibly falling apart in front of our eyes. Regarding her performance of “Make Me,” Billboard noted that it was a “subdued victory for Spears” that “checks off another box on her way to a revived career — not just as a pop superstar who once was, but as a pop superstar who still is.”
In 2011, Entertainment Weekly summed up Britney Spears’ career as “an American institution, as deeply sacred and messed up as pro wrestling or the filibuster.” As well, when artists like Nicki Minaj say that Spears’ success drives them because “once you keep at whatever it is you’re doing, people may not like you, people may not love you, but they will have to respect you at the end of the day. And that respect is all that matters,” the need to see Britney Spears excel is not just an expectation, but a necessity.
At Decades, we’re proud of Britney’s ability to endure and excel. We’ll be playing tons of her music in celebration.
On Burning Man 2016 And The Evolution Of Festival Culture
Thirty years ago, Burning Man was a festival associated with “radical self-expression” that took place in the shadow of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and ended with the ritualistic symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy-as-man. In 2016, Burning Man is a destination on Instagram near Reno, Nevada where from August 28-September 5, the likes of Paris Hilton and 70,000 of her friends partied on-board a jet-plane as art installation, Jack U played Billboard pop hits, and yes, they still burned a wooden man. Somewhere in the middle of this insanity there’s a lesson about what happens when underground things become mainstream fads because everyone loves a good, cool party that it seems like nobody else is attending.
Burning Man has existed for 30 years, but it was ultimately the festival’s close alignment with mid-2000s leading indie-to-pop cultural staples of electronic music and festivals as communal experiences that arguably put it over-the-top. Over the past weekend, Burning Man’s attendance reached a 40% surge in the past five years. That’s roughly 70,000% growth in the festival’s 30-year history, so it’s probably as good of a time as any to sit down and consider how movements develop and when it’s time to start doing something new.
Getting angry about Burning Man “not being for the scene” anymore is arguably fruitless. From disco to old-school rap, scenes evolve over time, as people, places and economics “conspire” to open culture up to society-at-large. These evolutions welcome in people who bring their unique human backgrounds into what are ideally supposed to be “shared cultural spaces.” Whenever “sharing” occurs, there’s a balance that must be achieved. Of course, when that balance is between wealth and “free-thinking,” the idea that wealth allows for free-thinking to include so much of what we saw at Burning Man 2016, stories like that of a “fancy camp” founded by the son of a Russian billionaire being ransacked make sense.
There’s been recent discussion of moving the Burning Man Festival out of the Nevada desert because of festival taxes being levied by the state of Nevada. If Burning Man were still all about free-thinking hippies on a beach, that’d be a problem. However, confusing what Burning Man originally was with what it is right now is like comparing a McDonald’s Big Mac to a steak dinner at The Palm. In Burning Man 2016 being far more of the latter and less of the former, the idea of taxing the wealth-positive festival makes sense.
Here’s an intriguing solution. Maybe it’s time for the OG burners to head, as VICE suggested in 2015, to Utah. In June 2016, Burning Man’s organizers purchased the 3,800 square foot Fly Ranch in Washoe County, Nevada in order to build year-round Burning Man-style infrastructure. While for some this may seem like an ideal solution for those looking to get away from the growing crowd in Black Rock City, heading to Utah instead could be a winning plan.
In the 2015 Vice piece, Burning Man’s CEO Marian Goodell notes that the Nevada taxes has made the festival’s organizers “ look longingly towards Utah or any other state that might not have levied that.” However, when Goodell also notes, “[w]e have watched the change in the type of people that come to Burning Man, and we’re not gonna get in front of certain things and force issues. We are gonna nurture the process so we all get the best results. Burning Man is an experiment in temporary community, and we’re the stewards of that process,” is it also a nod to potentially taking things elsewhere? When she continues to note that at 2015’s festival may be the most important sign that times have changed and that the festival’s culture may need to evolve:
“I was one of the people who was awakened at 3 in the morning by the sound of thumping music. My trailer was vibrating! Several of us came out, shocked, and couldn’t understand, even though I’ve been doing this for 19 years. We got in the cart and went out and it was an tart car facing its speakers towards the camp. It was past the man and it woke me!”
Again, in 2016, Burning Man was a destination on Instagram near Reno, Nevada where from August 28-September 5, the likes of Paris Hilton and 70,000 of her friends partied on-board a jet-plane as art installation, and ultimately, given how change occurs and things evolve, that’s okay. In looking to discover how to preserve a Burning Man that’s more about good music, good vibes and hanging out on a beach as a wooden man burns, maybe it’s time to think about Utah, and that’s okay, too.
How Lil Wayne Changed The Music Industry Forever
With three tweets on September 3, Lil Wayne announced what may be his retirement from recording music. In believing his announcement to be based in truth, it’s time to acknowledge why he’s easily one of popular music’s most game-changing artists and likely to get a ton of spins at Decades. In taking rap music from being driven by the radio, pop charts and concerts to being pushed by the internet and the club, he opened the door for the future of music and changed the industry forever.
There’s video footage of Lil Wayne getting turnt in New York City nightclubs at the age of 13. Southern rap broke all of the industry’s established rules, but in Lil Wayne being signed to Cash Money at 13 and earning millions of dollars as a rapper by 16 by being featured on Juvenile’s “Back Dat Azz Up,” B.G.’s “Bling Bling” and releasing his own single “Tha Block Is Hot,” Lil Wayne arguably broke them best. Weezy was already well along his way to iconic status long before he could vote, drink or drive. However, let’s be clear that part of what makes Wayne a superstar is that it’s highly likely he was already doing two of the three activities listed long before his 18th birthday.
By the time Wayne was 21, he was four albums and 11 released singles into his solo career and releasing the Mannie Fresh-produced single “Go D.J.,” which was his second top 10 rap release. Between 2005-2008, Wayne’s output continued to be significant to the point where amazingly enough, he had sold nearly 10 million singles without ever having any of them crack Billboard’s Top 10.
Between the release of his albums The Carter II and The Carter III, Wayne released seven internet-only mixtapes. The thus appropriately nicknamed “Mixtape Weezy” released some 150 tracks on non-mainstream album material in three years, songs that became classics to a new generation of music consumers who were more likely to download music on the internet for free than to purchase an album in a retail store. Amazingly enough, Wayne’s biggest selling album was 2008’s The Carter III, the one that came after his mixtape-driven hiatus, but as a testament to his internet-driven fame, it’s only sold just under four million copies since its release.
Prior to Lil Wayne’s success, one could look to a rap artist’s own albums and find all of their most iconic moments. However, Wayne’s mold-breaking extends to here as well, as he’s unquestionably the king of the “guest appearance on another rapper or DJ’s club hit or remix.”
From 1999’s already discussed “Back Dat Azz Up” and “Bling Bling” to DJ Khaled’s “I’m So Hood,” “I’m On One,” and “We Takin’ Over,” Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now,” will i. am and Britney Spears’ “Scream And Shout,” Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain” and Jay Sean’s “Down,” Lil Wayne has always appeared to be an artist who had multiple hit songs everywhere at the same time. As well, it always appeared as if these singles were all aimed at being as supremely turnt up in the club as humanly possible. In fact, if you head out to Decades soon, we’re quite certain that in the club’s hip-hop friendly room that you’ll be hearing all of these aforementioned hits, possibly sometimes one after the other.
In looking at the future of where rap is headed, it’s possible that the success of artists like Wayne’s protege Drake and Chicago-based star Chance the Rapper is directly related to what Lil Wayne accomplished. Drake’s 2015-released collaborative album with Future was originally released as an internet-only mixtape, and is filled to the brim with club-ready heaters. Also, Chance the Rapper does not have a mainstream record deal, and the idea that he’s ONLY wanting to put out free internet mixtapes has made Grammy change it’s tune about nominating and awarding music that’s been released for free.
Whether or not Wayne returns is anyone’s best guess. However, his legacy is absolute and certainly worthy of celebration.
On that note, Decades is opening soon.
Kanye West Is Running For President In 2020. Here’s How He Wins.
In August 2015, Kanye West took to the stage at MTV’s Video Music Awards and announced that he was running for President of the United States in 2020. As if wanting to make absolutely sure that we all knew that he wasn’t backing out of his prior announcement, he returned to MTV’s VMA stage on August 28, 2016, and in a manner most “presidential” outlined an anti-urban violence stance as well favorably compared himself to the likes of President Harry S. Truman, automaker Henry Ford, iconic entrepreneur Howard Hughes, entertainment titan Walt Disney, and pioneering Apple tech visionary Steve Jobs. In considering how and why he could win in 2020, that’s where things begin to get interesting.
Yes, the Republican nominee for President stated that, if elected, he would force Mexico to build a wall to contain its potential immigrants. However, Kanye West once said that George W. Bush didn’t like black people. We’re in a political environment where sound bites oftentimes carry more weight than full speeches. In this being the case, Donald Trump’s grassroots appeal being based on enraging/engaging snippets of thoughts could be mirrored by a potential West campaign.
2016’s Presidential campaign has involved Donald Trump making numerous statements about Hillary Clinton’s desire to stay with Bill Clinton after the infamous Monica Lewinsky scandal. By comparison to Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian being filmed in a globally-distributed sex tape with one-time pop-star Ray J, the Clinton’s failings pale in comparison. While yes, setting up a slippery slope of sex and drama isn’t exactly what we should want to achieve in a presidential election cycle, if Kanye runs in 2020 — especially as a Democrat in the primaries against Hillary — it’s bound to occur.
The easiest way for Kanye West to avoid many of the potential public relations pitfalls of a Yeezus for President campaign will exist in his ability to use his pop-star swagger to overcome public angst. Ever since we elected movie star Ronald Reagan as president in 1980 and Bill Clinton became a late-night and MTV celebrity in 1992, there’s a certain level of superstar cool associated with the American presidency that’s maybe more important than public policy stances. In many ways, arguable public policy know-nothing Donald Trump’s successful obtaining of the Republican nomination can almost entirely be directly related to the 35 years that he’s spent as an global media icon alone. However, we’ve never seen arguably one of the top five most entertaining hip-hop artists of all time running for president. The idea that a superstar is vying for a superstar’s job could literally be more than enough to put him over-the-top.
And let’s also seriously break down the idea that Kanye could release his entire platform as a mixtape, and that mixtape would be FIRE. In a realm of things that could legitimately occur in the world, imagine Kanye’s Watch The White House mixtape being hosted by Barack Obama. Tracks could feature everyone from Beyonce and Rihanna to Jay Z and Nas, Chance the Rapper and Jaden Smith, Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose, Jack U and Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, and the Foo Fighters and Guns N Roses. U2 once released an album on iTunes that magically appeared in everyone’s collections free-of-charge. Zero campaign laws would be violated if private company Apple Music publicly supported Kanye’s presidential aspirations with a similar move. Between blog traffic, think-pieces, potential Billboard chart-topping hits, videos and live performances, that’s an unprecedented media assault that could disrupt traditional campaigning forever.
Debates would be LIT AF, too. When not potentially nervous and speaking without a script onstage at the Video Music Awards, Kanye West is the son of a college professor and well-acquainted with doing compelling oration in front of thousands-to-millions of people. If Kanye’s coached for debates in a manner similar to any other presidential nominee, it’s easy to imagine that he’d actually not just make points, but be really entertaining at doing so, too.
Kanye’s running in 2020. Intriguingly enough, he could easily win.
The 90s Boom Could Last Forever
Don’t think for a second that millions of viral Youtube video clips of people dancing a version of the Running Man dance to R & B hits, pop acts like Duran Duran and 98 Degrees reuniting and playing 20 tour dates in August 2016 alone, MTV program Daria resurfacing, Pokemon being the world’s most popular video game and Mariah Carey seductively posing on the cover of mainstream magazines are five unrelated events from the past three months. In fact, they’re connected by the fact that they prove that the 1990s and retro culture in general are incredibly popular right now. In presenting facts, figures and thinking about what the future may hold, we’ll get a sense of why love for the 1990s could possibly not be just a trend, but rather, the start of a phenomenon that lasts forever.
Recently, Viacom has swapped brands and concepts on it’s “classic” music channel. VH1 Classic is now MTV Classic, and is not just focusing on throwback content in general from the Viacom family of music networks. Instead, the new MTV Classic is specifically ‘90s focused, with MTV President Sean Atkins noting that “MTV’s [‘90s] programming vault is a music and pop culture goldmine with universal resonance.”
‘90s music reaching “goldmine” status should be obvious by now, but to break the trend down by simple numbers, overall music sales in the 1990s rose roughly 75%, while in the years since 2000, overall sales have dipped 64%. If you’re NOT looking for numbers as proof, ask yourself just how quickly you specifically downloaded and paid $20 for the Tidal app *just* to hear Prince’s feel-good hits from the 1990s after he unexpectedly passed away.
Nostalgic feelings for the 1990s are not just limited to music. In 1996, the top five comedies on free television were watched in 54 million homes. Comparatively, in 2014, there were only three comedies in the top 30 TV programs on free television, and these programs were viewed by 27 million households. Clearly, while there’s certainly more broadcasting options than ever before, the ratings also show that people could easily want to watch ‘90s TV shows again. Need proof? 1996’s top-ranked comedy was Seinfeld, and famously, the streaming broadcast rights for the show were sold to Hulu last year for $160 million. That’s a lot of puffy shirts.
Discussing music again, there’s also the idea to consider that for every modern day Drake and Kanye that become superstars, that we’re not comparatively creating the seemingly never-ending list of ‘90s rap stars that include Biggie, Tupac, LL Cool J, Puff Daddy, Busta Rhymes, Dre and Snoop, Meth and Red, and so many more.
Here’s a quick number to drive home that point. There’s a group of 11 artists who had #1 singles for 42% of the 1990s. By comparison, there’s 11 artists who have had #1 singles in the 2010s, but for 71% — or nearly twice as long. This definitely allows for fewer options to break through as superstars.
In 20 years, imagine say, Desiigner, going on a sold out tour like the 1990s-beloved 98 Degrees, “I Love The ‘90s” Tour participants Salt-N-Pepa, Kid ‘N Play, Vanilla Ice and Coolio, “90sFest” Tour headliners Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Spin Doctors, or say, current Billboard pop chart toppers Blink-182. It’s safe to say that a nostalgia tour where “Panda” and “Timmy Turner” are played on repeat probably will not happen.
What happens when fewer records sell, modern entertainment isn’t so entertaining, there are fewer current superstars and people want fun experiences more than ever before? People literally start doing the Running Man again. Exactly.
The ‘90s boom is not a joke. Instead, it’s a sign of things to come, and things that also may last forever. Now, imagine if there were a club, let’s say in Washington, DC, where people could hear their favorite ‘90s tunes played all night long.
Decades is coming soon.
Scream Sunday: 10.30.16 at Ultrabar
DCClubbing Presents:
Scream Sunday
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Ultrabar • 911 F Street NW • Washington, DC
Costumes, Music, and Drink Specials! Our Halloween Fright Fest isn’t stopping on Saturday, Come out to Ultrabar on Sunday October 30th for the scariest night of our Halloweekend!
- 5 Levels, 4 DJs spinning Top 40, House and International
- $350 table special: Stoli, Jack, and House Champagne
- Bottle service available at (202) 638-4663
- Ages 18+ w/ valid ID
- Dress code: Dressy Casual. Guys: No boots, no sneakers, no t-shirts, no grungy or athletic clothes, Girls: Keep it classy.
Music Format:
– Main Floor: DJ Kam (Top 40, Mashups, Hip Hop)
– Bedroom: DJ Destroyer (Hip Hop)
– Chroma : DJ Dale & DJ C-LO (Latin & International)
– Basement: DJ George Tsakiris (Dance, Top 40)
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Ultrabar
911 F Street NW, Washington DC | Nearest metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red and Yellow/Green lines)
PLAN B: 01.27.17 LIVE at Echostage
DCCLUBBING PRESENTS:
PLAN B
Live at Echostage
Friday January 27, 2016 | Doors 9:00pm | Ages 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.503.2330
Straight from Puerto Rico. Plan B makes their return to Echostage in Washington DC on Friday January 27! Tickets on sale now!
Plan B is a Puerto Rican Reggaeton duo, consisting of Chencho (real name Orlando Javier Valle Vega, born in Guayama, Puerto Rico) and Maldy (Edwin Vázquez Vega, born in Guayama, Puerto Rico).
In 2002 they rose to fame, and released their first studio album, called El Mundo Del Plan B: Los Que La Montan. It featured collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Speedy, Rey Pirin, Great Kilo, Guelo Star, and other artists and producers. Chencho and Maldy are both producers, Chencho has his own record label by the name plagio of Chencho Records, Maldy has Maldy Records. They released their second album in 2005 called Los Nenes Del Blin Blin. Maldy’s album, released in 2007, was named Reggaeton De Markesina. The duo released their third album in 2010 called House of Pleasure and released singles from the album such as “Si No Le Contesto” and Es Un Secreto. Finally the duo released their fourth album in 2014 called Love and Sex and worked with artists like Alexis & fido, J Alvarez, Tego Calderon, Zion y Lennox and Amaro.
See Plan B perform LIVE at Echostage on Friday January 27!
Presidents’ Day Party: 02.19.17 at Ultrabar
DCClubbing Presents:
Presidents’ Day Party
Ultrabar
Ultrabar • 911 F Street NW • Washington, DC
Guess what! No school or work on Monday which means you have no excuse not to come out and join us this Sunday for a special event #Presidents’DayWeekend !
Open Bar 10-11PM
$3 Modelo Especial
$4 Miller Lite
$6 Absolut Mixed Drinks!
- 5 Levels, 4 DJs spinning Top 40, House and International
- $300 table special: Absolut, Bacardi, and House Champagne
- Bottle service available at (202) 638-4663
- Ages 18+ w/ valid ID
- Dress code: Dressy Casual. Guys: No boots, no sneakers, no t-shirts, no grungy or athletic clothes, Girls: Keep it classy.
Music Format:
– Main Floor: DJ Kam (Top 40, Mashups, Hip Hop)
– Bedroom: DJ George Tsakiris (Trap, Dance, Top 40)
– Chroma : DJ Dale & DJ Reckless (Latin & International)
– Basement: DJ Destroyer (Hip Hop)
Halloween Fright Fest 2016: at Ultrabar
DCClubbing Presents:
Halloween Fright Fest
Friday, October 28, 2016 – Sunday, October 30, 2016
Ultrabar • 911 F Street NW • Washington, DC
We take Halloween very seriously here at DCClubbing, and with only 1 week left until the scariest time of year we think it’s time for you to get on our level! We are bringing you 3 Nights of Horror and Fun at Ultrabar
Friday, October 28 : Fright Night
Saturday, October 29: Nightmare on F St
Sunday, October 30: Scream Sunday
Alesso: 9.4.16 at Echostage
DCClubbing Presents
Alesso
Sunday September 4, 2016 | Doors 9:00pm | Ages 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.503.2330
