What happened in the 'listening party' of Aitana: revelation or thymus?

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What happened in the ‘listening party’ of Aitana: revelation or thymus?

Aitana is the first national superstar in joining the fashion of the ‘listening parties’. At least, as they understand in the United States: an event in which a limited number of fans are summoned to listen to a project in the company of the artist before its official launch. Some choose to celebrate it for free, while others see it as an opportunity to take advantage of their fans and earn easy money. Aitana has opted for a midpoint and, to anyone’s surprise, has been brown.

According to data from the organization, 13,000 people came to a small Movistar Arena yesterday to enjoy the new Aitana album, although I must say that live did not seem so many people. The vast majority were smaller accompanied by their parents. Each of them had paid 16.50 euros for an experience that only a certainty was known, scored on the foot of the event poster: “This is not a concert, it is the listening party of ‘Fourth blue'”. Indeed, Aitana did not sing at any time.

The controversy is clear: is it ethical to charge your fans for putting music on a speaker? Is it lawful to take benefit from a covert marketing strategy? Taking into account the data, it is clear that important income has been generated to which of course a series of expenses must be deduced, but the most important thing is whether the price translates into an experience at height.

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ IGN kneaded more than 12 million dollars only with the ‘listening parties’ of ‘Vultures’, whose stadium tickets were sold between 140 and 220 dollars per head. However, the experience left much to be desired: little visibility of the artist (who had a mask on top), zero interaction with the public and no microphone in sight. Billie Eilish, on the other hand, also celebrated the listening of ‘Hit me hard and soft’ in great enclosures, but totally free of charge. Of course, Eilish reproduced the disk often and as soon as he finished he went home.

Aitana did want to give something beyond the songs. In total, the first thing that was seen upon entering was a man -decorated man in the center of the track that intended to emulate that ‘blue fourth’ of the artist. These types of events always benefit from an intimate environment and yesterday that was achieved. It could have been something even more exclusive, but the moments of collective karaoke with the themes that had already come out would not have been the same.

Before and after each song, Aitana was in charge of telling how it had been conceived, what he talked about, what was the point of the album … And the truth is that not a hair was cut. Before you have to explain that ‘Fourth blue’ contains some of the saddest and most vulnerable songs of Aitana’s career and much of what came out in his documentary is shown directly to the album. This constantly sounds halfway between the ‘Alpha’ club rhythms and the huge synthesizers of ‘Second attempt’ or ‘February 6’. And a lot of ballad, of course.

The artist said that in this LP “nothing” has been invented: “‘Blue Fourth’ is conceptual for the story that I tell. It is life as it happened to me, ”he said at the beginning of the event. This is why Extriunfita accompanied some songs with unpublished documents of her creation, such as when she showed in her own WhatsApp the first version of the ballad that is the titular song or the video of her father reacting between tears to ‘Music in heaven’. “I was clear that I wanted to do a song about death and what connects me with that is my grandfather,” he confessed.

To be in front of an audience formed mainly by boys and girls, Aitana shared very adult details about her relationship with depression: «I cried a lot for everything. I haven’t cried for months for medication. It is short, but the emotions are regulated. I need a little to cry, because for me it has always been important, ”he said openly.

The reality of his lyrics was also evident with ‘When you talk to him’, a song that Aitana left for the end, which advanced as the ‘focus track’ of the album and that he is blatantly being about his relationship with Miguel Bernardeau: “I know that leaving him was stupid / how I feel it,” the Catalan sings.

Listening was enlivened with different guests. First, some of the singer’s own fans, who were chosen to ask him a round of questions. It was a moment as fun as tender, especially for a boy who could not stop crying in the presence of Aitana. At the same time, he stayed flipping when he noticed that one of his fans carried his face in the print of the socks. Ah, and in the underpants.

The Momentazo of the evening was the visit of the very Alaska, which accompanies Aitana in the last song of the album, ‘The perfect girl’. The admiration of oblivion, both for the song and for the 25 -year -old artist, is clear: «You consume your music and you are in the playlists that Mario and I give ourselves on our anniversary. I wouldn’t think of collaborating with someone I don’t hear. This song is your declaration of principles and I thank you, ”he said.

If it had been a totally free party, I doubt that Aitana had bothered to prepare all this shed. I would surely have opted for something similar to Billie Eilish. In exchange for 16.50 euros, an experience in which your favorite artist does not stop talking and open emotionally for more than two hours, which is seasoned with guests like Alaska and that offers a unique glance to what happens behind the scenes seems to me a thymus. I stay with what I heard some fans say at the exit of the event: “Well, less bad that I have come.”

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Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.