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Billy Corgan says most people don’t know what Smashing Pumpkins records are about
“If you went back in a time machine to me 30 years ago, I would be plagued by the idea that not every person was paying attention.”
Image: Don Arnold / Getty Images
Billy Corgan has shared his thoughts on how a good number of Smashing Pumpkins fans don’t know what the band’s records are about, saying “it’s totally fine”.
The frontman was speaking to Rolling Stone about Smashing Pumpkins’ latest album Atum, when he admitted “It’s actually hard-baked in there that I would assume that most people won’t follow the story.”
“It doesn’t bother me, because it’s the same way for Mellon Collie and Machina,” Corgan explained, saying, “Most people don’t know what the records are really about. They’re focused on their favourite song or their favourite drum solo or whatever. It’s totally fine. The last 20-something years of social media have taught me to respect the fact that everybody has their own level of engagement, and any engagement is good.”
“I had a lot of people tell me that no one would listen, and I would think, ‘Well, that’s fine too.’ the singer added, when prompted on his music podcast, which offers a breakdown of the album’s intricate storyline. “It’s very old thinking: ‘Hey, only 500 people are going to care, so don’t do it.’ That’s the last century.”
He continued, “If you went back in a time machine to me 30 years ago, I would be plagued by the idea that not every person was paying attention. Now I’m on the opposite. I’m almost pleasantly surprised and pleased that people pay attention. That’s icing on the cake. It’s my job to make attractive pop music that people will want to listen to while they’re washing their car or something. That’s OK. There’s no shame in that.”