History Trivia / LizPhair

* CreatorKiller: She was an indie darling in TheNineties but did not enjoy much commercial success, which she sought to rectify in 2003 with a SelfTitledAlbum that marked a GenreShift from indie alt-rock to mainstream [[TeenPop pop-rock]]. The album met a scathing reception from certain critics critics who saw it as a SellOut (''Pitchfork'' gave it [[MedalOfDishonor a rare 0.0 out of 10]], and Meghan O'Rourke of ''The New York Times'' even called it "career suicide"), and the modest Top 40 success of the lead single "Why Can't I?" failed to last. Phair only recorded two little-heard albums after that, 2005's ''Somebody's Miracle'' and 2010's ''Funstyle'', the latter of which she released independently while stating outright that it cost her her management and her record deal, and also started composing music for television shows. WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows, when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WM8O3Usxw discussing her downfall]] on ''Trainwreckords'', said that, while he found the album underrated (and personally believed that ''Funstyle'', the subject of the episode, was the real death blow - and it might be, she hasn't released any new music since then), it's impossible to deny that it snapped Phair's career momentum and reputation. Phair spent the rest of the 2000s and 2010s slowly rebuilding her indie cred, owing in part to some well-received tours, an acclaimed 2018 reissue of her breakthrough ''Exile in Guyville'' album, and the self-titled album receiving an [[https://riotfest.org/2018/09/exile-in-criticville-liz-phair/ unexpected]] [[https://uproxx.com/music/liz-phair-guyville/ critical]] [[https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/rediscover-liz-phair-album-2003/ re-evaluation]] in the late 2010s.

* BigNameFan: Ken Lee, who runs a [[http://www.mesmerizingtoo.com fan site]] that Liz is very fond of. He interviewed Liz twice, and sent her a list of what songs she should include on the upcoming ''Girlysound'' disc. She almost entirely used it.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The "selling-out" above wasn't Liz Phair's fault. Her label insisted she work with mainstream producers and create a pop album. However, Phair has [[https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/liz-phair-feature-j-files/10876500 said]] that Creator/CapitolRecords did not force her to make a pop album, and that she wanted to do it because she felt it would be an interesting experiment. She is also not ashamed at all by the album.
--> ''As much as it is couched in the public's mind that I got sucked up by a spaceship and forced to do pop, I was actually just saying, 'Okay, pop's a different medium. I can try that on just the way I would try writing anything'''
** Liz fought with her management to release "Bollywood." Fortunately, Liz won.

* CreatorKiller: She was an indie darling in TheNineties but did not enjoy much commercial success, which she sought to rectify in 2003 with a SelfTitledAlbum that marked a GenreShift from indie alt-rock to mainstream [[TeenPop pop-rock]]. The album met a scathing reception from certain critics critics who saw it as a SellOut (''Pitchfork'' gave it [[MedalOfDishonor a rare 0.0 out of 10]], and Meghan O'Rourke of ''The New York Times'' even called it "career suicide"), and the modest Top 40 success of the lead single "Why Can't I?" failed to last. Phair only recorded two little-heard albums after that, 2005's ''Somebody's Miracle'' and 2010's ''Funstyle'', the latter of which she released independently while stating outright that it cost her her management and her record deal, and also started composing music for television shows. WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows, when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WM8O3Usxw discussing her downfall]] on ''Trainwreckords'', said that, while he found the album underrated (and personally believed that ''Funstyle'', the subject of the episode, was the real death blow), it's impossible to deny that it snapped Phair's career momentum and reputation. Phair spent the rest of the 2000s and 2010s slowly rebuilding her indie cred, owing in part to some well-received tours, an acclaimed 2018 reissue of her breakthrough ''Exile in Guyville'' album, and the self-titled album receiving an [[https://riotfest.org/2018/09/exile-in-criticville-liz-phair/ unexpected]] [[https://uproxx.com/music/liz-phair-guyville/ critical]] [[https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/rediscover-liz-phair-album-2003/ re-evaluation]] in the late 2010s. However, she has not released any new music since 2010.

* OneHitWonder: "Why Can't I?" from ''Liz Phair'' is her only Top-40 charting song in the United States.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Liz Phair'', love it or not, was a great album for the mainstream. If it was properly promoted, then it could've been more successful. Sure, the indie fanbase would still hate her, but at least she would've met her goal.
----

* DyeHard: Liz is more remembered as a blonde than a (natural) brunette.

* CreatorKiller: Her self-titled album spawned her biggest hit, "Why Can't I?" but it completely killed her indie credibility.

* BigNameFan – Ken Lee, who runs a [[http://www.mesmerizingtoo.com fan site]] that Liz is very fond of. He interviewed Liz twice, and sent her a list of what songs she should include on the upcoming ''Girlysound'' disc. She almost entirely used it.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen - ''Liz Phair'', love it or not, was a great album for the mainstream. If it was properly promoted, then it could've been more successful. Sure, the indie fanbase would still hate her, but at least she would've met her goal.

* DyeHard - Liz is more remembered as a blonde than a (natural) brunette.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes - Aside from ''Juvenilia'' and the upcoming ''Girlysound'' disc, Liz's pre-1993 demos can only be found on the ''Girly Sound'' bootlegs. Two tapes entitled ''Yo Yo Buddy Yup Yup Word To Ya Muthuh'' and ''Girls Girls Girls'' respectively are the most common and are available to download on the internet for free. A third tape and information about it remains elusive.
* OneHitWonder - "Why Can't I?" from ''Liz Phair'' is her only Top-40 charting song in the United States.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The "selling-out" above wasn't Liz Phair's fault. Her label insisted she work with mainstream producers and create a pop album. However, Phair has [[https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/liz-phair-feature-j-files/10876500 said]] that Capitol did not force her to make a pop album, and that she wanted to do it because she felt it would be an interesting experiment. She is also not ashamed at all by the album.

--> ''As much as it is couched in the public's mind that I got sucked up by a spaceship and forced to do pop, I was actually just saying, 'Okay, pop's a different medium. I can try that on just the way I would try writing anything''
** Liz fought with her management to release "Bollywood." Fortunately, Liz won.'

** Liz fought with her management to release "Bollywood." Fortunately, Liz won.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The "selling-out" above wasn't Liz Phair's fault. Her label insisted she work with mainstream producers and create a pop album.
** Liz fought with her management to release “Bollywood.” Fortunately, Liz won.

* HappilyAdopted: She was adopted but how happy she is about it is up for debate. [[http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/liz-phair-talks-to-womens-health]]

* CreatorKiller: Her self-titled album spawned her biggest hit, "Why Can't I?" but it completely killed her credibility.