Why Kate Bush avoids the mainstream: “I don’t like pop”
When Kate Bush initially gained popularity, the era’s primarily white, male audience found themselves at a loss when attempting to categorise her. Her unorthodox style was met with resistance, and she was swiftly branded an ‘eccentric’, standing apart from the established gender norms of her time. Her very presence posed a challenge, in part because many secretly relished her music while hesitating to acknowledge it openly, but mostly because society was less inclined to celebrate a woman challenging convention.
Bush’s affinity for experimentalism also propelled her beyond the confines of mainstream categorisation. Her musical and physical style resided far from preconceived notions about the ideal female image in the music industry, and her lyrical themes ventured into what some might consider unconventional territory. These included delving into subjects like the prospect of unwittingly encountering Hitler or delving into the most shadowy recesses of a woman’s inner frustrations.
Earning such a reputation was no coincidence. Bush diligently crafted her distinctive presence, challenging established norms and shattering the confines of conventional musical achievement. In the eyes of some, she appeared weird. For others, she stood as the quintessential trailblazer, on par with luminaries like David Bowie. To others, she embodied both qualities, but in the best way imaginable.
When asked about her own personal musical preference, it comes as no surprise, therefore, that Bush isn’t all that into popular works. “I’ve never even seen a Madonna video, and I don’t like pop music much,” she explained in the interview What Kate Bush Did Next. “Radio One infuriates me. I’d rather listen to the silly programmes on Radio Four or to classical music like Delius, Bach and Satie.”
While creating albums, Bush tended to veer away from listening to the radio, although sometimes she admits that this isn’t the best approach. As she explained in 1989 to Tony Horkins: “I don’t spend much time listening to radio, and when I do, it tends to be Radio 4. I guess we spend so much time listening to music in a very sensitised way, in recreational terms, that you need relief for the ears. I tend to listen to more when I just finish an album rather than during, which is stupid.”
She added: “A good example of this is that when I finished [The Sensual World], I heard this Bulgarian music. I thought ‘Shit, I wish I’d have heard this while I was working on the album.’ I think it was good in one way because I had a lot of time to think about the possibility of doing something with them. The thing that would worry me a bit is that if you like something you are influenced by it, and I’d probably try and connect to other people’s music of that time.”
Bush’s profound and intricate exploration of shadowy realms and the often overlooked facets of the human psyche has solidified her status as an artist of intense acclaim in contemporary culture. She frequently draws inspiration from various elements of film and music history, yet she masterfully constructs her own distinct universes and interpretations, resulting in exceptionally original creations. Although she faced initial rejection in the past, largely due to societal misogyny, audiences have since come to appreciate the enchantment of her distinctiveness.
