'They'd never ask this of men': Garbage album tackles sexist ageism
The same applies now to their eighth studio album. "Let All That We Imagine Be The Light" is somehow different, yet is unmistakeably still Garbage, as made clear in a dpa interview with singer Shirley Manson in London.
Not a band for streaming algorithms
"We're an unprogrammable band. We don't fit into the algorithms that this streaming services rely on so heavily. We just don't fit in with any of it," the lead singer says.
"It really bothered me for a long time that we didn't belong anywhere. But now I realize how beautiful that is and what freedom it allows and to be be able to enjoy a unique identity, sonic identity, at a time when there are 100,000 songs uploaded onto the internet every single day."
According to Manson, the new album is a "companion piece" to the previous LP "No Gods No Masters" which she said "full of outrage and fear." (All the things she was worried about have since come to fruition, she notes.)
The new LP is tangibly more positive, said the Scottish singer, who for years now has been living in the US with her husband, Garbage sound engineer Billy Bush. She has since acquired US citizenship herself.
Developments in the US - along with the entire international situation - are causing her concern. But there was no question for Manson of once again channeling her fears in her songwriting.
"I realized that I cannot afford to remain in the headspace that I inhabited when we wrote 'No God's No Masters'. I had to somehow pivot and change my tactics, shift my own perspective, or I would go mad."
The only thing she could control was her love, she says. "Whether it's my love of nature, love of animals, love of my community, love of my band, my romantic love with my husband, all the different forces of love that exist that are open to us, I feel like I'm reaching for and harnessing on this record."
Sharp criticism of sexism and ageism
Anyone who was afraid Garbage would immediately start doing soft pop can breathe a sigh of relief. The band has retained its bite and discomfort edge. In the punkish "Chinese Firehorse," for example - one of the best new songs - Manson takes aim at sexism and age discrimination in the music industry.
Her inspiration came during the promotional campaign for the previous album.
"I was 53 years old. I underscore that again, 53 years old. It was the first day of promotion. We had a brand new record. It was coming out on a major record label, and two different journalists, one male, one female, at different times during the day, asked me when I was going to retire. I realized in that moment, they would never ask this of my male peers," she told dpa.
The song's text directly targets both interviewers: "You say my time is over / That I have gotten old – so old / That I no longer do it for you / And my face now leaves you cold," she sings. But then goes on the attack: "But I've still got the power in my brain and my body / I'll take no shit from you."
By the way, Manson is clearly younger than her bandmates Steve Marker (66), Duke Erikson (74) and the band's founder, Butch Vig (69).
"So, yes, this is still very much a real thing," she said about ageism, noting how the mass-circulation Daily Mail recently made fun of her looks. She said this meant nothing to her any longer. "But what I do think it does is it sends messages to younger people who don't have the same fortitude as I, who don't have the same experience as I do. And that can crush a young spirit."
Garbage still has something to say
Despite the worry about what's happening in the world, Manson says that today she is more optimistic than before. The title of the first track "There's No Future In Optimism" is meant jokingly.
"I really love the title, but I'm also in enormous disagreement with it. It is absolutely the polar opposite philosophy that I wanted to employ when coming into making this record," she stressed.
But the album "Let All That We Imagine Be The Light" is also not exactly optimistic. From the driving opener to the gloomy "Hold" and the almost gentle, electropop-like "Sisyphus" to the cynical "Get Out My Face AKA Bad Kitty," Garbage pulls out all the musical stops that set the group apart from other bands. It's worth listening carefully and paying attention to the lyrics. After 30 years, the band still has a lot to say.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
China's Mounting Debt Could Spell Trouble for Economy
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Countries with rapidly aging populations will see the shift in demographics increasingly impact their economies in the decades ahead. The pressures will especially drag on nations with high government debt burdens, including the world's top two economies, the United States and China, according to a recent analysis by independent global advisory firm Oxford Economics. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Treasury Department via email for comment. Demographic Headwinds High debt levels can constrain governments, limiting room for bolder fiscal action—especially in downturns tied to demographic headwinds, which include a shrinking workforce. Oxford Economics forecasts this could slash China's potential, sustainable economic growth roughly in half by the 2050s. Over the same horizon, the share of people aged 65 and over is projected to rise by more than 50 percentage points above 2010 levels by 2060 (versus around 10 points in the U.S.). A man walks past the front of the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing on June 11, 2025. A man walks past the front of the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing on June 11, 2025. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile China's median age, now 40, is projected to rise to 52—about 16 years above the global average—while the U.S. is expected to stay around 41, according to the 2024 U.N. World Population Prospects The rising proportion of seniors, along with China's low birth rate and a lack of significant immigration to offset it, is expected to strain its modest social safety net and shift more of the burden onto a shrinking pool of workers. "Soaring pension and health care expenses are the biggest policy challenge of the 2020s in all advanced economies and most emerging ones," Vincent Deluard, director of global macro strategy at financial services firm StoneX Group, told Newsweek. China's Toolkit International Monetary Fund data put the debt-to-GDP ratios at 123 percent for the United States and 84 percent for China. But while China's demographic outlook is daunting, analysts says Beijing currently has more tools at its disposal than its American rival to limit the damage, analysts say. Deluard said four major structural differences set China apart: accelerated aging after the one-child policy and rapid urbanization; low statutory retirement ages; "delayed" baby booms in the 1960s and 1980s; and a very high savings rate with little foreign debt. "All that means that China's long-term problem is worse due to demography, but that it has more levers to manage it in the short term," he said. "China can mobilize its large pool of domestic savings, which the U.S. does not have." He also observed that this year China began gradually raising statutory retirement ages, which are low by international standards.
Business Insider
16 minutes ago
- Business Insider
How McDonald's big bet on Pokémon cards ended with 24 hours of grown men fighting, pigeons snapping up fries, and scalpers cashing in
Not all McDonald's promotions are created equal. This week, the fast food chain hit the jackpot in Japan with the help of colorful trading cards emblazoned with Pikachu the lightning rat, the source of much millennial nostalgia. The fast food chain announced that from August 9 to 11, customers could snag an exclusive pack of Pokémon cards with every Happy Meal purchase. Each set was priced at roughly 500 yen, or $3.50, with a five-meal-per-person limit. But before the first day was over, McDonald's pulled the plug on the promotion. The deal had morphed into a chaotic sprint for superfans and scalpers alike. In a press release on August 11, McDonald's confirmed that the campaign had resulted in customers buying large quantities of the meals for resale, which led to congestion in stores and food waste. "McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food," the release said, adding that it would impose stricter purchase limits in the future. McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. From meltdowns to pigeons on fries Soon after the promo launched on August 9, social media feeds were filled with surreal scenes: bags of Happy Meals abandoned in stores, piled outside outlets, or stuffed into bike baskets. Buyers were snapping up multiple Happy Meals for the exclusive cards, often ditching the food. #マクドナルド #日本マクドナルド #アンハッピーセット 商売繁盛おめでとうございます 廃棄されることが自明のセット作るの 店員の皆さまは楽しかったですか? #フードロス削減 だの ウソ発信しないでくださいね #マクドナルド不買運動 — チャーニー11 (@SkE3eyFOzdSnwME) August 10, 2025 Kiko Ochoa-Beovides and Madison Hodges told Business Insider they snapped up around 20 Happy Meals to collect the toy sets and Pokémon cards. They hadn't expected to find any. On Sunday, the pair stopped by a McDonald's on the Yokosuka Fleet base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and were surprised to find cards in stock. "We called everywhere and they were completely sold out," said Ochoa-Beovides, 22, an American who moved to Yokosuka in May. Hodges, 21, who moved to Japan last August, added: "As soon as they told us they had them in stock, we went right over." They bought 15 meals on their first trip, then returned two hours later for another 10. They ended up with so much food that they drove around handing out free Happy Meals to make sure nothing went to waste. They told Business Insider that the restaurant let them place unlimited orders. Others weren't as charitable. A video posted on Saturday — the first day of the promo — showed two people dumping multiple bags of Happy Meals straight into the trash. #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット ハッピーセット転売したいんか知らんけど毎度のことやけど買い占めの度を超えてない？ほんでバーガーは捨てるってモラル欠如しすぎやろ、まじでどうにかして欲しいわ。もったいない😞 — みあき (@APEXsaikooou39) August 9, 2025 Some customers took to social media to gripe about snaking queues and hourlong waits. "There was a huge line, far surpassing the time of Chiikawa," X user "hinoko" wrote on X on Saturday, referring to McDonald's Japan's tie-in with the popular rabbit-like anime character. "I waited for nearly an hour, with people in line getting irritated," they wrote. In some cases, the frustration reached a boiling point. At one outlet in Japan, two men — one of them juggling armfuls of McDonald's bags — got into a heated argument. A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 マクドナルドでポケモンハッピーセット1人5セットなのに４０個買った人に注意してた人まぢ勇者 #バズれ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ The chaos also spilled into the online resale hours, the Pokémon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokémon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 朝マック買いに行ったらこれ。 店前にも100人以上並んでる。 あかんやろこれ。。。 ちなみに日本語は聞こえない。。。 #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット #ポケモンカード — プ〜やん🐷3連系ニキ🐷 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. 早朝の渋谷のカオス。 マクドナルドのバーガーやポテトが道にばら撒かれた結果、ハトの大宴会が開かれている模様。 買った食品は責任持って食べきっていただきたいし、ゴミは持ち帰っていただきたい。 — スミレンジャーZ（愛称スミレちゃん、元スラウザーです） (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokémon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokémon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, a trading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said. He said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokémon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokémon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokémon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's. "The equity gained from the promotion will outweigh the short-lived surge of negative press on wasted food and long lines," Llewelyn said. "Customers see the collaboration as a short-lived, isolated event, and not a systemic failing of the brand."
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
CNBC Daily Open: Under Trump, business and politics are becoming bedfellows
Don't mix business with pleasure — or the music of the spheres might eject you from the skies even if you are an astronomer — but it seems, in the current milieu, there are no such restrictions between business and politics. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is eyeing a stake in struggling chipmaker Intel, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday. That consideration is primarily attributable to Intel's status as the only born-and-bred American company that can manufacture the fastest chips on U.S. soil. While some firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung, both of which can produce 3-nanometer chips — the most advanced semiconductors so far — have factories in the U.S., they are Taiwanese and South Korean companies, respectively, and probably do not enjoy apple pies on the Fourth of July. In combination with the news that Nvidia and AMD will pay the U.S. government a 15% share of their revenue from chip sales in China, as well as Apple committing to make more chips in America, the Trump administration seems to be consolidating a chip empire with the White House as its capital. To modify a song last heard by the Astronomer CEO before he was cast down to Earth: "I used to rule the world / Chips would rise when I gave the word."The Trump administration is reportedly considering a stake in Intel. The chipmaker is the only U.S. company that can manufacture the most advanced semiconductors in America. Intel's shares soared 7.4% after Bloomberg reported the news. China's economy falters in July. A series of data released Friday — retail sales, industrial output and fixed-asset investment — all underperformed economists' estimates. The statistics bureau attributed the disappointing performance to extreme weather last month. Berkshire Hathaway unveils a stake in UnitedHealth. Warren Buffett's conglomerate bought more than 5 million shares in the health care firm for a stake worth about $1.6 billion at the end of June, according to a regulatory filing. U.S. stocks flirt with the flatline. The S&P 500's 0.03% gain, however, means it closed at another high on Thursday. Asia-Pacific markets rose Friday. Japan's Nikkei 225 added more than 1% on the country's economy expanding more than expected in the second quarter. [PRO] European defense stocks will benefit from Trump-Putin meeting. Regardless of whether the talks result in any breakthroughs on the war in Ukraine, analysts think it's a "win-win" situation for defense stocks. Germany's Merz strikes sharp tone with Europe as he cozies up to Trump German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is looking to redefine Germany's voice in Europe and build a relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump — whom many of Merz's European colleagues do not see eye to eye with. The historically EU-friendly Merz, a former member of the European Parliament, now has a long list of complaints about the bloc.
