On 2 July, the 21st edition of Popkritik took place in the Paderborn pub "Sputnik" - this time under the tongue-in-cheek motto "Stupid Hits", based on a record of the same name from the 1970s. Around 30 music-loving guests came together to discuss songs that fall somewhere between silliness, nonsense and (supposed) genius.
Instead of a traditional podium, there was a jointly curated Spotify playlist to which each participant could contribute songs - provided they had a certain amount of background knowledge about the creation, lyrics or artist. This was the only way to have a lively discussion about whether and why a particular song could be considered a stupid hit.
The team of presenters, consisting of Paul Schmoranzer and Alyssia Schröder, charmingly and self-deprecatingly guided the audience through the evening. They affectionately christened the genre "Promille-Pop" and raised questions with the audience that were the subject of lively discussion: What actually makes a song a bollocks hit? Are childish lyrics or a banal arrangement enough? Where is the line between children's songs and nonsense pop - especially when Spotify suggests both in one category? And: Can silly hits be political - or do they lose their innocence as a result?
The discussions ranged between Frank Zander, Ikkimel, Lil Yachty, the Wise Guys and many other artists. There was a lot of laughter, but also questions about who actually decides what is a stupid hit - the performers or the recipients? The evening ended with many unanswered questions, but also with the realisation that one or two songs are surprisingly well suited as background soundtracks for homework.
Text: Joshua Wick
