Billy Corgan recently addressed criticism surrounding the length of Smashing Pumpkins’ latest album, ‘Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts,’ in an interview with The Irish Times.
Reflecting on Taylor Swift’s extensive release of ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ Corgan drew parallels to the legacy of artists like Sinéad O’Connor:
“Consider Sinéad for a moment. Imagine if someone unearthed a trove of 20, 30, or 50 unreleased Sinéad songs. Would that be frowned upon? Taylor Swift, an immensely talented pop artist, faces similar scrutiny. How can it be detrimental for her to share more music? If length is an issue, listeners have the power to curate their own playlists or simply skip tracks on platforms like Spotify.”
Addressing criticism of ‘Atum,’ Corgan questioned the necessity for uniformity in music consumption:
“Critics bemoaned the length of my last album, ‘Atum.’ My response? Craft your playlist. Listen to the album once, extract your preferred six or ten tracks, and create your tailored experience. Why is this unconventional? Balance is key. Reacting with hyperbole, akin to ‘They’ve ruined Star Wars,’ feels juvenile.”
Corgan discussed the album’s creation process, highlighting the challenges of producing 33 songs across three acts:
“When crafting 33 songs, the journey oscillates between triumph and despair. Questions arise—‘Is this endeavor worthwhile? Who will engage with this extensive body of work?’ Even industry insiders initially rejected the project, citing it as career suicide, mirroring previous feedback on ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.’ Despite skepticism, we persevered and eventually parted ways with those entities, with the outcome exceeding expectations.”
Released in three installments, with the final segment dropping on May 5, 2023, ‘Atum’ marked the culmination of Smashing Pumpkins’ collaboration with Jeff Schroeder.
