When I was recording and performing music, there was a website you could upload your music to for review by fellow musicians. This was around 2010, so it was in the early days of social media. Criticism was supposed to be constructive, but man, it was harsh. Brutal in fact. My style of music is ballad singing and this guy wrote:

“Jesus, this track was painful to listen to. The guy sounded like his balls were in a vice. It reminded me of the music your Mum used to force you to listen to on a Sunday morning when you were little. Probably the worst track I’ve heard in years. Who is this guy?”

I kept this review because it reminded me that harsh criticism like this is actually good for you as an artist. Not only does it keep you grounded, but it is actually a compliment. The track clearly stood out for him. Singer James Blunt received many such criticisms and he was a master of turning them on their heads and deflecting them, so I’m taking my harsh review as a compliment.

This was the track my reviewer was talking about: