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Trent Reznor Thinks Social Media Drives Musicians to Make “Formulaic, Made to Please, Vegan Restaurant Patron-Type Shit”

PEMBERTON, BC - JULY 18: Singer Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails performs during Day 1 of Pemberton Music and Arts Festival on July 18, 2014 in Pemberton, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/FilmMagic)

If you think the industrial-pop guru is turning into the proverbial “man” by scoring patriotic Mark Wahlberg movies, never fear: Even the 51-year-old Trent Reznor still has plenty of ire stored up, especially for the “sheep” of the world. In a new interview with Yahoo, as Stereogum points out, Reznor chose to take one subgroup of sheep to task: social media users. (Also, vegans?)

Here’s what he had to say:

“The Internet is giving voice to everybody thinking that someone gives a shit what they have to say and they have the right. I think, in general, that has created a toxic environment for artists and led to some very safe music. Artists are trying to make music to please the tastemakers that tell the sheep what to like. It’s a vicious cycle and I think it’s unhealthy. I don’t see any Princes emerging on the scene today. I see a lot of people making formulaic, made to please, vegan restaurant patron-type shit. And I think it creates an environment where people are too fuckin’ worried about what other people have to say. And people who have never made anything think it’s OK to talk shit about stuff they have no right to talk about. You got a Facebook account? Nobody gives a fuck. You haven’t achieved anything.”

Harsh stuff. If you feel implicated by Reznor’s diatribe—well, close out of this window, flee the Animal Farm; go create something beautiful, immediately!

Reznor is one of the busiest people in showbiz these days, with everything from a Ken Burns soundtrack to a new Nine Inch Nails project, with plenty more on the way. (In the same interview, he clarifies the previously-discussed “two new major works” from NIN will probably not come in 2017.) His soundtrack with full-time collaborator Atticus Ross for Boston Marathon drama Patriots Day was also released today.

Listen to Reznor and Ross’s Patriots Day soundtrack below, and read our recent interview with them here.