5 Seconds of Summer fans slam Vanessa Carlton for using John Prine's death to downplay 'Calm' Billboard fight
5 Seconds of Summer's 'Calm' lost its number one spot on the Billboard 200 after a clerical error caused 10,000 copies of their album to be sent out early. These sales were counted in the week prior to when the album was actually meant to chart, and they debuted at the 62nd position instead, before jumping to number two in their actual charting week.
Fans have been tirelessly demanding an answer from Billboard, stating that the charts had ordered recounts for artists like Ariana Grande and Harry Styles in the past when they faced similar issues. The band has also weighed in on the situation, stating they were disappointed and heartbroken.
And now, the music industry is also weighing in on the issue even as Billboard continues to remain silent.
American band The All-American Rejects responded to a video uploaded by 5SOS drummer Ashton Irwin in which he addresses the issue and said, "Give these dudes what they earned, simple as that."
Singer Vanessa Carlton, who released her album 'Love Is An Art' not too long ago, was less than sympathetic as she responded, "John Prine just died. Why am I watching someone whine about being number 2 not number 1. Jesus f***ing christ." Prine, a country-folk legend and one of the most influential songwriters passed away from coronavirus-related complications on April 7.
Carlton's choice to conflate two very different issues is extremely odd, given her latest work revolves around love, heartbreak, loss, identity and relationships. In short, she should really have known better than to take something people are passionate about and try and downplay its importance.
Many fans were naturally upset at Carlton. One tweeted, "The news about john came 3 hours ago where the video was posted 5 hours ago so this seems irrelevant to compare. we grieve his loss and this might be something you don’t care about but others do. there’s no 'cap' on what you can be upset about."
Fans also highlighted that the video Irwin released had him thanking his fans as opposed to complaining about the situation. One said, "To be fair, this isn't him whining about being number 2. He's thanking the fans for their effort to get them what they rightfully earned but have been refused to receive."
Another tweeted, "That wasn't the point of the video hun, no one is taking away from his death this video was posted before then. as someone in the music industry you should care about this issue but ok."
Another fan had a rather poignant statement for Carlton, tweeting, "John Prine’s death is tragic but there is absolutely no correlation between speaking freely about something personal to you and not being supportive of someone’s passing. Have you ever been hurt by something... ever? I assume yes? People were dying in those moments, too."
The All-American Rejects also shot back at Carlton, who has been a part of the music industry for nearly two decades, for bringing up Prine to drag 5SOS down, stating, "You should probably be listening to one of his records and not casting stones? Keep it positive out here."
Some made jokes, naturally, such as this fan who said, "Girl keep making ur way downtown and walking fast and mind ur own business," but for the most part, it appears the 5SOS fandom and supporters of their cause have far more compassion and grace than Carlton does. After all, one can fight for one cause and grieve the loss of a legend at the same time. No one said there was a limit on how many emotions we can have at once.