'In Utero'
According to Richard Dyer, the crossover star, beyond achieving widespread popularity, “though rooted in a particular tradition of music with a particular audience, somehow manages to appeal, and sell, beyond the confines of that audience” (Dyer, Heavenly 67). Thus, becoming a crossover star is a two-part process; the star must first take root in a subculture – and remain loyal to this subculture – before trying to reach out to other demographics. Undoubtedly, Cobain was staunchly an alternative/grunge/hipster (these are all somewhat synonymous in his case) star, and Cobain’s interviews during the press tour for the album certainly bolsters his claim to legitimacy as the anti-mainstream hero for those groups. In an interview with MTV, Kurt ended an almost 16-minute long discussion about music videos – a branch of media used to attract new fans to music – by stating that he had no interest in making additional videos for that purpose. Rather, Kurt states (around the 16:44 mark) that he “just want[s] to sell albums to people who really like [Nirvana] and already know about us,” clearly catering to his roots in the alternative subculture and rejecting mainstream interests. Additionally, before releasing the album, both Kurt and rock news outlets described the album as unlikeable because of the choice of Steve Albini as the album’s producer. Former music journalist Chuck Klosterman describes Albini as “an abrasive, ethical man whose legacy is built on crafting sonically authentic records that normal people hate” (Klosterman 28), a reputation Albini established long before the recording of In Utero in 1993. Kurt’s choice in producer was, at least in part, fueled by his internalized hipster ideal to distinguish oneself in opposition to “normal people,” to search for authenticity as a way to reject capitalistic success.
However, as a crossover artist, Cobain did – at least in part – care about satisfying a more diverse audience (even including normal people) and achieving mainstream commercial success. Interestingly enough, Cobain actually used Albini’s noise-driven production style as a way to market the album and create widespread demand; according to Klosterman, “[t]he wanting and the hating [of the album] were somehow related” because audiences wanted to see how much they would hate it (Klosterman 27). Cobain’s publicized statements that no one would like the album, though perhaps founded in truth, amounted to little more than a large publicity stunt to drive sales, and in actuality, he did want to satisfy a mass audience. In the same MTV interview (starting around 18:20), Cobain admits that he did not want “commercial or slick” production for the album but that he simultaneously did not want to “alienate” any part of the (majority) fan base that grew after Nevermind while still maintaining artistic excellence. Kurt did care about the masses: they are why he made any music videos at all; they are why he allowed Geffen to change album art and titles so Wal-Mart would sell it (Strauss); they are why he explained himself and his reasoning for In Utero’s less polished sound multiple times to the press. In one of his last interviews, Kurt reaffirms his consideration for the mainstream by denouncing his previous negativity, an emotion he incorrectly conflated with fear of losing his root alternative audience; rather, at that point in his career, following what would be Nirvana’s final studio album, Cobain had achieved a balance between hipster validity and commercialism with In Utero.
