folks don't know the half

Going multi-platinum is usually a good way to make sure critics will hate you. Some people will argue it's the other way around, but it's hard to deny that most chart-topping artists nowadays aren't critical darlings.

Once you've been making money for a while, though, people come around. You've either tapped into some sort of zeitgeist that those ivory-tower critics didn't realize existed, or you've influenced a generation of artists, or both. Suddenly you're garnering rave reviews. It's a pop tradition, and an important one too. After all, as a critic, it's hard to deny someone's greatness after they've proven you wrong so many times.

In 2010, it looks like it's R. Kelly's turn. Yours Truly brings us this beautiful, intimate, underexposed video of Tom Krell of How to Dress Well singing a haunting, hushed rendition of Kells' "I Wish":

Also, earlier this year, Sam Amidon dropped his most recent (and excellent) album, I See the Sign, on Bedroom Community. As usual, it's a set of old folk tunes re-imagined by Amidon with the help of labelmates Ben Frost, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Nico Muhly, and others. He also covers R. Kelly's "Relief", finding the common thread between Americana and R&B:

MP3: Sam Amidon - Relief

Add'l links:

Sam Amidon

How to Dress Well