SANTIAGO, CHILE – MARCH 18: Mac Demarco performs during the third day of Lollapalooza Chile 2018 at … [+]
Are you willing to listen to a single album that contains almost 200 songs? Mac DeMarco’s latest release, One Wayne G, might be the ultimate test to see just how much music people really want these days.
One Wayne G is not just another album–it’s more like 20 albums in one. The set features a whopping 199 tracks. Yes, that’s correct: 199 tracks, and it has a runtime of around nine hours.
DeMarco’s latest offering is a collection of previously unreleased material that centers around DeMarco’s work from between 2018 and earlier this year 2023. The 199 tracks are largely comprised of demos and pieces that were never finished. Many of the titles include dates, giving listeners a glimpse into the process of creating an album.
The title of the lengthy album appears to be a nod to the hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, as his initials are even in the name. DeMarco’s label shared several images of the legendary hockey player on its Instagram story, hinting at the homage.
One Wayne G was a surprise release, as it came with little to no warning. It arrives only a few months after DeMarco’s most recent album, Five Easy Hot Dogs, which dropped in January of this year. That set is entirely instrumental, unlike One Wayne G.
The decision to release such a massive collection of music is bold, especially in a time when listeners have shorter attention spans and are used to consuming music in bite-sized portions. But it’s also not entirely shocking, as DeMarco has always been a bit unconventional, and this release is a testament to his creativity and willingness to experiment.
The sheer number of tracks on One Wayne G is almost overwhelming, but for superfans of DeMarco, this might be a dream come true. It’s an odd release, to be sure, but in an era when streaming platforms and how charts are compiled clearly favor longer albums, One Wayne G could be a sign of what other artists might do with their throwaway demos and other unfinished tracks in the future in order to make at least some money off of them and appease their diehard followers.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/04/21/would-you-listen-to-an-album-with-200-songs-mac-demarcos-latest-release-asks-this-very-question/