Interview with Pablo, The Don: Critic of All Things Music

photo from Pablo, The Don’s Instagram

Since I decided to start this blog and share all my various music thoughts and opinions, I of course knew I also needed to think about where exactly this could end up if it became more than just a hobby. I obviously don’t want to get too ahead of myself but I couldn’t help thinking that if for some reason the stars aligned perfectly, that I could end up being taken seriously as a music critic and even make a career out of it. I am very aware that the chances of that are small at the moment but that led me to start to look more into music critics outside of the giants such as Pitch Fork or Rolling Stone Magazine.

As I started to find different people to follow or look into their content, I ended up coming across a few people on TikTok who were sharing their music opinions and thoughts the same way I have on here. One of those individuals that I became an instant follower of is Pablo, The Don. When I first came across Pablo’s TikTok, I caught myself not only agreeing with many of their takes, but also looking forward to what they would say next about new music releases or topics that would arise in the music world. Pablo has a way of sharing their music opinions in a respectful way, but also hitting the nail on the head for many topics without beating around the bush. They share a mix of opinions surrounding many different genres, giving respect to where respect is due, but also giving fair criticism where needed. There was even one time when shortly after I posted my blog post about Ed Sheeran’s music career that I opened up TikTok to see that Pablo also shared the same opinion as me, which was a relief to know others felt the same as I did.

Over the course of my time writing this blog, I have interviewed various artists whose music I really enjoy but I have yet to really chat with anyone on the other side of the music industry spectrum, specifically a critic, which led me to reach out to Pablo. Having the chance to talk to someone who has been making a career for themselves on the music journalism side is something I not only value due to my own similar interests, but find intriguing as well. Graciously they agreed to be interviewed and talk music with me so I have put together that conversation below. Enjoy!

Me: Could you tell me a little bit about your background and sort of how you ended up as a music critic/journalist?

Pablo: “I have my degree in broadcast journalism and a double minor in social media marketing and music and I've been writing about music since I was in high school. But I didn't start doing criticism until 2017 in college and then it blossomed from there.”

Me: As always, I have to ask what are your top 3 to 5 all time favorite songs?

Pablo: “So Into You - Tamia  2. The Rain - Missy Elliot 3. Love of My Life - Erykah Badu 4. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince 5. Ironic - Alanis Morrissette”

Me: Top 3 to 5 all time favorite artists/bands?

Pablo: “1. Lauryn Hill 2. Missy Elliot 3. Paramore 4. Beyonce 5. Kanye West”

Me: Who has been your favorite discovery of 2021 so far?

Pablo: “Faye Webster! Her latest album is so on point.”

Me: What is something that surprised you about the music industry once you started putting out content?

Pablo: “How much the artists actually pay attention to the criticism! I wasn't expecting that many people to take my opinions into consideration.”

Me: When listening to new music, do you have anything particular that gives you a sign that it’s good music or music you really enjoy? 

Pablo: “Goosebumps. If I get goosebumps I know I'm feeling what the artist wanted me to.”

Me: Since I have really enjoyed your takes on music through your TikTok, what would you say is your most unpopular or controversial music take?

Pablo: “That I love Creed”

Me: Who are some bands or artists that you find completely overrated? And those you find underrated?

Pablo: “I hate saying that people are over or underrated but if you're asking whose hype I don't understand its Imagine Dragons or current day Panic At the Disco music.”

Me: What is a music topic or take that you could go on and on about?

Pablo: “Taylor Swift's lyrical ability”

Me: Do you have any band or artist that is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of yours or that might just be surprising based on your overall taste?

Pablo: “I think people would be surprised to know how much I love Nu Metal! I listen to Limp Bizkit daily.”

Me: I know you’ve touched on this a bit on your TikTok but what is your opinion or take on the whole “separating the art from the artist” thing?

Pablo: “It depends on what they've done. Physical violence is not something I can separate. But saying uneducated things yeah we can talk if you've gone through a real process but also if you listen to some artists who have committed physical violence just own it and be ready for people to bash you for it.”

Me: What are some short-term goals for you with your work in music?

Pablo: “Do interviews with artists! I wanna chat with more artists and talk about their creative processes.” 

Me: Long-term goals?

Pablo: “Take Zane Lowe's job at Apple”

Me: As someone who dreams of being a music critic or something similar for work one day, what is some advice or words of wisdom you have to share?

Pablo: “Write and share your opinions every day but make sure you're informed. Don't spew things on the Internet for clicks. Research what you're talking about and also don't take the Internet seriously!”

Me: Any work of yours you want to plug or promote?

Pablo: “Listen to my podcast! The Back Catalog Podcast is available on Spotify Apple and Anchor! Follow the Instagram @backcatalogpod and follow me too pablo.thedon!”

I am so grateful that Pablo took the time to chat with me. As you can imagine, I tend to be someone who can over-do it when it comes to talking about music so it is always refreshing when I have the chance to chat with someone who also could go on and on about various music topics. It is also nice to hear from someone who is doing something I would ultimately love to do and get a better understanding of what it means to be a part of that world. Another thing I love is the way Pablo is going about their career as a music critic. They are not only using TikTok to reach a younger audience and put out short form content, but also producing longer form content through their podcast, The Back Catalog Podcast. I encourage you to follow Pablo, The Don on TikTok, Instagram, and give their podcast a listen and you may be surprised about the things you’ll learn or even the hot takes you agree with.

As always, thank you again for reading!