Billy Corgan Embraces Misconceptions About The Smashing Pumpkins
“I Don’t Need to Fight for Our Image”
🔥 The Smashing Pumpkins Frontman Reflects on Public Perception, Legacy, and Artistic Integrity
Billy Corgan, the enigmatic frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, is perfectly at peace with how the world perceives his band. Even though the group has evolved creatively over the decades, Corgan says he no longer feels the need to defend or correct public opinions that don’t align with his own.
🧠 “We Don’t See Ourselves the Way the Public Does”
With a career spanning over three decades and hits like “Tonight, Tonight”, “1979”, and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, The Smashing Pumpkins are often labeled as a loud, alternative rock band. But according to Corgan, that label barely scratches the surface.
“Most people perceive the Pumpkins as a loud alternative rock band, even though that’s not the way we perceive ourselves,” Corgan told The Guitarist.
“That alone is kind of strange to me… like, how is it that you’re in a band that you think is different from the one the public thinks you’re in?”
Corgan admits the perception has followed them for years. It doesn’t weigh on him, but it’s always there—looming in the background.
“It doesn’t mean it’s always raining all the time, but it follows you around whether you want it to or not. I’ve just accepted that other people’s perceptions aren’t mine—and I don’t feel the need to fight for mine like I used to.”
🎯 High Standards? Bring Them On.
Corgan isn’t discouraged by fan expectations—he welcomes them. In fact, he views high standards as a reflection of the band’s influence and originality.
“I don’t mind being held to a high standard. If that standard is someone’s perception of something we’ve created, that’s even better.”
He also acknowledges the double standard in the industry, where The Smashing Pumpkins are often judged more critically than their peers. But he sees value in that too.
“Certainly, we notice at times where it doesn’t seem that people are held to the same aesthetic and musical standard that we are, but that’s okay.”
🎵 Legacy Over Labels: Staying True to the Music
Corgan’s focus has shifted from shaping public narratives to simply creating authentic music. Whether the band is seen as trailblazers or misunderstood misfits, their legacy remains rooted in innovation and artistic honesty.
He’s no longer concerned with aligning public opinion to his own—because in the end, the music speaks for itself.
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