Difference is that was authentic. Just happened to be a hook a great producer liked and put onto a brilliant beat, which inspired Em to think of an amazing storytelling concept. It's totally bat s--- crazy and genius if you step back from the familiarity of it, and by no means predictable or made-to-be-single. It was daring and authentic.
Compare that to "Okay call RiRi Paul, Skylar just wrote her 10,000th generic love hook, let's cynically place her or Adele, Beyonce, whoever - on singing duty and have me rap some copy paste write-in-my-sleep, written-only-to-appeal-to-as-many-people-as-possible verses over a tacky beat which has been passed around the industry for 10 years - we got another easy hit $$ on our hands son".
He just s----s all over his name and any integrity he once had (now has 0) with what he does now.
It's not about having a pop hook, it's about authenticity. Making formulaic s--- to be cheap and easy hits is lame and tacky af.
