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I feel as if her artistry has been going downhill ever since the My Story/(M)u era, but it's been especially disastrous these past few years. What attracted me to her artistry (and I say "artistry", not "music", because it's the visual as well as the audio) was the fact that it was the perfect combination of quirky, deep, fun, and beautiful. Sure, it looked and sounded nice, but there was substance behind it as well. Her earliest lyrics resonated with me, not just because she was able to put her finger on the common elements of the human condition, but because she was able to express these elements in a way that was poetic without being over-polished. Her music videos resonated with me because of the way they told a story (even if the meaning was not always immediately discernible), juxtaposed seemingly incongruous elements to form a harmonious end product, and did so without seeming like she was trying to make her point with a sledgehammer. Her compositions resonated with me because, well, they were catchy, but also because they were not the kind of music you would expect from a seasoned tunesmith--someone whose job was to just grind out melodies.
In short, it was the fact that she was honest, profound, and original (okay, that last one is disputable, but let's not get into it here.) Actually, I believe she was original because she was honest--she didn't necessarily filter her experiences to fit the expectations of the musical scene (beyond reason at least.) But I also believe she was original because she was profound. Now it seems as if all she can sing about is romantic relationships; she used to look at the finer points of existence--loneliness, resolve, self-doubt, and so on with an almost philosophical gaze--but now when she does sing about those things, it's always within the context of romantic love. And there's none of the wistful half-curiosity that colored her earlier works. Now it seems as if all she's concerned about is having love and having fun. It's a trend that I've noticed starting from the My Story/(M)u era.
There have been a few bright spots since then, like Return Road, but they're getting fewer and farther between.
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