"Today's music is horrible. The radio is filled with over-commercialized pop garbage tailored to feed the mindless masses. There's no substance. There's no talent. It's just awful."
How many of us have been a victim of the dreaded music snob? We all know one or two; Hell, you may actually be one of them! That friend that, for some strange reason, feels the need to go on an eviscerating offense against any member of the Billboard Hot 100. Nobody is safe from their wrath! Are you an attractive female singer such as Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, or Taylor Swift? A no-talent bimbo with a team of song-writers and auto-tune. What if you happen to be a swagger-jacked rapper like Lil Wayne, Drake, or B.o.B.? It's lame, repetitive lyrics against a mediocre beat. What about a full-fledged band with a guitarist, drummer, and bass like Train, Fun, or All-American Rejects? Ha! You're either a wash-up, sellout, or way too juvenile to be taken seriously. It seems the only groups safe from these music elitists are obscure, indie bands that nobody's ever heard of, foreign techno bass-droppers that usually spark a migraine, or classic rock bands that feature 10-minute guitar solos.
Music snobbery is a mindset that runs rampant among middle and high-schoolers, although this shouldn't be surprising: musical tastes serve as social dividers until students are old enough to realize their political beliefs. Not only that, but they're just kids trying to display how individual they are from everyone else. You'd expect that most would grow out of this childish phase as they reach adulthood, yet I still hear the same tired arguments all over the place: the angry, indie smoker who preaches against marketable pop drivel, the aging, disgruntled family friend who bitterly pines for a days when music mattered, and don't even get me started on raging hipster internet forums where opinions apparently don't matter.
This is honestly one of my biggest pet peeves, and I've really never understood why there's such a disdain against today's popular artists. I find these hateful people annoying, arrogant, and just plain rude at times. In order to combat each of these common pop-hater types, I'd like to lock horns with the indie smoker, the disgruntled family friend, and the internet hipster. Each represent a different sort of disdain for today's top hits, and I find each type uniquely incorrect. I think the best way to address these issues, not only because it's relevant, but because it proves an ironic slap in the face, is to use a certain pop-idol for my lens. Joining me as my metaphorical co-host in my genre offense/defense will be the blue haired goddess, the teenage dream, the object of far too many of my darkest fantasies, Katy Perry.
Marketable Trash for the Masses
The champion of indie music. We all know one of these galling preachers: just approach a group of smokers and mention a pop-song stuck in your head, and one will be sure to thoroughly eviscerate you, likely promoting their personal not-very-known favorite in the process. Listen long enough, and you'll get a conspiracy theory type diatribe about the shape of modern music. Generally it goes something like "These people have no talent. They pick someone who's attractive, hire song writers to craft their hits, then autotune the hell out of their shitty voices."
In many ways, I agree, but this isn't a truism for everyone.
Let's refer back to Katy my Lady, a personal favorite of mine. It may not be conventional for a heterosexual male, but I adore this woman. Her goddess like features, powerful contralto, and catchy, relatable lyrics solidify her as one of my all-time faves. She's often a victim of these raucous ramblers, but as a devoted fan, I have a little more insight. For one, she can sing--very well at that. I've seen her live, and she's the real deal. I've heard that voice soar to the heavens as if sung by a seaside siren, and I've also heard it gently dance along a soft melody-- breaths, voice cracks, and pitch-shifts included. Not only that, but this woman works hard. She tried and failed again and again before finally getting someone to even give her a chance, and sold her life to her music and her fans once she achieved real fame, even sacrificing her marriage in the process. Sure, there may be lazy, air-brushed, no-talent barbies out there, but to accuse any big-name artist of that is just ignorant.
Music Ain't Like It Used To Be
Certainly not as in-your-face as the former, but equally as judgmental, these nostalgic naysayers audibly pine for a day when music wasn't as awful as it is today. For starters, I understand why this happens with older types: music means more when we're younger, at least initially. When I was 14, I could find a new song or band every other week. The world was a musical ocean, and I was an eager sponge. Within a few short years, this became quite the opposite. Nothing could stick. I'd music surf, only to give up on a song after 30 seconds. To this day, I look for new music all the time, and it's often an uphill battle. Thus, it seems to me that the songs you hear when you're in your teenage years sticks in a way that really matters as you get older.
Still, there are many that are my age that rant and rave about music from the days of old. I won't knock them, because you gotta love the classics, but here's the thing: music today is good. Is it different? Absolutely. That doesn't make it awful though. Let's look at Katy Perry's phenomenally successful Teenage Dream album: It boasts six number one singles, a record that ties only with the legendary Michael Jackson. You can't just discard that like it's nothing lest you abandon your entire standard of success in the first place. Not only that, radio music in the 60's, 70's, and 80's wasn't just hit after hit after hit. There were so many artists and songs that came and went unnoticed, just as many of today's artists do. That's what makes these great oldies so great. They've stood the test of time. Just as many of today's great artists will do.
My Opinion>Your Opinion
Online music forums such as Reddit are the absolute worst offenders on my list. Imagine indie smoker guy on steroids; they're out for blood! To these types, it's an absolute disgusting world of music that we live in, and it's not even fathomable that anyone can even tolerate the utter dog shit that blares out the radio these days. Really, it's best to roll your eyes and go about your day, but sometimes I just want to grab these people, shake them repeatedly, and yell my final point repeatedly: Musical taste is an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, there are definite standards for measuring the complexity of lyrics and musical instruments, but it would be foolish to use this as the universal standard of what is good and what is bad.
We like music for different reasons. I like Katy Perry because I find her songs catchy and relatable to my life. I like Kanye West because he makes me feel like a swaggerific badass. I like Jason Aldean because there's no better soundtrack to a drive down a country backroad. I like Coldplay because they paint beautiful mental pictures that have a lasting impact. I like Marilyn Manson because sometimes we just need to vent anger by singing about violence. I like Bon Iver because nothing goes better with a cloudy day and some coffee. I like Skrillex because it makes me dancey when I'm intoxicated. We like music because of how it sounds. How it makes us feel. How we dance to it. How the lyrics mean something. There's a great number of reasons any of us may choose to like a song or an artist. So who are any of us to judge? Our tunes are our to hear, our songs for us to sing. Let's just jam and let jam.
How many of us have been a victim of the dreaded music snob? We all know one or two; Hell, you may actually be one of them! That friend that, for some strange reason, feels the need to go on an eviscerating offense against any member of the Billboard Hot 100. Nobody is safe from their wrath! Are you an attractive female singer such as Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, or Taylor Swift? A no-talent bimbo with a team of song-writers and auto-tune. What if you happen to be a swagger-jacked rapper like Lil Wayne, Drake, or B.o.B.? It's lame, repetitive lyrics against a mediocre beat. What about a full-fledged band with a guitarist, drummer, and bass like Train, Fun, or All-American Rejects? Ha! You're either a wash-up, sellout, or way too juvenile to be taken seriously. It seems the only groups safe from these music elitists are obscure, indie bands that nobody's ever heard of, foreign techno bass-droppers that usually spark a migraine, or classic rock bands that feature 10-minute guitar solos.
Music snobbery is a mindset that runs rampant among middle and high-schoolers, although this shouldn't be surprising: musical tastes serve as social dividers until students are old enough to realize their political beliefs. Not only that, but they're just kids trying to display how individual they are from everyone else. You'd expect that most would grow out of this childish phase as they reach adulthood, yet I still hear the same tired arguments all over the place: the angry, indie smoker who preaches against marketable pop drivel, the aging, disgruntled family friend who bitterly pines for a days when music mattered, and don't even get me started on raging hipster internet forums where opinions apparently don't matter.
 |
| This bro is so cool he doesn't even have a face |
This is honestly one of my biggest pet peeves, and I've really never understood why there's such a disdain against today's popular artists. I find these hateful people annoying, arrogant, and just plain rude at times. In order to combat each of these common pop-hater types, I'd like to lock horns with the indie smoker, the disgruntled family friend, and the internet hipster. Each represent a different sort of disdain for today's top hits, and I find each type uniquely incorrect. I think the best way to address these issues, not only because it's relevant, but because it proves an ironic slap in the face, is to use a certain pop-idol for my lens. Joining me as my metaphorical co-host in my genre offense/defense will be the blue haired goddess, the teenage dream, the object of far too many of my darkest fantasies, Katy Perry.
Marketable Trash for the Masses
The champion of indie music. We all know one of these galling preachers: just approach a group of smokers and mention a pop-song stuck in your head, and one will be sure to thoroughly eviscerate you, likely promoting their personal not-very-known favorite in the process. Listen long enough, and you'll get a conspiracy theory type diatribe about the shape of modern music. Generally it goes something like "These people have no talent. They pick someone who's attractive, hire song writers to craft their hits, then autotune the hell out of their shitty voices."
In many ways, I agree, but this isn't a truism for everyone.
Let's refer back to Katy my Lady, a personal favorite of mine. It may not be conventional for a heterosexual male, but I adore this woman. Her goddess like features, powerful contralto, and catchy, relatable lyrics solidify her as one of my all-time faves. She's often a victim of these raucous ramblers, but as a devoted fan, I have a little more insight. For one, she can sing--very well at that. I've seen her live, and she's the real deal. I've heard that voice soar to the heavens as if sung by a seaside siren, and I've also heard it gently dance along a soft melody-- breaths, voice cracks, and pitch-shifts included. Not only that, but this woman works hard. She tried and failed again and again before finally getting someone to even give her a chance, and sold her life to her music and her fans once she achieved real fame, even sacrificing her marriage in the process. Sure, there may be lazy, air-brushed, no-talent barbies out there, but to accuse any big-name artist of that is just ignorant.
 |
| For real. Don't argue with those thighs. |
Music Ain't Like It Used To Be
Certainly not as in-your-face as the former, but equally as judgmental, these nostalgic naysayers audibly pine for a day when music wasn't as awful as it is today. For starters, I understand why this happens with older types: music means more when we're younger, at least initially. When I was 14, I could find a new song or band every other week. The world was a musical ocean, and I was an eager sponge. Within a few short years, this became quite the opposite. Nothing could stick. I'd music surf, only to give up on a song after 30 seconds. To this day, I look for new music all the time, and it's often an uphill battle. Thus, it seems to me that the songs you hear when you're in your teenage years sticks in a way that really matters as you get older.
Still, there are many that are my age that rant and rave about music from the days of old. I won't knock them, because you gotta love the classics, but here's the thing: music today is good. Is it different? Absolutely. That doesn't make it awful though. Let's look at Katy Perry's phenomenally successful Teenage Dream album: It boasts six number one singles, a record that ties only with the legendary Michael Jackson. You can't just discard that like it's nothing lest you abandon your entire standard of success in the first place. Not only that, radio music in the 60's, 70's, and 80's wasn't just hit after hit after hit. There were so many artists and songs that came and went unnoticed, just as many of today's artists do. That's what makes these great oldies so great. They've stood the test of time. Just as many of today's great artists will do.
My Opinion>Your Opinion
Online music forums such as Reddit are the absolute worst offenders on my list. Imagine indie smoker guy on steroids; they're out for blood! To these types, it's an absolute disgusting world of music that we live in, and it's not even fathomable that anyone can even tolerate the utter dog shit that blares out the radio these days. Really, it's best to roll your eyes and go about your day, but sometimes I just want to grab these people, shake them repeatedly, and yell my final point repeatedly: Musical taste is an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, there are definite standards for measuring the complexity of lyrics and musical instruments, but it would be foolish to use this as the universal standard of what is good and what is bad.
We like music for different reasons. I like Katy Perry because I find her songs catchy and relatable to my life. I like Kanye West because he makes me feel like a swaggerific badass. I like Jason Aldean because there's no better soundtrack to a drive down a country backroad. I like Coldplay because they paint beautiful mental pictures that have a lasting impact. I like Marilyn Manson because sometimes we just need to vent anger by singing about violence. I like Bon Iver because nothing goes better with a cloudy day and some coffee. I like Skrillex because it makes me dancey when I'm intoxicated. We like music because of how it sounds. How it makes us feel. How we dance to it. How the lyrics mean something. There's a great number of reasons any of us may choose to like a song or an artist. So who are any of us to judge? Our tunes are our to hear, our songs for us to sing. Let's just jam and let jam.
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