Facing The Music

Disclaimer: While I do realize that individual opinion determines what makes something good or bad, I wanted to make this topic to discuss people's faults with or praise in music. This topic is not intended to bash certain forms of music, only to point out things that are liked or disliked as far as making music is concerned.

Alright, I'm going to come out and say it: I have some issues with much of today's music. I'm a very avid listener of music, and I can find many many artists I just completely enjoy. However, conversely, I can find lots of music I just abhor. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of music I don't like is modern country music:

Modern country music, I believe at least, should not be given the moniker of country music. I think it's pop music sporting a cowboy hat. Modern country lyrics are hardly substantial, mostly revolving around being a "country boy," pick-up trucks, and unimaginative love songs. This isn't to say that there are absolutely zero modern country acts worth listening to: Keith Urban and Josh Turner come to mind when thinking of enjoyable and rather meaningful modern country. However, I find it unsettling to find so many artists bent on hashing out songs containing the same content over and over, and it's a rapidly growing phenomenon.

I take a look at pop artists of today and notice the same formula: party songs, cheap love songs, and songs involving nothing but sexual encounters. I feel like it's hard to wade through and find something different. When I think of pop music that I'd actually enjoy, I think Pink, Michael Jackson, and Adele (she's a great singer, and her lyrics are inspired, based on all I've heard.)

Utilizing the aforementioned music styles as examples, it's clear that music is largely being exploited in order to sell an image of someone's face with catchy music just so a certain demographic will become attracted to it and buy all they can of a certain artist's material; this isn't a secret, I know. It's been happening for years. What scares me is that people are increasingly unaware or willing to accept that while these hyped-up chart busters are making money off of a rehashed formula, artists who make music that I would call more substantial is quietly swept under the rug, having to be prodded for just to be heard. It's scary to think that the music industry only cares about increasing industry, rather than finding artists who make music about real causes, talk about real issues, or who just make intelligent music, and don't show them the same amount of recognition as these artists who top the charts.

Of course, I uderstand it would be entirely too expensive to give every artist or band a wide amount of spotlight. It would just be nice to see artists who stray from the formula of "it's catchy, and people want to party to it" actually be recognized and talked about. Of course, the flip side to that could be that the industry would corrupt (or at least try to) the talent of a band that is unique and has it's own formula. It's scary to think that music is being made by the industry, not the musicians.

Now, regarding issues that are separate from plain old industry corruption, I also have an issue with a band or artist trying to appeal to people through image. I'm seeing a large number of bands try to implicate an image on themselves just to be liked, and they forego certain songwriting techniques in order to appeal to people: aptly, emotion. Too often I've seen many a metalhead who doesn't listen to certain bands because the band displays emotions other than anger, hatred, distrust, or the like, because they listen to bands who are likewise that way. Sadness has no place in bands like Slayer, Hatebreed, or The Acacia Strain. Granted, these bands are geared toward anger and displeasure, but too often I've seen people molded to this ideal that they cannot listen to bands that portray such emotions as sadness or happiness because it isn't "metal" or it's "too pussy-sounding."

In a world with so much music, so much emotion, and so much to experience, it is disheartening to witness people miss out on amazingly heartfelt music because they've convinced themselves that they have to be tough by listening to music that only exudes anger and hate.

With all of this said, I'm not saying that certain people have no right to make music: by all means, if it's what you want to do, do it. I'm not going to stop you. Just don't expect me to pick up the latest Rhianna CD and play it until it wears out. It's because I feel that music isn't going to good places, what with people mostly only listening to music about the party scene, pouring their money into artists who have been doing the same thing many others have been doing for years.

Again, these are my opinions. If you have a similar story, or something different to say, I'd love to have a discussion (not an argument; no reason to get all hot and bothered.) Maybe your opinion differs from mine. Cool, that'd be interesting to talk about. This is just me, venting my fear for music, wanting to talk it out with anyone else.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/OAgQqk4Ewm0/viewtopic.php

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