Ever since the emergence of rap music in the 1970's, mainstream music has turned into a circus of whom can sing the most outrageous song. People unwilling to join this boggy movement repeatedly say "why are you listening to these songs? The message is terrible" to which the masses respond "Because it sounds good or You can't tell me what to listen to." Many songs today contain empty messages of self indulgence, hedonism and lies. Most musicians preaching these messages pretend they are good people but there is no fooling anyone when such words are leaving their mouth, irrespective of whether there's a catchy beat.
Mainstream music has spiraled into a prose of abject humiliation. Rather than adding beauty and elegance to the world, these degrading, obscure, and lackluster tunes stream through the radios again and again. Messages that it's ok to do whatever you like and nobody (especially your teachers, parents or the police) can tell you what to do holds firm as a high priority. Take Nicky Minaj in her lyrically ghastly song Starships.
"But Fuck who you want and fuck who you like
Dance how I like, there's no end in sight"
Apart from brief moments of butchering "Twinkle, Twinkle Little star" Minaj seems intent on promoting hedonism. Wait, putting a catchy instrumental score behind it suddenly allows vulgar sentiments to not only be accepted, but praised as "true music." People feebly make efforts to defend these singers, stating these artists are putting personal matters out into public foray as if that's all it takes to be forgiven. Ed Sheeran believes the best way to feel "just a little love" after splitting with his girlfriend (in the song) is by retrogression.
"Should I, should I?
Maybe I'll get drunk again
I'll be drunk again
I'll be drunk again
To feel a little love"
Full of the nostalgia, which may or may not find favour with the public, Sheeran appears to be promoting drunkenness as acceptable when these low points in life come by. Such a puerile belief must not be praised and should instead be met with narrow eyes. People ought to be encouraged not to pursue such unhealthy actions, for their own good.
Too many of Rihanna's songs advocate strong sexual immorality. Even the title of her 2007 Album "Good girl gone bad" shows how proud she is to be thought of in this way. Take the chorus from S&M.
"Cus I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air I don't care I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me."
Rihanna, much like Nicky Minaj likes to pretend she's a role model for young girls and teenagers. She is in fact the champion for promiscuity and only a genuine role model in the eyes of pornography owners and immoral lynchpins. Is this really the kind of person parents want their children to listen to on the radio, at concerts, in the car, on the bus?
A young woman who is proud to dance around on stage with just about no clothes on, talking about sex like men talk about sports, mentioning it frequently in interviews, putting it in just about every single song and encouraging people to go ahead and do it without thinking about the consequences. It remains a very meretricious message. Sexual intercourse, has and remains the highest form of intimacy which men and women can use to embrace each other, something which should take place if the intimacy is there. Rihanna has poisoned and polluted the message and meaning of sex and she shouldn't be surprised that so many stalkers and sexual predators are lusting after her like ravenous wolves.
No, the decline in mainstream music does not end there. Many other singers and bands continue to make more unpleasant music. Many metal bands perform on stage as if each member is having an epileptic fit, with all of the singers in dire need of a lozenge to clear their throats. Other artists, who can't even sing but are pretty faces, fitting the "image" of a modern singer, record every single album song under auto tone, only to bumble along in a patchy live performance. Hardly a surprise old school performers like Lionel Richie sounds no different live than they do on record. The same cannot be said for singers like Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, who are merely eye candy for their large contingents of fans.
With American Idol, X-Factor, (Country name here)'s got Talent shows coming through and drawing respectable audiences, the best answer for people following these shows is with a hope for talents to break through who not only sound fantastic live and recorded but who can sing a song without talking encouraging drug consumption, promiscuity, or swearing. Taylor Swift, whilst very repetitive and monotonous, stands out as one of the few examples of a modern singer with any dignity.
Hopefully more singers with an honest heart and good intentions will come through soon. They're long overdue.
12 comments:
You have summed it up perfectly, Stuart!
Stuart, I don't beleive the issue is as clear cut as you are stating. When emerging artists break out on scene they have individualality and sing songs from their most inner core. The record labels play a large part in changing an artist in order to make them "profitable". They must dress to cater to a male audience, the labels demand certain "vibes" from their songs in order to gain revenue. For a young musician who has just tasted stardom and is held ransom by a major Producer and their label they have no choice but to compromise.
The fact that this music is played in school dances is even worse. The "bump and grind" is certainly not an appropriate form of "dancing" in public, let alone a public school.
To the first anonymous person and Steph, thanks for your input. To the middle anonymous comment, are you serious? If so, all I can say is look how far the termites have sunk. Not all singers have to compromise their dignity to appeal to the sleazy male group of society. Kelly Clarkson for example is not lying naked on a cotton candy cloud or dancing almost completely naked on stage and has been just as successful as a lot of the other female singers. My other example of Taylor Swift is also a demonstration of how female singers don't need to be put themselves forth as mere objects up for promotion. All this vibe talk is risible nonsense to give a pardonable excuse towards these artists action, none of which should be justified. They do it because they want to, not because they have to. The studios play along because it'll benefit them in the long term.
But the likes of Taylor Swift sell a unrealistic love story theme where everything is going to work out great. Just as harmful I think so. Modern day music can only go big if you sell yourself in some way
Taylor Swift is not spreading a message which will be interpreted in the wrong way. How you can compare something like an idealistic hope for love is as harmful as sleazy sex and dopey drunkards is absurd. There's nothing wrong when you say "Modern day music can only go big if you sell yourself in some way" but my problem with your argument is that your finding excuses (like many others do) for these things to be done.
I agree with you about Kelly Clarkson, I stand by my swift comment look background info she is spreading so many "hidden" messages. I am comparing then because they meant to be role models. Is swift being a role model by saying fairy tale love is going to work out is that being a good role model don't think so. I do think there is a problem with my statement saying can only sell yourself/image in some way. But that is what has happened with modern day "popular" music. Best thing to do about it is stay away. btw I like Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson, I just have a issue saying just because they don't sell their body makes them ok. The heartbreak that teenagers could have if they followed some of Swift lyrics would be harmful. However from face value the "sleazy sex and dopey drunkards" are worse.
You're looking for a perfect role model,then you'll never find it in music. Even the greatest singers of all time weren't without their flaws, even if they were never brought to public light. As for Taylor Swift's lyrics, her main message can hardly be seen as "Just as harmful." Even though, in reality girls know that this sort of love doesn't exist, doesn't mean we shouldn't aspire towards achieving it. Doing so will have many more benefits than the aspiring towards being like the other artists mentioned.
Name me one person who has suffered so much depressing heartbreak from following Swift's lyrics and I'll go and show you thousands upon thousands of people who have fallen for the lies of the other singers mentioned. Many girls at my university to name a few.
I just always remember this quote from a swift fan "Her songs are like counselling to me, my life would be lost without her" that scares me when I think what she sings about. But if girls know the swift love doesn't exist they should know the sex driven lyrics of other artists shouldn't exist either but it seems to. I do agree she is a much better role model.
If you agree that she is a better role model, you'll agree that you've strayed far away from the main point of my article. I barely mentioned Taylor Swift and yet you seemed intent on making her the subject of discussion, and were unable to stick to the main premise of my argument against mainstream music.
As for the second party read my comment above yours, else I'll sound like a stuck tape recorder
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