Today's music isn't what it used to be
Sara Gregory
Issue date: 9/2/09 Section: The Edge
Today's music sucks. That's a rash statement, but someone has to say it. Sure, good music has come out of the last century in different genres, but generally what do American popular radio stations play? Synthesized garbage.
"Pop" has become a music based on meticulous sound editing and manipulation. Now that we have the ability to completely computerize the voice with vocoders, synthesizers and various sound editing programs, the need for real talent in a performer diminishes. Anyone in the right place at the right time can perform today's music and be edited to perfection.
Take Britney Spears, whose voice is so shredded that every new song she comes out with is more distorted than the last. Just listen to "Womanizer." That's half computer you're hearing. But she can sustain herself as an artist through sex appeal, drama and technology, even though her voice is ruined.
And what the hell is this Miley Cyrus crap? Does she even play another instrument? Because it seems to me that she just sings and dances around, and the only people who should be allowed to get away with that should have a damn good voice. However, she's got daddy's name and money so she doesn't need to be good.
Mariah Carey, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, even Paris Hilton. Anyone who claims to like any of these performers really doesn't. They like the lyricist, composer or computer. Even if they enjoyed one of these pop divas live, they'd be enjoying the choreographer, costumes, and in many cases, a manipulated voice through the headset microphone.
We are a culture so consumed with sex appeal that our music reflects this. The function of our music has become a different kind of dancing music - beyond dirty dancing. The pounding music at clubs encourages techno beats and fast paced thrusting, and this in turn encourages the expanded use of the synthesizer and diminishes the need for performers.
There is good music out there, so why as a culture do we fixate on such canned, empty music? Because there are only four chords in most pop music, the simplicity is mind numbing, and when we listen to music we tend to use it as an escape from complicated lives.
This music reflects our generation, and what does it say about us? It says that we laid back and let business take over the music industry; that we allowed technology to eliminate the need for human performers. Elvis once said, "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to." We should have been concerned then.
So musicians, do us all a favor. Get over your performance issues and make the effort to be discovered. I know talented musicians are out there, even in Macomb. So perform. Send out demos. Be relentless. Find your voice and say something real. Only drastic action can change where pop music is headed, or else one day we will wake up to a world where music is entirely dependent on machines.
"Pop" has become a music based on meticulous sound editing and manipulation. Now that we have the ability to completely computerize the voice with vocoders, synthesizers and various sound editing programs, the need for real talent in a performer diminishes. Anyone in the right place at the right time can perform today's music and be edited to perfection.
Take Britney Spears, whose voice is so shredded that every new song she comes out with is more distorted than the last. Just listen to "Womanizer." That's half computer you're hearing. But she can sustain herself as an artist through sex appeal, drama and technology, even though her voice is ruined.
And what the hell is this Miley Cyrus crap? Does she even play another instrument? Because it seems to me that she just sings and dances around, and the only people who should be allowed to get away with that should have a damn good voice. However, she's got daddy's name and money so she doesn't need to be good.
Mariah Carey, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, even Paris Hilton. Anyone who claims to like any of these performers really doesn't. They like the lyricist, composer or computer. Even if they enjoyed one of these pop divas live, they'd be enjoying the choreographer, costumes, and in many cases, a manipulated voice through the headset microphone.
We are a culture so consumed with sex appeal that our music reflects this. The function of our music has become a different kind of dancing music - beyond dirty dancing. The pounding music at clubs encourages techno beats and fast paced thrusting, and this in turn encourages the expanded use of the synthesizer and diminishes the need for performers.
There is good music out there, so why as a culture do we fixate on such canned, empty music? Because there are only four chords in most pop music, the simplicity is mind numbing, and when we listen to music we tend to use it as an escape from complicated lives.
This music reflects our generation, and what does it say about us? It says that we laid back and let business take over the music industry; that we allowed technology to eliminate the need for human performers. Elvis once said, "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to." We should have been concerned then.
So musicians, do us all a favor. Get over your performance issues and make the effort to be discovered. I know talented musicians are out there, even in Macomb. So perform. Send out demos. Be relentless. Find your voice and say something real. Only drastic action can change where pop music is headed, or else one day we will wake up to a world where music is entirely dependent on machines.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 9
E. Loza
posted 9/02/09 @ 12:40 PM CST
I don't know about the other singers but I am sure Mariah Carey write her own songs.
Darcy
posted 9/02/09 @ 12:41 PM CST
I am surprised you would mention Mariah Carey in your article. She has been known to be one the best vocalists of all time. Do YOU have a 7 full octave vocal range? Didn't think so. (Continued…)
L.
posted 9/02/09 @ 12:52 PM CST
Take Mariah Carey off your list, then I'll agree with it. She's apart of another generation. The one that came before this one. You need to get your FACTS straight you idiot. (Continued…)
afdjadfkj
posted 9/02/09 @ 1:24 PM CST
if she didnt have a good voice many people wouldnt buy her songs,fyi somebody seem to be angry towards a 16year old success,sad!! get a hobby,miley is awesome!! suck it!!
ParisianGuy
posted 9/02/09 @ 1:31 PM CST
I don't know about the others but Mariah Carey writes practically all of her songs, doesn't do any choreographies, doesn't wear costumes and does not manipulate her voice on live, nor on the albums except for the two times she used auto tune, on Migrate (E=MC2) and on Obsessed, her new single. (Continued…)
John
posted 9/02/09 @ 2:18 PM CST
Todays music has no heart, no soul, no depth. Im not talking about the words, but the mastery of the voice. There is not a pop singer today that will be considered at the same level as the singers of the 60's, 70's, and a few in the 80's. (Continued…)
SteveW
posted 9/02/09 @ 2:49 PM CST
Even Hilary Duff writes her own songs these days.
I was pretending to hate Western Courier but now I realize it's just the writers I hate.
Miguel Karam
posted 9/02/09 @ 2:52 PM CST
Hilary Duff is a great performer. She writes most of her songs and she may not have the best voice on the planet but she is very successful at what she's doing. (Continued…)
Stephen
posted 9/04/09 @ 7:21 AM CST
To bad you don't know that Hilary Duff writes her own songs, lol.
Because she does. And she doesn't fuck with her voice, she sounds a lot live just as she does in studio. (Continued…)
Post a Comment