Making it in today's music industry seems more of an issue of being at the right place at the right time and how far you're willing to go into crazy territory.
I used to think Lady Gaga was pretty cool, trained at Juliard, writing her own songs and everything, supportive of gay rights, but now her music is pretty much shit and her spectacle is just that --- all style and no substance, unless you count flashy pretention. She's not doing anything new or innovative; she's recycling the ideas and musicality of the 80's stars (see her feud with Madonna, anyone?) except with a bigger budget and more media to manipulate.
What bothers me I guess is that at least the 80's were tongue in cheek and obvious in their cheesy, over the top emulation of form over function. This recycled version is taking itself way too seriously and actually thinks the garbage it is churning out is new and unique, and teens are taking that trend, too.
Seriously, get off my lawn and write something new that at least is fun.
Alternatively, a band outside of the Top 40 and yet still mimicking tropes of their own genre (be careful if in a public setting, there is swearing in the video) but really let's be honest I just actually love these guys, check them out instead:
Multi-platinum selling Finnish export Nightwish record with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the same choirs that give sound to soundtracks like Lord of the Rings. They're the first of their kind of symphonic metal. Used to have an opera soprano as lead vocals, I like their new lady Anette better.
Heard of them here? Nope. Thanks, Billboard 100.
I really liked your part on Katy Perry. That stuck out to me the most because I feel like she is talented and her songs do have good, sincere meaning, however she tries to hard with her looks that she becomes fake.
ReplyDeleteSame goes for Lady Gaga. She has a lot of talent and writes her own music, but she tries to cover it up with makeup and clothes and act like someone she 's not.
The artists we have now have talent but they hide it behind the media because they know it will sell more. I personally would rather see an artist with zero makeup and wearing a t-shirt and shorts but sing beautifully and have it come from the heart, but now we have artists that can't sing and are making more money that people with actual talent.
Well, I agree with you about today's crappy music, but not to the same extent. I find it hard to find music that I like among the music that's come out in recent years, but I also think that there has been some great bands (that have made the top 40)that came about within the past 45 years. It's a shame that music has been more about showmanship since the 80s, but I feel like bands in the 90s took it upon themselves to forget showmanship and use visual media to add a visual arts aspect to performance and definitely music videos. I speak mainly of bands like Tool, Primus, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc. This was great music, and all of these bands were in the top 40 at some point or another.
ReplyDeleteThese bands had music videos to market themselves, but I'm sure bands from the 60s would've too if they were given the opportunity.
Today, as you said, you can sell crappy music with some kind of flashy spectacle. But, despite this, there are good musicians that come onto the market. I think it's a question of either selling out to spectacle when you hit it big or staying true to yourself and using visual arts to enhance the music you bring to the public. If you've never heard of Tool or Primus, check them out. Look into their music videos and live performances and watch the shows they put on. All the claymation done in primus' videos is done by their bassist/frontman. Both of these bands put on a killer live show that is never the same twice and that still maintains a record-like quality to their music.
This almost approaches an interesting analysis, because you almost notice that what's missing from today's music scene, which is fairly new, is the absence of relevance of a 'top 40' list--with a few exceptions. Don't you think that may have more to do with huge shifts in the way music is distributed, shared, and enjoyed than any real collapse in quality? Also, some connection with class reading would have been good here.
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