Music | Then and Now

http://neointernetradio.com/index.php/2014/10/05/how-music-has-changed/

Often, I hear many people lament over the fact that in the 21st century, we are lacking “good music” and “artistes who are actually talented.” In addition, we have some hipsters who find solace in and prefer to jam to old hits by Nirvana and The Beatles. Question is - are we really lacking good music and talent today? Back in the days, bands such as Nirvana, Blink-182, Queen and the Beatles ruled the rock scene. Each band was known for its unique lyrical take and development of sound. Nirvana was known for their reliance on dynamic contrasts, coupled with loud heavy choruses. Blink-182 was considered a key group in the development of pop punk music. The Beatles, hailed as the most influential act of the rock era, were said to have stopped holding live concerts due to their wildly huge fan base. Last but not least, there was Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop, whose death triggered an outpouring of grief throughout the world.

Source: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/ingear/cars/Driving/article812510.ece

Fast forward to today, we have artistes such as Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran. There seems to be only two categories of music - one being “Pretty-Boy-Trash-Music”, the other being “Good Music”. Justin Bieber has been labeled as the Prince of Pop by many of his fans. However, critics say that his music lacks meaning, depth, and that he “only found success because of his looks”. Despite not being a fan of Bieber’s, I can’t deny that his music has been successful purely in terms of album sales. Ed Sheeran, on the other hand, known for his folksy, acoustic sound, has been frequently praised for his songwriting, which often tugs at heartstrings. Fans have labeled his music as “to the heart”. Imagine that both of them were students in your class. If you were their teacher, it is important to remember the fact that both artistes can sing. Often, we see ourselves as having the right to criticize music. And often, we forget that music, like every other piece of art, is subjective. Sometimes, we ought not to take into account their background story but rather, what they are currently doing trying to find their place in the music industry. Questions flood the forums. “Why can’t bands be as good as Nirvana?” “Are they trying to be like the Beatles?” “That child thinks he’s the next Michael Jackson?” All these statements lack depth of thought. A band can never be as good as another. One cannot expect another singer to attain the peak of the past influential ones. As the cliché goes, “Everyone is different, in their own unique way”. It is about time for us to accept the fact that not every piece of music composed will be pleasant to our ears. What could be noise to your ears could be melodious to another. That is just how unique we are. As we constantly preach about how unique everyone is, we should perhaps learn to accept how unique every musician is as well. Musical style changes, from time to time, from generation to generation, from the 80s to the current modern era. This is similar to how the standards of a “perfect body” have changed within just a century. A woman with a "perfect body" in the 1930s would barely get a second look from Hollywood producers or model casting agents today. Similarly, an award winning song in the 1930s would [good attempt at drawing parallels, but the phrasing could be better] by music producers today. We are simply no longer living in the past. Lastly, are cover artists considered real musicians? Does re-singing current popular songs or old hits make it their “own” music? We have Jayesslee, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie, all of whom have found substantial success based on their portfolio of cover songs. All of them can sing, look good, and have attempted to [successfully? might want to elaborate] write their own songs. Out of the three groups of musicians I have mentioned (Old, Current, and Covers), I do believe that the most successful group would be the Covers. Why so? They had preconceived opinions of the song and what is left would their vocals (and their ability to pepper the song with their own style). I had the chance to attend the Jayesslee | Live in Singapore concert last week and it was an eye-opener. Cover artists who are able to put their own spin on hit songs deserve a round of applause, because songs on Top Charts carry with them a certain set of expectations and judgement I do not deny I have my own share of favourite musicians, and those that I dislike. But what I do know is that we cannot insist on re-creating the sounds from decades back, and neither can we insist on musicians changing their style to suit our preferences. That is how subjective music is. Old bands, current artistes, and cover musicians alike, they all thrive on their own flair and this should be as far as we judge them.