Cole, Music Blog

Because I was not present when my fellow classmates presented on their favorite artists/bands, I am blogging about the increasingly disappointing music industry and how the Internet has made superstars out of dim witted lyricists with repetitive beats.

When I go onto iTunes to see what the music world has to offer me, I am immediately shown the Top 10 singles that the world deems worthy of my ears. Names such as Drake, Trey Songz, Bruno Mars, and Ke$ha litter the list and have become the norm in our ever conforming modern music scene. With lyrics regarding drinking, drugs, sex and an overall message of “who cares, lets party,” its hard to not be upset and wish I was living in a different era, where music took on new meaning. It’s possible I might feel differently when the next music craze comes around, but not likely. The general target audience for music these days, in my opinion, is teenagers, mostly college age, who go out partying and dancing. These songs are played on a cycle at college bars and clubs around the country, with virtually no differences in creativity or message. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty, I repeat, PLENTY, of worth while music in this world that could be considered "mainstream". Unfortunately, I cannot blame the music industry fully, because we, as consumers, are who ultimately control the music industry. Because my fellow peers choose to buy such unoriginal songs, their popularity skyrockets, and therefore so does the number of artists who try to replicate. I know that I am generalizing all music, and I am also aware that these ‘Top songs’ in actuality make up a small portion of bands and artists out there in the world (I have a musical library of 6,000 to prove it), but then why aren’t those other bands making it to the top charts or the radio? More importantly in my mind, is this what our generation will be known for musically?

It is interesting to note that little is heard of these Top 20 artists’ albums as a whole entity. In our day and age, the availability of the ‘single’ allows for everyone to completely overlook the rest of the album, purchase the single, and make people like Ke$ha ridiculously ‘successful’. The value of an entire album is deceased. True, there are still many still alive who remember the days of records, videocassettes and compact disc players, but sooner than we think, there will be a day when kids will be experiencing music solely through applications such as iTunes. I believe that my generation will be the last that remembers the days when technology didn’t rule their lives completely. When playing outside as a kid was better than sitting around chatting and playing video games, and when it was exciting to go to a store a purchase a new CD by your favorite artist. I can see it already happening in my younger siblings, who virtually breathe technology. Not by their own fault, but because that is what our world is becoming.

On the opposite end of the success meter, if a band or artist wont conform, they need extreme creativity and originality to make it big. Die Antwoord, a rapping couple from South Africa, is a perfect example. Take a look at their music video. I can barley understand what they're saying due to their accents, and yes, they are bizarre, but these are traits that have made given them much success in the music scene as of late.