lately i've been wondering... so what IS pop music?
'pop' stands for popular.... popular music... in the 70's it was the beatles in the 80's it was cindy lauper and debra harry and the new kids
in the early 90s grunge and possible rock became the new pop. slowly emerging was the resurgence of POP music - aka Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and Britney. In the end, pop becomes defined not as what's popular, but teeny bopperish happy bubble gummy music. Now we reach 2004 and what's popular now?
Thru all these phases, meanwhile - there was soul, hiphop and in the early 90s rock, alternative and more hiphop. Think aobut now, all the artists from the 90s have either split from their group to persue a failed or rarely sucessful solo artist career, or have grown up and what was once their audience of teeny boppers, have become disgruntled parents, or gone off to persue in some sort of broadway venue. As the labeled 'pop' music fades away, we find ourselves tuning into our own interests as opposed to listening to kiss92. Some go to hiphop, some to alternative, but everyone seems to choose their own genre and taste. in addition, current 'pop' music tend to incorporate beats from other genres hiphop and funk mostly to create a different and more diverese sound.
Don't get me wrong, i know many or possible most people have found their preference long time ago, but there are those like me that used to flow toward the popular music and now are forced to find my own liking. I come to thid because I recently purchased a pop CD. With my diverese music tastes from Electronica to Prince to Britney to Classical, I listened to the Emma Bunton Cd and bought it. Now, see here, she's always been my favourie spice girl and how can you not think that new video of hers, "Maybe' but not cute - however, I feel I have betrayed my fellow music listeners.
But wait, this Cd's actually pretty damn good. I have a certain taste, and I really really love this CD. Yes its pop, one track being salsa-ish, with a 60s go-go dancing feel. loungey. i like it, others might not but do. So i keep this fact to myself. Until today, where I played the CD for others and it wasn't only me that loved Baby Spice. So I admit, I love pop too and miss it.
In saying all this, I am glad that with pop taking ona low profile we must choose our own station and discover them 'non' popular music. Doesn't mean they aren't good, it's just that it doesn't sound bubble gummy.
But the fact is exemplfied once again : When one era comes and goes, the next era that arises will be completely opposing and a reaction to the previous.
For example, in the Baroque era music was mostly played on orchestra, organs and harpsichords following strict rules on how it was to be composed. The Classical era followed only with the surge of more secular music and composed were commised by the palace to do their work and new intruments. As the Romantic Era came about, more emotion was put into the music and the rules began to bend Impressionistic era, composers worked more freely - also shown in painting where lines of objects were blurred for more effect. Now in the 'Modern era' (anything after impressionstic acordding to most history books) we can do anything we want and call it music or art. As the musical eras followed art, each transition was considered to be controverstial yet eventually became acceptable by popular demand. and thus an era was born.
It is also human nature to have too much of something, and then we are bored.
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