Why we hate pop music

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

I saw this online today and thought it was interesting. I think people are so predisposed to hating pop music but so often I see the reasons for the hatred don't make sense because they often apply to other genres of music. It's just an easy scapegoat. If anything, this video does emphasize just how important image and your already-established impression of the artist is to whether you like or dislike a song.

sourcefed.com/why-we-hate-pop-music/

[slamina]

Well, that image on display before you click play are two valid reasons why many people hate pop music today. Odd that no one recognized Justin's voice...lol

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Jan 29, 2015 17:44:58 GMT -5 slamina said:

Well, that image on display before you click play are two valid reasons why many people hate pop music today.

I'm sure anyone can pick out key people from country, rock, rap, etc, and their images would be equally hated. Not exclusive to pop music.

[Envoirment]

I'm pretty sure it's due to a few reasons, but I think the main reasons are talent & social media/the internet. With social media, a popstar's entire life can be displayed to everyone and they almost lose all privacy - meaning you're going to see things/hear things etc that you would dislike coming from the person in question that you wouldn't necessarily be aware of otherwise. When Whitney was doing drugs, Michael was having troubles and a whole host of other things that previous popstars went through, social media/the internet would have likely exacerbated those issues had it been around back then.

In regards to talent, I feel that most of the popstars today don't live up to those who have been around previously. The likes of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Madonna, George Michael, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Eurythmics, Tina Tunrer, Donna Summer and the list is endless. All those big names had huge talent in one way or the other (Whether it be vocally like Whitney, or making great songs/music like Elton john or being a great dancer like Janet & Michael). Today's popstars seem to pale in comparison to their predecessors and pop seems to have taken a much more manufactured turn since the turn of the century. I'm not saying that the current popstars aren't talented to some extent, but some of those that are at the top of the game just can't compare to some of those I've mentioned (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift & Rihanna for example).

Although saying that, there are some who are great and are loved/well respected by a lot of people; Adele, Bruno Mars & Beyoncé to name a few.

[Deleted]

Kind of a stupid video.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2015 18:45:27 GMT -5 Envoirment said:

In regards to talent, I feel that most of the popstars today don't live up to those who have been around previously. The likes of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Madonna, George Michael, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Eurythmics, Tina Tunrer, Donna Summer and the list is endless. All those big names had huge talent in one way or the other (Whether it be vocally like Whitney, or making great songs/music like Elton john or being a great dancer like Janet & Michael). Today's popstars seem to pale in comparison to their predecessors and pop seems to have taken a much more manufactured turn since the turn of the century. I'm not saying that the current popstars aren't talented to some extent, but some of those that are at the top of the game just can't compare to some of those I've mentioned (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift & Rihanna for example).

A lot of that is generational. There were certainly plenty of people calling Whitney, Mariah, and Madonna talentless hacks back in the 80s/early 90s. A lot of what they are celebrated for and get credit for now is exactly what they were criticized for back then. Ten years from now, there will be people in their 20s and 30s longing for the "good old days" when the music industry gave us Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. This nothing new. It's all a matter of perspective.

Anyway, what I think is most silly about "pop music" bashing is that it's usually coming from people who are purists of other genres/radio formats that have just as much of a manufactured image and commercial aspect to it, albeit focused on a smaller demographic than pop music.

[Rocky]

What a stupid and pointless video. Pop music is never bad, you just get old and/or grumpy.

[surfy]

Yeah the video really didn't show why people hated pop music, it showed why people hate pop stars... (such as Bieber)

[Spidey]

Most of the people in that video are annoying. The video is stupid. Bye.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Jan 29, 2015 19:37:31 GMT -5 surfy said:

Yeah the video really didn't show why people hated pop music, it showed why people hate pop stars... (such as Bieber)

For a lot of people they're synonymous though.

[Flip]

This video doesn't make sense.

[Deleted]

Well I will say is mostly due to nostalgia, and at times is the image of the artist as well. People that generally don't like pop music will usually say is because they don't like a certain artist, or "they're all about image and not the music", or "their music is too simplistic and generic", and of course the obvious "the pop music now sucks, back then it was much better". For example, I'm pretty sure that when it was announced that Katy Perry would perform in the Super Bowl, people outside of her demographic were either rolling their eyes or complaining because some people don't like her image, her as a person in general, and that her music is very simplistic. Or for example, the "Anaconda" video got a lot of controversy and backlash because it was Nicki Minaj ,and there are people who don't like Nicki Minaj or the image she brings,does that make her a bad artist? that's up to the person to decide or debate, but in reality, no. Also, people get very annoyed by pop stars if they're usally in your face, all over the news and media, social networks and constantly talked about, is bound to get on some people's nerves. Despite what my previous post have led people to believe, I do really enjoy pop music, especially now more than ever with the diversity we've been getting these past couple of years, and I do think it is ridiculous to generalize all pop music based on an artist. I think people also get upset at pop music, is because most of it is targeted towards young people (kids, teenagers and young adults), and anything that's targeted towards those age groups is seemed as manufactured and inauthentic, especially the teen pop stuff like Justin Bieber and One Direction. The reality pop music was made to appeal to the masses, is simple to make so that people can sing along to (and even then, pop music has its moments where there can be meaningful lyrics, depth, and artist that have range and diversity), it has always been image-driven and will continue to be, but because of that there's going to be people that will hate it. I used to be one of those people, but I have long since grown out of it. The reality is music is for everyone , I might still make my honest opinion on how I don't like certain songs or genres, but that doesn't mean they're bad, they're just not my taste, I think people have just let nostalgia cloud their judgement. If you look at the videos on YouTube about people craving for the old days, they always say that all pop music today is about sex, auto-tune, image, simple lyrics, etc. without realizing that is really the nostalgia talking and the reality was that their music wasn't any better, and not to mention generalizing pop music based on some songs or artists they heard without realizing not all pop music or music today in general is like that, that's my view.

[allow that]

I saw the thread title and most recent post by billboardfan1 on the main page and instantly thought this was one of his threads. I was wrong!

[Deleted]

Jan 30, 2015 15:22:59 GMT -5 allow that said:

I saw the thread title and most recent post by billboardfan1 on the main page and instantly thought this was one of his threads. I was wrong!

You guys seriously need to stop stereotyping me, I already said I do like pop music, especially now more than before, plus my name says it all, I like following the Billboard charts just to see if there's anything interesting I should listen to. Stop painting me as this arrogant person who doesn't like modern music/pop music, I'm not one of those people. And even if I didn't, why should you care? And read my thread above thread, you'll find my honest opinion on the matter.

[Mikey]

I'm gonna take the minority here to say that i do not like pop music. They are so mainstream and overplayed, so i can't enjoy them. I also can't feel the same vibe with dance music

The video is nonsense tho

[Linnethia Monique]

I hate this "we" sh!t mentality.

[Future Captain]

Kinda stupid, really. I'm pretty sure peoples who claimed that they hate Pop music in Internet is probably listening, humming or even singing along to one when they type it.

You didn't hate Pop music because you grow old, you grow old because you begin to hate Pop music.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2015 19:18:41 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

A lot of that is generational. There were certainly plenty of people calling Whitney, Mariah, and Madonna talentless hacks back in the 80s/early 90s. A lot of what they are celebrated for and get credit for now is exactly what they were criticized for back then. Ten years from now, there will be people in their 20s and 30s longing for the "good old days" when the music industry gave us Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. This nothing new. It's all a matter of perspective.

I agree with this to an extent, but don't think it's the full answer. In regards to pop music right now, The internet age has made the importance of perceived artistic involvement on the singers part more crucial than ever before. People are more aware that pop music is more or less sold to them, rather than chosen by them which can cause them to feel as if they are being duped over and manipulated. It's very important that the consumer thinks that they have the power over what they purchase, which is generally why new/obscure artists are perceived as cool, because supporting them feels more like it was your more choice (regardless of that being accurate or not). Even during the 2009-20012 peak of EDM pop, there was a lot of effort given to make the major pop stars (Gaga/Kesha/Katy) appear that they were heavily involved in the creation of the music/expressing their artistic vision and just happened to be signed to a major label, instead of it being created for commercial success and the result of smart marketing. Once something become successful and everyone likes it, you start to feel like it's less your choice. With artists like Beyonce/Mariah or even The Beatles/Michael Jackson, their longevity implies that they are above their peers who faded out before them (regardless of this being true or not) and gives them legitimacy to listeners who would of previously dismissed them. Pop music will always have its critics because it's commercializing an art-form, and that will always cause for it to be looked down own by certain people.

[irice22]

He says at the end "it's not the music we don't like, it's the people."

But no one liked the song. What was he trying to prove?

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

They didn't like it but they gave it a chance and it seemed like some were trying to find reasons to like it. I just think it's interesting that if we hear a song by an artist we don't like but don't know it's them, there's a chance we might like it. It's the singers we hate, and pop singers in general get more attention than other genres so when we hear of a pop singer being an asshole, it reflects negatively on the rest of the genre for a lot of people. If Bieber's an asshole and Bieber does pop music, well, pop music sucks.

Though, Bieber wasn't always an asshole and people hated him from the start so... I dunno. I'd like to see this experiment redone with a better example honestly.