Music
Maveric here.
Today, I will be
ranting. Probably my next contents will be all about my rants about personal stuff. take note though; the following statements are loaded with
opinions. If you're not sympathizing with me, then take my claims with a grain
of salt. Okay, let's begin.
MUSIC: It runs through my veins. Ever since I was four years old,
when my uncle taught me how to sing, my life was never the same. I thought of
music as a simple, non-complex thing that everyone does to do as a stress
reliever, impress people, express emotions or make some money; at least in the
performing arts perspective. As I grew up, I witnessed how music evolved and
took form in front of me. Until I picked up my first instrument; the Guitar.
When I started a band and when we made a hip-hop movement in school, that's
where the enlightenment began; the word called Mainstream. This thing bothers me so much I just want to release this feeling
and educate you guys.
Mainstream; everything that everyone does and everyone listens to. Admittedly,
before getting educated into music, boy, I was fond of the mainstream stuff.
Mainstream music was something everyone can relate to and everyone can always
talk about. When I was in the band, everything was different, contrary even. I
asked myself, "Is this a higher standard of music? If it were, why are the
songs being played aren't familiar?". I was baffled at first. But when I
was asked to write a song, that's where my perspective turned the other way
around. Constantly, I would submit my finished works to our lead guitarist that
time. "It sounds like a mainstream pop crap" that's what they would
say, and none of my finished pieces would get a chance to be played even at the
rehearsals. Keeping a band was like keeping a high maintenance machine. We decided
to call it quits and months later, we founded a hip-hop group around my school.
I eventually joined the rap battle. At first, I began stealing other people's
verses on the internet for my own sake. I don't know, I just felt like I wasn't
capable of writing. Battle after battle, I would rap the same content over and
over and the crowd would get bored real fast. "We heard that from somebody
else!" my opponent yells. That's where I was pushed to my limits. I wrote
my verses in my phone, strictly rhyming every last word and keeping myself on
time with the meter. At first, it was difficult. Then I got the hang of it by
adding words that contain heavy meaning and would emphasize those on delivery.
It worked for me, and my opponents would have a hard time defending my bars.
After that, slowly, I was capable of writing songs. But enough talk, let's get
down to business.
When I write songs, or when I criticize other people's works I always ask... "Does this contain any SOUL?".
When I look at mainstream music, guess what I'm asking? Your guess is good as
mine. Guess what my answer to that question? Your guess is twice correct.
Majority of Mainstream music is TRASH,
that seems to be written by kids or adolescents that never had emotional
maturity. Hence; no SOUL at all.
Damn, I'm harsh.
Mainstream music seems like a product from a factory that mass-produces its
goods hastily. Any rushed job is going to get a questionable quality. We aren't
living in the time where people would write music as if their lives are hanging
on a thread, pouring every emotion their heart contains or submerge themselves
to a trance and atmosphere where only music could take them. Pop has long
abandoned its roots from Soul and RNB. Rock barely stays alive, Hip-Hop is
dead, Classical, Country and Jazz are being zombified because of Pop. Was it a
worthy sacrifice? Hell no. Pop used to be good though. But hearing the radio, I
may just want to vomit.
Pop as a genre doesn't suck. In fact, Michael Jackson, my hero, raised Pop to
divine standards. Blame the labels and the people... yes YOU. A common teenager in general is a
so-called "music lover" where ironically, these kids don't know a thing about
music or music writing.
That's feeding the mainstream, continuing to keep lowering their standards
because it takes little to no effort at all to create a music that would
guarantee to sell well. Of course, you would buy it, everyone buys it because
it's your "idol" right? What music is served in the table? It's all
about sex, drugs, partying etc... Being heartbroken? Most teenage relationships
are weak to begin with, which explains why it sells well as a
"moving-on" song. Those types of scenarios, though, are perfect
venues to establish that good emotional content of a song, don't get me wrong.
Sadly, most of the time is written by a bunch of idiots that can't even keep
the syllables intact in a 4 chord bar. It doesn't help too that people
constantly milk that song until it is dry to the point of DISGUSTING which is the
reason why the Flash(superhero) is slower compared to the longevity of
mainstream songs. Mainstream music anyway is all about the IMAGE, not musical skill.
Sadly, This impacts the REAL artists. They remain in the
shadows, hiding behind the heap of trash the mainstream produces. They can
never be shone by the light they truly deserve. Some even spend their lives
barely earning something from their art. I saw bands splitting because they weren't
making enough cash to sustain themselves anymore. "Working in a fastfood
chain would be more practical than working in a band. This isn't the eighties
where bands are hot. We live in a time where DJ's and solo artists could get
more chances than a group can." a friend of mine once said after quitting
their band.
"True music will set you free"
I am still hopeful, someday, things will change. Have a nice day everyone :D
