by kmblove

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Reading these postings about the current state of pop music, I can't help but be reminded of John Cusack's musings in "High Fidelty" - do we listen to pop music because we are miserable? Or are we miserable because we listen to pop music?

I mean that metaphorically, of course. The pop music he was referring to was the tough stuff of the seventies, eighties, and what the hell, let's throw the early nineties into that mix. Nowadays, pop music refers to Beyonce or Justin Timberlake's lyrical "genius". However, we really can't be too hard on Beyonce or Justin - the truth is, they don't even write most of their own lyrics. Tragically, the music industry has changed from an outlet for artists to pour out their passions and bare their souls to a money-generating popular music machine.

Let's take Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" - last winter's smash hit 'to the left, to the left.' Beyonce and her label are likely making hundreds of thousands of dollars off that song, a lament about the bitterness she feels after her boyfriend cheated on her, and her next step toward healing now that she's kicked him out and started to move on with her life. Emotionally raw teens worldwide are listening to that song, buying the album or downloading it on iTunes, and Beyonce & company are profiting. It just doesn't seem fair that Beyonce, who is still attached to rap artist Jay-Z, and who isn't going through anything similar to what she is singing about is profiting off of people who are. Now tell me - where is the justice in that?

I'm not trying to insinuate that ALL music today is like that - I believe that there are bands out there, kids who have dreamed of making it big their whole lives, who are now succeeding and not immediately selling out. But these days, that's almost like saying "I believe in Santa Claus."

Another example is Disney's pop musician production. A movie called "High School Musical," featuring songs about high school musicals, for the sake of being produced into - you guessed it - high school musicals throughout the country! And Miley Cyrus - also known as Hannah Montana - whose alter-ego tops the Billboard charts and concerts sell out in minutes, thanks to the Disney promotional pros.

It's a dangerous age when music is produced solely to sell the movie, to pitch the show, to create tie-ins and promotional opportunities, for licensing benefits and for the financial benefit of the top tiered producers, agents and brand builders. Whatever happened to music for music's sake?

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