From falling in love, to out
of love, to leading a careless lifestyle, pop music and its artists have
changed drastically over the years. What is the reason for these changes?
Whether it be a mid-life crisis older stars go through, or just industry input
to keep themselves relevant, the world of pop is always changing and its artists
change along with it. Will history repeat itself? Or will this generation be
known as the continuous downward spiral?
Traveling back to the 1960’s can be a joyride. The doo-wop vibe of this high-spirited decade makes everyone want to break out into the mashed potato. Pop and ballads were all the rage during this age; stars like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and of course, the infamous heartthrob Elvis Presley were making their way into people’s hearts with their unique and exciting sound. Music during this age was full of energy, yet some songs were slower and more romantic. The 60's style flip-flopped between rock 'n roll and pop, and some artists delved into the indecisiveness. Elvis was one of these artists; his style, in fact, was named “Rockabilly.” He combined many different sounds, such as western, blues, and pop, which dominated the radio. Elvis appealed to many younger kids and varied his sound to please his fans. Tony Bennett, at 89 years old, still finds ways to make himself relevant and known in the twenty-first century. He continues to perform on stages and collaborates with artists such as Lady Gaga, who is still well known on the pop charts. The 60's sound seemed to be about falling in love and just being happy in general. The most well-known songs from the 60's have to revolve somewhere around, "The Twist", "My Funny Valentine", and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Falling in love and enjoying life seemed to be the theme back in the 60's, but now that has all seemed to change.
Traveling back to the 1960’s can be a joyride. The doo-wop vibe of this high-spirited decade makes everyone want to break out into the mashed potato. Pop and ballads were all the rage during this age; stars like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and of course, the infamous heartthrob Elvis Presley were making their way into people’s hearts with their unique and exciting sound. Music during this age was full of energy, yet some songs were slower and more romantic. The 60's style flip-flopped between rock 'n roll and pop, and some artists delved into the indecisiveness. Elvis was one of these artists; his style, in fact, was named “Rockabilly.” He combined many different sounds, such as western, blues, and pop, which dominated the radio. Elvis appealed to many younger kids and varied his sound to please his fans. Tony Bennett, at 89 years old, still finds ways to make himself relevant and known in the twenty-first century. He continues to perform on stages and collaborates with artists such as Lady Gaga, who is still well known on the pop charts. The 60's sound seemed to be about falling in love and just being happy in general. The most well-known songs from the 60's have to revolve somewhere around, "The Twist", "My Funny Valentine", and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Falling in love and enjoying life seemed to be the theme back in the 60's, but now that has all seemed to change.
Let’s take a few moments to look back at the dark ages, the early 2000's. You know those pictures you hate to look back on because your fashion sense was just so unbearable? And the hairstyles consisted of side ponytails, crimps, and frosted tips. The music style during that time was very depressing too. It seems that majority of it was heartbroken emotions being spilled out onto a paper. Avril Lavigne, Kelley Clarkson, even Justin Timberlake jumping in with "Cry Me A River". When I think back to listening to the radio, I seem to remember belting Britney Spears' "Everytime", which was an anthem for when your second grade crush didn't return your special love note. The artists seemed to all follow the same path with each other and really jump on the bandwagon. A sexual vibe also began to be given off in the new millennium, more in the R&B and Pop areas of the radio. Artists trying to keep themselves relevant would act out, whether if it was a serious problem they had or if it was the only option left to keep them popular. The rash behavior of celebrities is definitely more common in the later years.
The majority of music now is mainly about drugs, partying,
getting laid, or "lit" as some people enjoy saying.
Female artists are also now big on empowerment, such as Beyoncé and Meghan
Trainor. Artists now charge ten thousand dollars for a full VIP package at concerts, or
even refuse to meet their fans because they're "too exhausted." Music
has definitely gone downhill since the 60's. It's grown meaningless and seems
to just be in at the moment of release. Some artists still put an effort into
their music and it shows, but there are also artists who have to act out just
to get publicity. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber are well known examples of that
faux pas. Music has also developed new dance moves which become very popular on
social media and in everyday use. Along with the dance moves, stereotypes based
on skin color have along come along in a different way than before as a result of our music. This day in
age really revolves around an eccentric lifestyle, and the harsh judgment towards
others to make us feel better about ourselves.
Pop continues to change with every song released, in a few
years pop may not even be one of the dominant music genres with the constant
changes in society. There are always new artists hitting the charts and the kids
with dreams hoping for a record deal on social media. Many think auto tune has
taken over and natural talent is now rare to find. So where will music lead
next? Could we possibly go full circle and start fresh?
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