The Invention of Terrible

Do we expect too much from those in pop music? Not enough?

This is the question that we must ask ourselves. Well, actually I'm not sure about "us", I don't know what kind of music you listen to. I don't even listen to pop music. Well, in the sense that I don't listen to Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher or whatever. But lemme get back on point here. Are those "artists" being asked to do too much by the fans?

Before I start to sound too sympathetic to people I don't even actually care for, let me just start off by telling you what their problem really is. The problem is that pop music is no longer a medium for music. No, apparently people aren't too interested in music anymore. These days pop music is a forum for performers. Performers are very different from musicians. That is clearer now more than ever.

This fact is personified, at least in my mind, by the microphone headset. It is a bit more handy than the classic microphone, since now the person has two free hands instead of one. Where I find a problem is when it's only being used as a prop. There are people on stage who will wear these headsets and dance around pretending to sing. They "perform" for an audience who probably paid outrageous ticket prices and fees to have the privilege to watch such fakery.

So maybe we should just change the genre term completely. Instead of calling it pop music we could call it performance music. They perform music, maybe with their voice, MAYBE, but mostly they are performing for their audience, putting forth an image. But let's face facts people, there's a difference between being a musician and a performer. Sure you can be both, but don't let those fakers out there fool you.

Sure, we have chastised some for such activities, like Ashley Simpson or Milli Vanilli, but how are these people any different from other performers? The ones who dance around like crazy and do so with such intensity that they can't possibly sound their best, no matter how talented they are. So because the audiences today ask for such explosive, high energy, dancy & performy type shows, does that mean that it's okay to just skip the singing part altogether?

So what if their concerts were a bit less dancy, a little less performy, and instead they actually went up to the mic and gave it their all? I bet the crowd would be super pissed. Why? Well probably because they'd realize that the people they paid huge ticket prices to see actually aren't very good at all. Okay, so some of them might actually be good. Totally possible. I think it should happen though, it'd help get rid if some of the crap out there...

So to those pop music performers out there, the ones that are crap - You're lucky as all hell. Thank the heavens above that you're getting away with the stuff you do.

And to those who actually are talented, well, I would give you more credit, but those bad apples are spoiling your bunch. Maybe if you stopped dancing around like crazy though, I might be able to focus on your talent. Or just keep performing. Either way. I mean, I'm not Mr. Music Industry or professor of how to be awesome or whatever. I'm just saying, maybe there's a better way. Or at least a less awful, more happy medium.