Saturday 26 May 2012

Modern music

I really don't know about the new blogger layout. It looks neater but I can't decide if it's better laid out. I also don't like that it takes you more steps to get from the editor to the blog.

I was watching Chuggaaconroy's Okami Let's Play just now. Scenario: Wolf-God called Amaterasu is the reincarnated form of a wolf called Shiranui, who slew the dreaded beast Yamata-No-Orochi 100 years ago, and died from the battle. Amaterasu goes back in time and ends up fighting the original Orochi along with the hero of legend, Nagi, and together, they defeat him, but in an act of vengeance, the spirit of the dead beast summons a boulder to crush Nagi. Just as you think Nagi is crushed, suddenly a beautiful white light appears, and it turns out that, supporting the rock while nearly dying himself, Shiranui himself has saved Nagi's life. The music that plays during this scene is the most beautiful, soul-reaching music that cuts down to the heart, and when I was watching this video about a video game - albeit an incredible one - I honestly felt close to tears, because the music is so beautiful and the sacrifice of Shiranui to save Nagi so touching. Don't give a crap what anyone says.

This is the theme of Shiranui, and I'm listening to it it again as I write this. No words, but who needs words? Excuse me while I pause writing....

Songs like this bring the ever-present question to my mind: what is there in modern music? The entirety of anything that I argue on the subject of music can be blown away in an instant by recognising the fact that tastes are subjective and certain people like different things. So I write this without the expectation that anybody should take it seriously, and honestly, I don't think you should. This is just the thoughts of one sixteen-year-old.

I was complaining earlier this evening about the song that I now know is called "Boyfriend" - I also didn't have any idea that it was written by Justin Bieber, I just can't stand that song. Whatever that noise is that undulates throughout the song and sounds like someone whistling in the background is creepy. The song is nothing new, it's the same thing every artist sings about - love and being the perfect guy for you etc. It's nothing new from what Bieber seems to sing about either. It's more than the quality of the music and the banality of it, but the way it comes across just grates on my nerves. It's a song that paints the picture of a shallow little pretty-boy who's really only in it for sex but wants to make it look like he's all about the love and "I'm the perfect boyfriend for you." I don't hate it because it's Justin Bieber, I hate it because in my head, it's a horrible, dull song.

This isn't isolated. The radio is on a lot, and I'm constantly hearing stuff that's in the charts, and every time, almost every song I hear makes me think "I hate modern music!" So many artists just sound exactly the same to me, the lyrics seem dull and uninspired, and the music, too, so samey. I think it's because to me, music is more important than words, which is why something like Shiranui's theme from Okami cuts deep, whereas Justin Bieber saying how if he was my boyfriend then he'd never let me go doesn't impress me.

There are lots of exceptions. There are great singers who stand out, have a distinctive, strong voice that you hear and you think "Oh, that's Adele" or "That's Florence!" There are beautiful, wonderful instrumentalists who write deep and passionate music that hits home with me. But modern music is just somewhere that I don't care about. It's dancing, parties, love, lust, drink, drugs, rap, beats, techno, girl bands, boy bands, teen sensations - I don't want any of that, I want good music. I don't mean that to disparagingly say that anything not on my favourite tracks list isn't considered music at all, what I mean is that I like it when the emphasis is placed on making deep music with emotion, who are trying to really get a message across, and not just be another popular, famous singer who makes it big and gets lots of fans. The singers and the guitarists and pianists and musicians of all kind who have something to say, and they play it, and god damn it do they play it well.

Those are the type of people who strike a chord with me.

~Love Leonidas

1 comment:

  1. I agree with this so so much. I love my little sister, but the teeny-bopper music she listens to drives me crazy sometimes lol.

    Plus, go listen to LMFAO's song "SHOTS" (lyrics here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/shots-lyrics-lmfao.html) and imagine a 13 year old singing that. Now imagine that little girl is your baby sister.

    Cue shudders.

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