Destruction of Music

Destruction of Music

Music is joy, voices as strong as wind, storm and birds chirping altogether. Music is my way of therapy and way to find consolation during times when I can’t get my thoughts across. It is a coping mechanism for when life feels overwhelmingly cloudy and stormy. Other times it helps me narrow my focus and concentrate on important tasks. But overall, it is something I like to experience alone to contemplate, enjoy, or question.

As a teenager I grew up listening to Lil John, 50 cent, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry, just to name a few and I thought they were great and yes sound was great and messages sometimes had meaning and other times lacked an argument, commentary, opinion, or story. I didn’t have the maturity as I listened to music to analyze the lyrics and nor did I have the context to question it. In recent years however, music has become faulty and most of it lacks meaning and intentionality. According to the Daily American, “Ninety percent of pop music is total garbage. To be successful pop artist, all one needs is to have someone else write their songs, be more than average looking and be able to build a steady fan-base of preteens.” Money is cutting away from the essence of art and making meaningful music. So called artist are moving into the production of music as a means of making money in return for empty content.

As a college student several years after the music industry has changed much in the way they advertise and of course the messages portrayed in lyrics so as I’m assimilating to the college life I began to notice the power that music had on me and made me think of the words and messages communicated and repeatedly played on the radio throughout the day and realized I was listening to music without content music that tells and portrays the stories of people in a somewhat simplified and narrow minded manner.  

The beauty of music is listening to something you can relate to through the art of storytelling, giving voice to real issues and problem with vivid details. Erick states, “substance is what makes music. Whether it comes from pain or bliss, something inspired someone to sit down and put what they were feeling on paper, and those feelings are what strike a chord with the listener.” Now a new wave of music has formed from local artist who claim their music to be woke and revolutionary. Touching on political topics and the representation of women, social struggles and so forth. But how much are we willing to pay for what we are sometime unconsciously being fed by the music industry.