Although it was suggested in the course text to undertake this exercise in conversation with a person under the age of 20, this wasn't practical for me, so instead I researched it myself.
What makes pop music good or bad? - For a song to be good, I'd expect some of the qualities I mentioned in my previous post comparing pop to classical music. I have chosen the following:
Three "Good" Pop Songs
Rihanna - Umbrella. This song begins with a rap intro by Jay-Z which creates expectation. This is accompanied by an interesting drum beat, which is consistent throughout the song. It has a "dark" backing track, which I find unusual in pop music, which is contrasting with the lyrical content (love). There is much variety in the form of the bridge, which is much more mellow and in a major key, with a simpler drum beat and some piano accompaniment. Keyboards provide an interesting exit from the bridge, building suspense of a return to the chorus. I enjoy the quality metaphors in this song, for example the use of an "umbrella" as a symbol of emotional support from life's problems ("rain").
Lady GaGa - Scheiße. This song has a "dance track" feel to it, with a very interesting mix of German and English lyrics. The vocals constantly surprise, with many different styles - The German is mostly in a spoken style. The verses, in English, has strong enunciation, but some slight separation between the syllables. The pre-chorus is English spoken, but in a more soft-whisper style than the German. The chorus is very melodic, in a more traditional pop style. The bridge features vocals with a slight distorted effect, giving the impression of a broken down robot - "I I I I I I ....speak German.... but I can if you like" The last chorus loses the strong backing beat, and has some vocal alteration, with a high note on "strong", creating anticipation for the rest of the chorus.
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal. This song has a simple dance beat, of moderate speed, which is continuous throughout. It showcases Michael Jackson's very unique vocals, a type of half singing half rap hybrid which I've not heard elsewhere. At first glance, the lyrics appear to be about a break-in and murder; although other people have offered various interpretations. Either way, it appeals to my love of "darker" material. The pre-chorus, with a repeated "Annie are you ok..." builds suspense, with louder vocals for the last repeat as a climax. There is a harmonised chorus, and during this part the strong beat has a slightly higher pitch for emphasis. The bridge has some faux brass instrumentation, and a clip of a police officer and sirens. This leads to some kind of plucked string instrument before the chorus comes back,this time interspersed with some short vocal outbursts - "Dang Gone It-Baby!" "Hoo! Hoo!".
All three of these song's exhibit some of the features that I'd expect from good music. There is contrast and variety, with changes of tonality and texture. Musical devices are put to good use to create suspense; as a listener you almost have to "earn" the chorus. The subject matter is interesting, and deviates from the usual formulas.
So why did these songs become popular? Firstly, it has to be said that all three of the above artists are/were international superstars, so this gives the song's popularity a lot of weight and lots of exposure. However, I think even the casual listener appreciates the points I made earlier about good music, whether they realise it or not. I think that promotional media also plays a huge part in a pop song's popularity, a well-produced music video can absolutely help to put across the song's message, and reinforce it's stature significantly. The official video to "Umbrella" is an excellent example.
Three "Bad" Pop Songs
The Cheeky Girls - Cheeky Song. This song has little to no variation in melody, rhythm or lyrics. The vocals are very weak, and are accompanied by naff electronic keyboard effects. There is annoying child-like giggling in parts, and the theme or story behind the song is non-existent.
Aqua - Barbie Girl. The vocals in this song are completely distorted with electronic effects, and the lyrical content is frankly appalling, consisting of a conversation between the children's toys Barbie and Ken ("life in plastic, it's fantastic"). Near the end there is a cringe-worthy dialogue between the toys. The beat throughout has little variation.
Rebecca Black - Friday. I feel this song is weak on all counts. It is very samey all the way through, it has an uninteresting beat, cheap sounding effects, and the horrible nasal-quality of the vocals in the chorus is almost shocking. Whether that is due to editing of her voice, or whether she actually sings like that, I don't think I even want to know. The lyrics are extremely poor, an example being "Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal". About halfway through the song there is a rap section by what appears to be a much older artist. This part seems very random, and doesn't gel with the rest of the song.
So why did these songs become popular? Song's like this seem to have a catchy tune, in the same style of an annoying advertising jingle. As in the first two examples, they often cover up poor songwriting and musicianship with comedy; people listen to them for humour, rather than the musical aspect. "Friday" gained popularity due to social media, with people tweeting and commenting that it was "the worst song ever". This caused people to listen to it and watch the video out of curiosity, and for something to laugh at.
I find that these type of songs are very flash in the pan, and popularity declines sharply once the novelty has worn off.
No comments:
Post a Comment