Editorials

Analysing modern music

19 March 2016

By James

Music plays a big part in everyone’s life: it’s played in shops and in public areas, and almost everyone will listen to music of their own at some point in their everyday life.

But music also divides people: not just in the manner of the ongoing Spice Girls/All Saints storm of insults, but also what music people like to listen to.

In my opinion at least, the world of music isn’t having the best time at the moment. I don’t see any particularly inspiring songs, anthems for the ages with catchy tunes and interesting lyrics. The world of today’s music is, to put it lightly, as dull as ditch water. There are admirable exceptions, but most songs fit into one of two brackets: the indie/pop princess, which groups together the neo-folk revolution and the confused warblings of many skinny blondes, and the brand of nondescript R&B/house which wouldn’t be out of place in a strobe-lit rave warehouse.

But is music having a negative impact on young people today? No, I don’t think so – there’s nothing sufficiently interesting going to incite the tiniest bit of violence/rebellion or anything else. For the negative impact of the music industry today, we must look not to the music itself but to the people who produce it: Kanye West’s songs aren’t hurting anyone; it’s Kanye himself who does the damage, and the same is true of many other contemporary artists.

Like this article? Please share!