Why pop music now sucks

[DavidW]

Lady Gaga is one of the top "pop artists" of the day, and her music is obviously made by machine.  Check out how really bad she is at singing live.  Whatever you might think of Elton John, he really clearly blows her out of the water!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igkv1WB0I-0

[Brian]

One of the biggest grins I have had in a long time was when a student at my university wrote an article comparing Lady Gaga to Richard Wagner:

Her fusion of energetic, powerful, poppy beats and memorable lyrics (though admittedly lacking much intellectual stimulation), outrageous performances, and jaw-dropping fashion statements, presents an idea endlessly pursued and investigated in the artistic realm, and notably in the Bauhaus' founding principles established by architect Walter Gropius.  This idea is the gesamtkunstwerk, a term that is often translated as "universal artwork," "synthesis of the arts," or "total work of art."  The term was first used by a German writer and philosopher, Eusebius Trahndorff, in an 1827 essay, but it was made popular by Richard Wagner, a German opera composer.  For Wagner, the term referred to a performance piece that makes use of many art forms, combining the performing arts, visual art, and literature.  A gesamtkunskwerk was the profound expression of a folk tale of human universality.

Say what you want about the argument; the fact that she wrote it filled me with irrational joy. 

[greg]

One of the biggest grins I have had in a long time was when a student at my university wrote an article comparing Lady Gaga to Richard Wagner:

Say what you want about the argument; the fact that she wrote it filled me with irrational joy. 

Lady Gaga being compared to Wagner....      

[Bulldog]

Lady Gaga is one of the top "pop artists" of the day, and her music is obviously made by machine.  Check out how really bad she is at singing live.  Whatever you might think of Elton John, he really clearly blows her out of the water!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igkv1WB0I-0

Thanks for the link.  She sounded much better than I thought she would.

[Wanderer]

I don't think she's half bad in the beginning of this*. She plays the piano, too.

*watch to the end at own peril*

[Florestan]

Lady Gaga being compared to Wagner....   

Had Eduard Hanslick watched her shows, he'd have been turning instantly into a huge fan of Wagner.

Now seriously, how anyone can stand, let alone like, this display of ueber-vulgarity and ueber-kitsch, is beyond me. She's not even sexy...

Give me Beyonce anytime over this "lady".

[DavidW]

I don't think she's half bad in the beginning of this*. She plays the piano, too.

*watch to the end at own peril*

Hey that's not bad!   I didn't stick through to the end though.

[MN Dave]

Gaga is one of the current pop stars I don't mind so much.

[DavidW]

Gaga is one of the current pop stars I don't mind so much.

Yeah she's actually the only one I like.  I was just astonished by how completely different her natural singing is from the recordings.  It just made me realize how much current singers depend on the technology.

[MN Dave]

Yeah she's actually the only one I like.  I was just astonished by how completely different her natural singing is from the recordings.  It just made me realize how much current singers depend on the technology.

Yeah, it's dance music; there's going to be a lot of f*ckery going on in the production.

[Brian]

there's going to be a lot of f*ckery going on in the production.

As well as on the dance floor

[MN Dave]

As well as on the dance floor

Let's have some fun
This beat is sick
I wanna take a ride
on your disco stick

--Lady Gaga

[greg]

This is... weird.

Lady Gaga singing over Meshuggah's "Bleed." 

I don't know how the person managed to pull off the combination with "0% pitch shift or time conversion," but it strangely works somehow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOddwK7x3E&feature=related

[Brahmsian]

Musical talent is not a requirement in today's popular music.  It almost an added bonus if the musical talent is there, with the gimmicks and 'look'.

[greg]

Let's have some fun
This beat is sick
I wanna take a ride
on your disco stick

--Lady Gaga

[DavidW]

This is... weird.

Lady Gaga singing over Meshuggah's "Bleed." 

I don't know how the person managed to pull off the combination with "0% pitch shift or time conversion," but it strangely works somehow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOddwK7x3E&feature=related

4/4 time on the both and the lack of rhythmic nuance in Gaga's chorus makes it work I think.

[71 dB]

Musical talent is not a requirement in today's popular music. 

Wrong, one has to be extremely talented in order to be successful making crappy music! Too bad all that talent is wasted. Luckily there are tons of talented artists who make music instead of money. Their music could be called simply "unpopular music" because it keeps away from media (because it's unsuitable for quick money making) and most people don't know about it or are unable to understand it's merits.

I ignore popular music and concentrate on unpopular music. 

[DavidW]

Wrong, one has to be extremely talented in order to be successful making crappy music! Too bad all that talent is wasted. Luckily there are tons of talented artists who make music instead of money. Their music could be called simply "unpopular music" because it keeps away from media (because it's unsuitable for quick money making) and most people don't know about it or are unable to understand it's merits.

I ignore popular music and concentrate on unpopular music. 

Well said!  There is plenty of excellent indie music out there.

This magazine is a pretty good guide to good pop (and not just in music):

http://www.popmatters.com/

[MN Dave]

Don't get me started on hipster indie music. 

[Spotswood]

I rather liked Lady Gaga when I saw her on SNL, but she's such a novelty act that I can't see the appeal lasting very long. And my favorite version of Poker Face is still Alex Borstein doing it as Marlee Matlin.