What’s wrong with commercial music?? Why can’t commercial music be good??
Commercial vs. underground: An age old concept that can crossover into many different forms of music. A concept, that in many people’s eyes, defines you as the type of fan you are and your loyalty to “true” music; one that binds you to a movement of people that associate themselves with what is considered “Real” and what is considered “Fake”. What distinguishes the two?? Who knows. One thing I do know for sure is that this divide that people insist on wedging between fans of music is bullshit, and in my opinion has the opposite effect on music as a whole.
Picture this, person A likes this song POP, and this song NOT POP? To an average person, person A looks to have a diverse taste in music, or totally random taste. Whatever it may be it should say nothing about the person and his/her “allegiance” to music. Enter person B, a self-proclaimed music “head” and ask him/her what is wrong with that scenario and you’ll see that very same head do something like this. After re-assembling his/her brain this self professed music guru will undoubtedly think the following things:
- Person A knows absolutely nothing about music
- Person A is a sellout, someone who doesn’t value any true loyalty or allegiance to a specific stream of music
- So long as that scenario is the case, person A never can and never will have any semblance of a respectable music opinion…anything he/she says with regards to music will be immediately dismissed
- Person A should be banished to music purgatory to join these fun people: fun guy, fun girl, and fun dinosaur
Remember I’m not speaking to the genres of music, the quality of music, or anyone’s opinion about said song selections. I am strictly speaking to the right that anyone should have to like any kind of music they so desire and not have to defend their taste in music. Why can’t someone have the full discography of this dude, and in the same breath be telling you how much he loved attending this group’s concert.
I think we need to have a movement to eradicate all of these so called musical pundits, or at least force them to go through a new radical form of musical brain cleansing. Don’t get me wrong, I love the passion these people show and admire the loyalty they display, I just think more often than not their energy in this space is misguided.
I like to compare music to a huge pie, strawberry rhubarb perhaps (mmmmm pie). Now this pie is divided into many slices, some of these slices include artists like your Britney Spears, Soulja Boy, Enrique Iglesias etc… the usual group of artists that almost inevitably are always considered “sellout, bubble gum” music. Instead of deeming anyone who likes any of these artists, or anything else from any of the other slices- why not try understanding that this is all a part of music as a whole, and it is where music has evolved to now. Yes, to many of us music was better back in the day, but to remain stuck in that time machine of only music from when it was “good”, or to remain in a stream of music that is never heard anywhere outside of the most obscure websites, is not only stunting your own growth as a music fan…but is also stunting the progression of music as a whole. Believe that and believe in pie.
Am I a music aficianado…No, do I claim to be the end all be all of music as we know it…absolutely not. What I do have though are strong opinions, and a forum to express those very opinions. If you don’t like what I have to say then I guess i’ll be hearing from you soon 🙂
Sooooo having said all of that, does anyone know if Lady Gaga is gonna be performing at the Much Music Video Awards??? Imagine…..
p.s. I have been typing this post while listening to this gem on repeat. IT’S GETTING HOT IN T.O.!!!!
My next post will discuss why we as Canadians need to support our local, home grown music. We have talent here people…zeen.
Sherief aka Surereef's Blog 
