Poll: Is pop music the best it’s ever been?
- Thread starter Nitefly
- Start date
I think Fergie-era BEP has its place. People like the idea of having a good time / party, it resonates with fond memories of times past; forgetting problems, hanging out with friends, seeking romance… all the good stuff.
For what it is, it’s probably some of the most well liked ‘pop/radio/club’ crossover music there is. I think ‘Pump It’ in particular is great
I would say though that such ‘party music’ definitely feels of another era compared to what I was referring to with ‘today’s pop music’, which I think often has a more personal and comparatively darker shine to it.
For what it is, it’s probably some of the most well liked ‘pop/radio/club’ crossover music there is. I think ‘Pump It’ in particular is great
I would say though that such ‘party music’ definitely feels of another era compared to what I was referring to with ‘today’s pop music’, which I think often has a more personal and comparatively darker shine to it.
Reverb? Give me an example song or part of the song you are talking about I don't get you?
Reverb is the ‘in a cave’ sound where everything sounds rounder or ‘wet’. It’s not an out and out echo, but more an extended fade out to sounds.
Listen to the vocals on most Lana Del Ray tracks and you’ll hear it.
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I think Fergie-era BEP has its place. People like the idea of having a good time / party, it resonates with fond memories of times past; forgetting problems, hanging out with friends, seeking romance… all the good stuff.
For what it is, it’s probably some of the most well liked ‘pop/radio/club’ crossover music there is. I think ‘Pump It’ in particular is great
I would say though that such ‘party music’ definitely feels of another era compared to what I was referring to with ‘today’s pop music’, which I think often has a more personal and comparatively darker shine to it.
Oh I'm not against Fergie, I like 'My Humps' and 'Let's get retarded' but they were songs I'd enjoy when they came on more so than going out of my way to listen to them.
I know The Weeknd was mentioned but to be fair both After Hours and Starboy were brilliant albums. Wasn't much of a fan of the last two albums though
Thinking about it and looking back, I think Lorde has been a huge influence in the mainstream shift away from ‘party music’ and towards the more ‘introspective sound’.
This is an old one of course - but maybe it laid some groundwork.
Another example of what I’d say is a more ‘contemporary pop sound’ is some of the more recent Harry Styles material:
Definitely some throwback to prior genres with that one, but it sounds impressively fresh.
This is an old one of course - but maybe it laid some groundwork.
Another example of what I’d say is a more ‘contemporary pop sound’ is some of the more recent Harry Styles material:
Definitely some throwback to prior genres with that one, but it sounds impressively fresh.
You'd like too be against Fergie.
The reverb thing mentioned above I get what you mean now but I don't think it's limited to pop. I found this video below discussing echo vs reverb and they both go back to a long time ago through various musical genres.
Caporegime
Ok, so rattle of some of what YOU think are good then. People always diss stuff, but never offer up their own examples.Peak music, peak pop music it doesn't matter it's still bloody awful!
For me, I really enjoy the 80s/synthwave sounding stuff recently, like Carly Rae Jepsen, CHVRCHES and now Caroline Polacheck.
You'd like too be against Fergie.
The reverb thing mentioned above I get what you mean now but I don't think it's limited to pop. I found this video below discussing echo vs reverb and they both go back to a long time ago through various musical genres.
Haha as long as she's not singing the national anthem!
People really think a bit too much of their own opinions and taste about things that are subjective. I know for a fact some of my favourite albums wouldn't be popular around here but that's fine, it's my taste. Not yours
Soldato
As Pulp sang, something changed around the mid 90s, for the worse IMO.
But then in my teens in the 80s, I didn't think much of the hits from around the 60s.
I'm a big fan of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album from '77, having finally bought the CD in '08 iirc.
I'm not a regular listener to radio playing modern tunes, but very few releases in the last ~15 years have grabbed me, one exception being The Weeknd's Blinding Lights released just before the pandemic... Which sounds like a tune from the 80s, on our muffled speakers at work I originally thought it was an old Alison Moyet tune I'd never heard before being played!
But then in my teens in the 80s, I didn't think much of the hits from around the 60s.
I'm a big fan of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album from '77, having finally bought the CD in '08 iirc.
I'm not a regular listener to radio playing modern tunes, but very few releases in the last ~15 years have grabbed me, one exception being The Weeknd's Blinding Lights released just before the pandemic... Which sounds like a tune from the 80s, on our muffled speakers at work I originally thought it was an old Alison Moyet tune I'd never heard before being played!
Examples would be a cohort of artists that came around in the early 2010s and dominated the charts.
- Adele
- Florence and the Machine
- Ed Sheeran
- Bruno Mars
They all have a common sound that tries to be "epic" and "emotional". Also known as soppy ballcocks.
Reverb is nothing new, but when they try to commoditize those qualities into a pop song it becomes very try-hard.
In fact I think these kinds of songs have been played so much that it's affected the collective psyche.
"Here's a morsel of tearful emotion for you to chew on while you drive to the supermarket".
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Caporegime
As a trance listener of over 2 decades, I just accept reverb as a part of my musical life xD
Soldato
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Adele gives me PTSD, if Ed Sheeran had been around in the 90s he'd have been busking for a living, and Bruno Mars is absolute cack, "Just the way you are" is vomit inducing, its as bad as "I've got a feeling".
Absolute tripe.
Absolute tripe.
Caporegime
And yet you are still unable to offer up any suggestions of your own.
Hmm. Some strange examples imo. You've selected Artists that all have exceptionally good singing voices and often can sing with just a basic acoustic backing track or piano. You can't really knock Adelle. She's world famous and obviously appeals to many. I mean is your issue that the songs are lovey dovey stuff or specific to the reverb sound? I know her songs are depressing but she even makes fun of herself for that. I don't know...I feel it's just a weak argument for why pop is bad. You can't just blame reverb. Reverb features in so much music production.
What would you say good pop music is then? What would you say good music is full stop?
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Have to disagree with Bruno Mars. 24K is great and Silk Sonic was one of my favourite albums last year
It's OK to not like something but to claim it's 'cack' is hyperbole
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It’s worth mentioning that the four tracks posted by @Chojin were predominantly posted to evidence ‘reverb’ rather than ‘modern pop’ although I wouldn’t say the Ed Sheeran one was a brilliant example of reverb soaked vocals… so is this supposed to be an example of ‘supermarket drive’ material instead?
With reference to the original discussion points, I wouldn’t say that any of those tracks have the ‘new pop’ aesthetic I’ve been referring to in my posts.
With reference to the original discussion points, I wouldn’t say that any of those tracks have the ‘new pop’ aesthetic I’ve been referring to in my posts.
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Soldato
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I stick by what I said he's crap, yawn inducing and over-produced. I do like his Stevie Wonder impression though.
