A Slice of Modern Pop

[string1399]

I'm not a big fan of contemporary pop music, but this little tune is too infectious not to like.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by string1399

I'm not a big fan of contemporary pop music, but this little tune is too infectious not to like.

That song has the benefit of a tension structure. There are four major builds in it from A to B forming a sawtooth tension structure. The A and B sections are structured quite differently, with the A sections being more contracted and monophonic and the B section being built out wider and fuller so you can suck back down into the A section at the end of the B section. The bass groove is pretty cool as well.

Still, try listening without the video - it doesn't have much of an overall or underlying tension structure so you find yourself tapping your fingers and wondering when there'll be something new by the end of the third build. It ain't like the old 2:40 or 3:01 songs that leave you wanting more.

Bob

[matt986]

Rick Beato recently did a live stream where he discussed how boring pop music has become. That drew a reply from another one of my favorite music YouTubers "12Tone" as to why Rick was wrong. See what you think about 12Tone's arguments.

[tinnitus]

I've always been keenly aware of old people (like me) complaining about what young people (like I used to be) seem to enjoy. "What's all this @#$% noise you kids listen to?"

I acknowledge that a lot of really creative music continues to emerge, decade after decade, which is great. But in most of the commercially-oriented modern pop that I hear (this century), auto-tuners, computer generated "instruments" and repetitive mathematical progressions figure largely in what earns the seal of approval from the recording industry experts who market those products. Mass production with little attention to skills, content or quality.

So maybe I am a dried up old prune. And I hope I'm not stepping on too many toes here. I just can't equate stuff like "Wrecking Ball" or "I Gotta Feeling (Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night)" to "You Never Give Me Your Money."

[12barBill]

Originally Posted by matt986

Rick Beato recently did a live stream where he discussed how boring pop music has become. That drew a reply from another one of my favorite music YouTubers "12Tone" as to why Rick was wrong. See what you think about 12Tone's arguments.

The style of his presentation somehow seems analogous to the music he espouses, and I find both limited in appeal.

[Merak]

Remember disco?

[Highroller]

McDonalds has sold 300 billion hamburgers. That doesn't mean they're any good. People buy junk every day.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by 12barBill

The style of his presentation somehow seems analogous to the music he espouses, and I find both limited in appeal.

Hmm. Tastes differ. I was finally able to take time to watch this, and like their other presentations I found if packed with precise information. The packed aspect is the main "problem" with their presentation. If one likes to absorb the material 12-tone presents, one needs a "slow downer" in the same way that one needs that feature to transcribe a ripping bebop or shred guitar solo.

I enjoy some Rick Beato, and from both him and 12-tone, I've learned some stuff about functional harmony, though Beato is better sometimes with context as a teacher. I thought 12-tone's response said a lot of what I would say in response to the original Beato rant. Like most rants, Beato simplified his points while upping the wattage to the detriment of information. That kind of passionate, radical simplification of a "hate this, like that instead" type is useful as a motivation for artists, but when one gets into musical analysis (something that's part of what Beato and 12-tone do) that mode is is less informative and accurate.

[tinnitus]

My wife's radio alarm clock is decades old and drifts off channel easily. Over the past month, it's found its way onto some pop station featuring the teenage fare you hear in malls (and, unfortunately, way too many restaurants). I can't say all of it because nothing is absolute, but the vast majority of what I hear there consists of insipid patterns played on electronic "instruments," with repetitive 3-4 note melodies strained through auto-tuners. Essentially, I find star-maker (and breaker) Scott Borchetta's insidious influence on the commercial music industry nauseating.