individualism
Everyone knows someone who constantly brags about how they don’t listen to “mainstream” music. This can go from being mildly annoying to wondering how this person manages to avoid things that are pervasive in every aspect of the culture.
Any time an underground artist jumps onto the TikTok music scene, long-time fans lose it. They proclaim that this artist is a sell-out, their music quality is at risk of severely decreasing, and my personal favourite: that anyone who started listening after their rise to popularity is a fake fan.
How do we deal with this culture of not wanting artists to flourish, while at the same time allegedly being huge fans of said artists? We can’t wholeheartedly deny that artists gaining fame and signing to labels doesn’t have a trend of their music’s quality. This is something that we have seen time and time again. However, in avoiding music that is popular, is one not just digging themselves into the same hole as those who only listen to the popular records?
Let me explain. If you are so vehemently avoiding tracks that climb the charts, then you are allowing those charts to dictate what you listen to. You might think you are carving a unique taste for yourself, but if you go out of your way to circumvent the mainstream scene, then you are not organically crafting a collection of music.
My advice would be to listen to whatever you want. This sounds very simple, I know, but many in this generation would rather be “perceived” as having an obscure and flavourful taste. The reality is, nobody really cares whether the music you listen to is in the Billboard Top 200 or not. As long as you like it, that’s what makes your taste special.
false idols
Another day, another celebrity getting into a controversial situation. It’s starting to get old at this point. Many artists have done questionable things or released questionable statements to the world. We may sit back and ponder their thought process, and then quickly head to our playlists and remove any track holding their credentials.
You might think, “This is it! I’m a very morally adept individual, and not listening to this artist is the ultimate virtue signal to society!” However, this feeling of moral superiority will quickly fade once you realize that it’s not just this artist, it’s that one, and that one, and yeah… that one too. Who would have expected?
Who should we listen to in these trying times? The same people. Wait. The same people? Yes, you heard me correctly. There comes a time where we have to assess the actions of artists, and ask ourselves: do I still feel comfortable listening to their art? Sometimes we won’t, and that’s okay. However, a lot of the time we’ll find ourselves returning to their discographies, especially the parts of their catalogue that we held so near and dear to our hearts before the grand reveal of their lackluster actions.
Every artist has some skeletons in the closet, and whether we want to acknowledge it or not, even your favourite conscious rappers aren’t getting off scot-free. Listen to the music you like, and don’t worry so much about portraying to the world that you’re a “good person” through who you listen to.
goathood
GOAT. Kendrick is widely regarded as one of the “Greatest Lyrical Rappers of All Time.” He has proven to be incredibly talented, and has outdone himself on his most recent album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Another heavily applauded lyrical rapper is J. Cole, who has been perched nicely at the top of the Hip-Hop food chain for many years. These two are always brought up in the conversation of rappers who have paved the way for Black Americans, rappers who serve to empower. But why do they need this title? Another artist who released a new album in 2022 is Drake. Drake’s album, however, was not received as warmly as Kendrick’s was. It was labeled as shopping mall music, and some on TikTok even came to the conclusion that it was “setting the Black community back.” Drake’s music is enjoyable to listen to. Whether you are hanging out with friends or crying in your room, you know that a Drake sound exists for the occasion. As of right now, Drake has 65 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Regardless of the endless stream of hate he receives, someone is listening–multiple “someones” are listening. Kendrick and Cole have been praised for their ability to tackle difficult topics like toxic masculinity and the Black experience in America, but must an artist restrict themselves to success through the exploitation of trauma? Must music always be an allegory for topical issues? Can music ever be fun without being seen as less?
gatekeeping
When I scroll through TikTok, I frequently see users complain about the artists they enjoy blowing up. Recently this has happened with Osamason after his track “Made Sum Plans” blew up on the platform following a creator making a cover of it. There have been mixed reactions, but a lot of his core fan base has shown outrage. Another artist who experienced this is SZA (despite being insanely popular) with her extended cut of the track “Wavy.” This song has exploded on TikTok lately and resulted in multiple trends and a lot more people being exposed to the song than before.
The pattern I see here stems from people wanting to be niche and participate in the practice of individualism. They want to be the only enjoyer of something, and not actively engage with mainstream activities. There is a desire to be different at all times, and notably in the music space, where pretentious attitudes can dominate the media. People should be more open to the success of artists they enjoy, as it opens doors for them that may have been inaccessible before, and provides them with resources that enable them to produce even more art on a larger scale. Individualism will be the death of communal engagement with art.