Pop Music Daily

I was able to know Rihanna because of her song Umbrella. I think this song gave her a very good break in the Pop Industry. She was able to make her name popular because of this song. I’m sure many people were able to make this as their “Last Song Syndrome”. Honestly. I’m one of those! I was even able to appreciate it more when I heard Mandy Moore’s version. Indeed, Rihanna, from being a newbie pop artist last year, made a big and successful step this year.

To know more about her, visit this site: top40.about.com. I liked this quote from Rihanna: “I want to give people a taste of the Caribbean, and show them the fun side of me.” As I was inspired with her profile, I’m sure you would be inspired too.

Since pop music has become a phenomenon, it is inevitable to have various awards that would recognize the talents of artists. Some of the most famous awards being given to deserving artists are the American Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and the most prestigious Grammy Awards. I just can imagine the joy of artists when they receive such awards. In fact being a part of the nominees is a privilege already. So just imagine the chance of grabbing the award itself from other nominees. Anyway, I believe that these artists all deserve to win because all of them work hard on perfecting their craft. And I believe that all of them give joy to their fans. I guess the greatest award that an artist can receive is to see his or her fan loving his or her music more.

Image source: www.aceshowbiz.com

I believe that pop music has been very phenomenal and with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Britney Spears and Justine Timberlake on the spotlight, pop music is sure to grow even more. I have been a fan of pop music myself and I can say that this type of music is very easy to relate with. It covers songs which commonly talks about love, loss, emotion or dancing. I bet everyone can easily relate to these themes. But what attracted me most to pop music is the fact that it really touches my souls and sometimes make me wanna groove to its rhythm. I also have my favorites but of course I�m still open to other artists. As long as the music is great, I guess I can�t help but fall in love with it.

Image source: mp34all.info

Pop culture has this funny way of taking elements from different subcultures and clumping them into what we have come to know as the mainstream. As a subset of pop culture, pop music is no different. Allow me to explain using hip hop as an example. Before hip hop as we know it today came into being (Kanye West, et al), hip hop was (and still is) a thriving subculture with an ethic centred on what they call the “four elements of hip hop”, one of which rapping.

Over the years, pop music has come to assimilate rap and is now an indispensable element in the pop music landscape.
Despite the naysayers, this process can actually be a positive thing. Without the constant assimilation, pop music would end up becoming stagnant. Without the constant assimilation, there would be no innovation in the form. Without the constant assimilation, pop music would lose its universal appeal. In short, without the constant assimilation, there would be no pop music.

Tune in next week when I contradict myself and tell you all why pop music as assimilation sucks.

I know… a lot of you’ll be shakin’ your head or clicking on the back button for sure but hear me out. He may be a star from the past but Michael Jackson is still the King of Pop and might even be the world’s best selling artist of all time, even if he is now bankrupt and accused of many a crimes. Want to disagree, then check out the charts and his album keeps on top as one of the best selling albums of all time. “The essential Michael Jackson”, has repeatedly been on top than most other artist. He may have made a lot of wrong decisions in life but the pure talent and life he brought to the stage and music was something to behold indeed. Go around and ask anybody about Beyonce Knowles and somebody will surely have not heard of her, ask about Michael, well everybody knows Michael. Like Madonna who has actually manages to surpass the glory of the king of pop by still being in the groove of the industry as one of the longest music careers of all time.
His music, energy and should we call it flair for the stage with his elaborate music videos and stage sets that involved hundreds of performers and artists all doing the same thing, bring his music to life as he delivers his songs over and over again. Listening to the radio, you would surely rock your head from side to side when you hear Beat It or some other of his many hits. Now ridiculed by many but secretly loved by most, he remains as the pop star he truly is, the star that is Michael Jackson.

Image source: www.nassaulibrary.org
Tired of listening the High School Musical? Try this new music sensation that somehow… will blow your mind. Atlantic Records released the soundtrack to Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist last September 23, 2008 online and in stores. Artists featured on the soundtrack to the buzzed about movie include Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, We Are Scientists, and Devendra Banhart. Directed by Peter Sollett, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is based on the bestselling novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. The Screen Gems movie hit the theatres on October 3 and was on the number 6 spot on the blockbuster hit. Nick (Michael Cera) frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play the bass. Norah (Kat Dennings) is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. They have nothing in common except for their taste in music. Their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives.

During the past few weeks I have been having this last song syndrome on the song ‘Forget About Me’ by Lil Bit. My officemates have been trying to stop me from singing it but they were unsuccessful. I don’t really know what made it stick into my mind but I am really so into singing it until now. Maybe the melody got me or the way it was sung but I swear I couldn’t relate with its lyrics. I wasn’t even hurting right now but somehow I got carried away. I think the singer did really great on showing her emotions through the song.

As I already talked about last week, pop culture has a knack for assimilating elements of various subcultures and clumping it into a ball of consumer friendly mush called “the mainstream”. Pop music, I mentioned, was no exception to this.

While this system of assimilation does have its merit, it does present a number of problems.

The main problem of this prospect is the selective nature of assimilation into pop culture. What is assimilated, more often than not, are the externalities and frills of the subculture and not the driving force behind what makes the said subculture what it is, that is, its philosophical underpinnings.

A good example of this is the assimilation of punk into pop culture. In relation to pop music, what is generally assimilated from punk is the fashion. Generally, punk is characterized by a healthy distrust for authority and loud, fast music. What pop culture ended up calling punk is Ashley Simpson.

Although assimilation may have its good points, what it really does is flaunt the ignorance of label execs and marketing teams.