| For the millions of people who think primarily with the right side of their brains, comparing a wonderfully abstract thing like music with a dull, concrete thing like math seems inherently wrong. But in many respects, music - rather, the music industry - can be expressed in simple, mathematical equation. Take commercialism. The amount of commercialism in any given age of music is usually if not always directly in variance with the integrity of the music itself. The equation would most likely look something like this: x + y = -c, or, conversely, x - y = c; with 'x' being the music of the time, 'y' being the musical integrity, and 'c', obviously, being the amount of commercialism. It very rarely balances out, which is why it's so noticeable. It's a cycle - there will be periods where 'y' is incredibly high, and periods where it's almost nonexistent. You know commercialism and lack of integrity when you see it. It's performers using theatrics, numerous costume changes, and a multitude of backup dancers to try and distract you from the fact that the music means nothing. These people would be better off as dancers or actors - they put on a show, that's all. To consider them musicians of any sort is to degrade the people who actually are musicians. It's Woodstock '99. It's the latter half of the 1990's, in face. Kurt Cobain's death, and with it the death of the depth of grunge, catalyzed the pop nothingness that took over the music industry. While quality bands did still exist, they were pushed to the background and not given the respect or the attention that they deserved; thusly, bubblegum pop was allowed to reign free. It finally seems to be letting up, though. There are still boy bands and pop idols, but now they are the ones pushed to the background. They still dominate the covers of magazines like YM and Teen People, but those were never known as temples of musical wisdom. The places where it counts - in real music magazines and in the minds of music fans everywhere - are finally getting the point. Whereas the Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears dominated the charts a few years ago, now they're filled with bands like the Strokes and the White Stripes - bands that write music and play instruments; bands that don't have dolls and poseable action figures because they don't need to market themselves that way; bands that can sell themselves on the quality and integrity of their music, not on how well they can dance of how tight their clothes are. It's not a complete change, and it probably never will be. There will always be people who favor costume changes and mindless "music" to actual music that really means something. But it's definitely enough to switch the equation from the one that's plagued us for so long, and even the most mathematically averse music fan can appreciate that. [music page] |
| The rise and fall of commercialism and the boy bands from Mars by Lauren |