Here's to hoping for better music

Do u think "pop" is called so, because it is exactly that? Like a soda pop it fizzes, and you enjoy it for the moment, but it does not enrich you, or leave a lingering sensation, or keep you hankering for that feeling, or to go back to it, or to make you feel that way, maybe justtt once more, unlike a good wine, whiskey or even a well prepared meal.

Sadly, all our music is going increasingly pop. Like Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree fame said in a recent interview,"Well, modern pop, as in really mainstream, to be honest, I have a problem with most modern pop.." and goes on to compare how modern pop is really R&B. On the other hand, Bob Marley had a virologist concept of music; he believed that the only way to cure racism was to inject music and love into people's lives.
Now, try and imagine if you had to bring this concept to life, with a song of "now". Take any U.S. Billboard Top 100 songs, do you think it would cut it?
If you injected the currently chart topping number, "Despacito", which practically sings about how a man is attracted to a woman, and what are the various steps he would carry out to "profess" his love for her; it would not even cure homesickness, leave alone anything else. There is no background to this story, nothing moving, nothing groundbreaking, just good old plain objectifying women; one of the easiest plots to make a song/video/movie, practically any form of entertainment. For obviously, there is nothing more interesting in a woman, than her body. Thank you media, for keeping us reduced and stalled to that tiny image, that we have been trying to fight and shake off, well for since as long as we have existed.
Of course, most of the population listening, rhyming, chanting, dancing to that tune has no idea what the song is about (honestly, neither did I), but are just happy with how the Spanish words sound exotic, and how the music is well balanced to those syllables, that's it. Which in some ways is worse than the earlier concept.
Music is more than beats and words that are more like rhythmic sounds. It is supposed to be like a good book, which haunts you and makes you think and ponder and chime, posing the untapped potential to change you, for better or for worse, how ever so slightly. Definitely, something more than keeping you occupied while you are half-heartedly doing something else, or even worse, to lull out distractions.
Another thing that really bothers me about the ongoing pop is the stream of peppiness that you are made to choke upon. In a world of pop, no one is ever sad, depressed, or even just "OK", they are all just upbeat and dancing to the joy and miracle that is life. Ugh. I may sound grouchy, but even for the uninitiated or even the most happy-go-lucky people, this has got to be monotonous.
U2, the musical phenomenon that has been around for more than some people's lifespans, I think perfectly sums up the divide between the two musical cultures. He said,

"Pop music often tells you everything is OK, while rock music tells you that it's not OK, but you can change it.” 

Music is DEAD

Off late I was talking to a friend about how the 70s were the time when all music related revolution took place, and thereafter it just died. Today we are still living off what the greats created. Most of our playlists are still crowded with Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Pink Floyd, Beatles, and it's likes.

I liked how my friend zeroed into the root of this problem. He said, "Parents during our times or our grandparents time didn't spare the rod and when we did something terrible we were reprimanded. Nowadays parents have gone too soft and society has too. Suddenly hitting your child is frowned upon. That is what used to make us tough. Now they're 30 year olds singing about boy troubles, love at first sight and unicorns that poop rainbows."

And I couldn't agree anymore.

I heard a few recent hit singles and let me quote Katy Perry (or Slutty Perry) from "This is what we do" -

"Yo, shout out to all you kids, buying bottle service, with your rent money.Respect."

Then I remembered another song, "Starships" by Nicki Minaj -

"And I ain’t paying my rent this month, I owe that."

I was astounded as to the number of hit artists who condone wasting away their rent money for glamorous lives. Since when did being irresponsible become commendable and socially accepted?

Or did we just run out of things to sing about that drastically?

Bob Marley used to sing about revolution, John Lennon sang about world peace & unity, Michael Jackson raised his voice against apartheid. These are people who used music like WMD and invaded hearts, souls and minds forever. Now, it seems like the pop artists aren't even trying. They have all the attention in the world but their heads are too far up their butts for them to care to use this for something worthwhile.

When did the artists of our time think it was okay for them to not  be inspired? To not sing about things that concerned them, us, the world? How come not a single artist's music inspires us? Or has a deep message embedded.

U2 used to release all its tracks and all songs had two meanings - the obvious literal one and a deep spiritual one. That's the amount of thought and effort that used to go into creating music, creating something joyous, to create something that would move you..from within.

Like Meatloaf said in an interview, "Most of it isn't music anymore, it's just good looking faces with a great pair of tits."

Then again there are some bands that are trying to show that our generation can still create good music. The likes of Alt-J, Arctic Monkeys & Black Keys are definitely mellifluous but will they make a mark or be swept away into the deep ocean by the tides of time; only the distant future can reveal that.