Pop Music Exposed

[Open Minded Dude]

I really like Rick's channel. Not that I always agree to his views on some songs, but most of the time I do. And especially if it about his views on 'modern' pop music.

In my private life in the past, (being a musician myself also, but that does not matter here at all) I always told people more or less what he states here. People who are mainly mainstream charts music 'pop fans' and with them I got into heated arguments regarding some 'pop stars' in the past. They of course defend 'their' stars, - not knowing a thing about how all of this works, becoming 'parasocial' in the process of doing so (some got aggressive in words even!) - and really believe that these music industry puppets all write their own songs, lyrics and maybe even play the instruments or program the digital work station, or produce it. It's ridiculous.

My take always was that most of it is 'fake', has always been. Yes, there are some talented artists who do play an instrument or at least can sing (without Autotune or similar 'effects') and perform and songwrite, but they are not always the ones who have success (exceptions confirm the rule for me).

Usually song-writing credits are allocated to the pop artist but it is a deal. Most of them don't lift a finger in the song production process. I know it is often believed but they don't. They just enter the studio and sing it and might change a line here and there - and that's it. Of course, this is also an achievement and you can give them credits for that (I'm not even trying to be sarcastic here).

However, all the accolades and awards they then win in these phony award shows (that no one watches anymore) for 'best song', 'best video', 'best album', 'best performance' etc. are most of the times the work of other professionals designing it all in the background, production team, song-writers, directors, the Label, management team, etc.. Unfortunately this also happens with many famous 'rock' bands nowadays, and some even in the past. But imv this 'factory' view is more applicable to modern day pop stars, such as all the Madonnas, Swifts, Beyonces, Perrys, Gagas, Rihannas, etc.

Yes, it all is not new really and has maybe been like this for decades, but I feel it got even worse in recent years (also with the advent of AI music maybe as a new 'player' out there?). Many feel that pop/charts music in general also gets more 'shallow' and 'cheap' and loses its soul. Of course you know I'm talking about 'charts music' and not the good stuff that everyone can find in every genre if you only look hard enough or are a fan of that genre.

Anyway, it is good to have it said by s.o. so renowned and knowledgable regarding music production and song-writing, and he really saiys it so directly. Speaks to my soul!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l93JOUJZEoA

I like some of the main comments:

"A few writers writing for everyone, a few producers producing everyone, mixed and mastered by the same people. Starts to feel like McMusic."
"It sounds like modern pop music is a lot like modern food - highly processed, overly sweet, and devoid of nutrition."
"The problem with having the same bunch of writers writing songs for so many artists is that all songs start to sound the same. There's no longer any individuality."
"It's the same thing in Italy, few people write for most of the artists, there are songs of three chords and two notes of the melody signed by even 10 writers, an oligarchy in practice."
"We just lost Brian Wilson who fought for artists to gain control over the creation and production of the music they played, and now we're back to the music factory"
"Frank Zappa always critized the Music Industry for profiting on its Commercialism and lacking Artistic Freedom. He also mentioned in the late 80's that record companies were using untalented young artists with backup dancers, and presenting them as new talent."

[Zem]

Headphonesty has lots of articles dealing with the technical side. Like dynamic range, compression, etc.

7 Reasons Why Mainstream Music Is Sounding Worse Than Ever
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/06...ng-worse-ever/

[Michel Leclerc]

To Pop music there is only one answer: never listen to it, never buy it, never read the texts.

It destroys your sense of beauty.

How can you love without an intact sense of beauty? How can you live without love?

First Prize at the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Piano Contest Nikola Meeuwsen plays the first of Alexander Skryabin’s Deux Poèmes op.32 (6 years ago, then 17 years old).