In my column last week, I may have revealed a bit too much about myself when I mentioned that I enjoy Jesse McCartney's smash single "Beautiful Soul." Hey, what can I say, it's a guilty pleasure. What's funny, though, is that I couldn't stand that song when it came out, and I was completely convinced that Jesse McCartney was the worst thing to ever happen to popular music. Why did I feel that way? Maybe because I was jealous of the stuck-up cheerleaders in my 9th grade math class talking about how he "looks like a good kisser" while refusing to give me the time of day, but I don't think that was the only reason.
When a new pop star enters the fray, it becomes cool to reject them, and whatever image they are trying to project. There's a desire to let everyone know that you're above whatever the major labels are trying to shove down your throat this week. This isn't without justification; a lot of pop music is disposable trash, and it's unfortunate that it's going to get all the airplay and hype while more serious artists don't get as much attention.
Still, a lot of disposable pop tends to sound better over time. My guess is that had I been around in the 80s, I would've rejected Tiffany as being a manufactured music industry creation, but in the present day, I love her cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," and while I realize this might not be a popular opinion, I actually might prefer it to the original by Tommy James and The Shondells. The thing is, once a pop star fades away, and is no longer part of the music establishment, there's nothing to fight against anymore, and we could just take their songs for what they are. And usually, those songs are pretty fun.
For instance, I'm not particularly fond of Justin Bieber. Dude just rubs me the wrong way, possibly because he says the word "swag" every 3.2 seconds. Also because he's four years younger than me and he's worth $55 million. You know, a lot of little stuff. The thing is, I'd be lying if I said he didn't have some songs that I genuinely enjoyed. "Baby" is ridiculously catchy, and "Boyfriend" was one of the better mainstream singles last year, in spite of the rather awkward line about fondue. The thing is, I tend to enjoy these songs a lot more once I divorce them from Bieber. I dislike the concept of him, but the songs he comes out with tend to be solid enough,
Hating pop music tends to be about hating the concept of pop, and the shallowness associated with it. Hating the music itself is more unlikely. If all the people who claimed to despise top 40 radio actually felt that way, it probably wouldn't be the dominant form of music. We claim to hate it for the same reason we claim to hate all those reality shows that rank among the most popular shows in America: we want to sound smart. We want to reject what strikes us as being mindless and worthless, when really, a lot of us tend to enjoy it for that very reason. Only when this entertainment ages - and the people who gave it to us aren't famous anymore - can we admit that it actually wasn't that bad. So, in ten years, "Baby" will come on at a party, and I'll dance to it unironically. For now, though? I hate that guy.
