Make it Stop:


I was beginning to think that the reason I dislike todays pop music is because I'm old.

It's not.

I think the songs all sound alike or some slight variation from one to another. Take Meghan Trainor for instance, "All about that Bass," is a catchy pop tune that is refreshing even though it sort of has an old familiar doo-whop twang to it. It's her second single, "Lips are Moving," that made me switch the channel. It sounds just like the first single. I was hoping for more from this girl, but she has one formula and she's sticking with it. At least she has a vocabulary and can write a decent lyric without falling for the, whoa-ooo, gimmick that's so pervasive in pop music, or the stutter that the Katy Perry's have perfected. It goes like this, "And you're gonna hear me ROAR-or-or-or-or-ororor." And, Demi Lovato's, "If I ever did that...I think I'd have a heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack.

I think back to the pop music of the 70's with the songstresses, Carly Simon or Melissa Manchester that didn't have to employ these tricks. They simply sang the beautifully written lyrics with their own interpretation.

Mariah Carey is to blame! No doubt she has a wonderful voice and octave range, whistle register anyone? But, it's the melismo or running up and down a scale, that bothers me. I suspect the girl just can't hold a note for very long and that is her way of improvising to distract us from the fact that she can't hold a note for very long.

I don't think people know how to write a lyric anymore. They're lazy writers, using a few words and a lot of, "ooh-ooh-ooh" or "Whoa-o-o-o-o-o," to fill in the blank space. You would never catch Cole Porter being a lazy lyricist. He crammed more words into a song than the song had notes to contain it.

It would seem I'm not the only person who accuses todays songwriters of being lazy. The below video shows an astonishing list of current pop songs that use the, "Whoa-o-o-o-o" technique as a crutch.



I'm not old and crazy after all.

11 comments:

  1. Whoa! That's a lot of whoas

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    1. They left out the originator of the whoa...Feelings, whoa, whoa, whoa feelings, whoa, whoa, whoa...

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  2. You not old! Music sucks! I mean yeah, there are a few good ones, but then these days in sure it all sound enhanced. The staying power of singers isn't there anymore either. When I was in high school, alot of them are still around like Mariah , Madonna and Janet. These days there here one day, gone the next. Be hard to top Madonna's staying power. Adele and poor Amy Winehouse are about the only two new singers I like these days. I am also very fond of Emma Bunton, who continues with a nice 60/70's vibe in London.

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    1. I think it'll be interesting to see which of today's pop singers will around in 20 years. Please don't let it be Kanye!

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  3. one day, taylor swift will be kate smith, it's the circle of life.

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    1. She kind of is the equivalent of today's Kate Smith. Pure, nice, well liked and a sort of frigid sexuality that makes it impossible to imagine her going to the bathroom.

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  4. I have no idea who those people are. I am old.

    Hey you kids, get off my lawn!

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    1. I hope you keep that innocence and obliviousness to this current army of pop imposters.

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  5. Gilbert and Sullivan knew how to cram a lyric... Try getting any of these Who oh hoers to sing actual lyrics... they wouldn't get past speaking the first line let alone singing it... well not without an auto pitch!

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  6. Absolutely! I think it comes down to the short attention span and lack of vocabulary. Twittering is a culprit. I hear they are foregoing teaching the Australian youngsters the art of handwriting. I fear we're doomed.

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  7. I was given a £25 Itunes gift card at Christmas from a friend and I've still got £21 in my account. I downloaded 4 songs Hozier-Take Me To Church, Paloma Faith - Picking Up The Pieces, Awolnation - Sail and Sarah Brightman - I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper which is slightly worrying. Here's one just for You Ayem8y for Valentine's Day.

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