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Art of all kinds is a part of life that we often take for granted. The Sistine Chapel, the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, all of these works of art are hailed as great human achievements. Included in art of this kind is of course music. Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach, etc., are names that any lover of classical music will know without fail. These few examples of music as beautiful pieces of art showcase that music, even without words, are dazzling expressions of the human heartbeat. What is art? To me, as to many, art is the conveyance of emotion from one being to the next. Life is art. To some people, music is life. So where does that leave today’s music?

I’d like to start backwards, in some sense, and explain today’s music and where it comes from. It may make logical sense to begin an analysis of music and culture by starting with the beginnings of music, however seeing as today’s music contains so many implications, I think it best to begin by striking a hot iron. Music has been undergoing a serious transformation in recent years, although this is seen throughout history multiple times, I believe that this shift indicates more about American culture than ever before. When I say “today’s music” it is important to realize I am referring to songs that have been released in this century, from the year 2000 to present day. To understand this shift we first must understand where today’s music started out at. In the year 2000 artists like Santana, Faith Hill, and Matchbox 20 were at the top of the charts. These artists are part of a musical genre known vaguely as rock. Rocks roots in the early to mid 70’s gave it a powerful fan base – an entire generation of people who had grown up listening to classic rock hits from bands like Journey (my personal favorite), Van Halen, and Def Leppard. However, this started to change in the early 2000’s. As I stated above the; in the year 2000 rock still had a strong foothold on mainstream music. However, just five years later, in 2005 the “Billboard Top 100” was dominated by artists like Destiny’s Child,  Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and Akon. These artists belonged to a different genre, not rock, but Hip Hop and R&B (Rhythm & Blues). Famous songs like “Caught Up” by R&B legend Usher Raymond, “Gold Digger” by Chicago rap icon Kanye West featuring jack-of-all-trades Jamie Foxx, and others were enjoyed by the mainstream music industry in this year.

If we are to believe that music is a part of art, it is not unreasonable to ask oneself “what type of emotion are these songs trying to make me feel?”. To confine a music genre to a specific emotion or feeling is simply impossible. Rap music can make the listener feel empowered, motivated, while a song by the same artist can invoke reflection and sadness. A great example of this Marshall Mathers, better known by his stage name, Eminem. Marshall’s song “Cinderella Man” describes a powerful man who despite being beaten down he continues to get back up, while another one of his works “Mockingbird” is a melodic tune that talks about the love he has for his own daughter. R&B is the same way, with some songs empowering the listener and others meant to force recollection of sad memories, maybe even to realize that the sad moments in life are what make the good ones worth the wait. All emotions aside, this musical shift away from the rock ballads our parents listened to does have it’s own implications, in my opinion. In 2018 Post Malone, a rapper from New York, released the song “Rockstar” It remained in the top 100 since it’s release as a single and finished the year at number 5 on the Billboard Top 100. This is difficult to describe as anything other than self-centered. The catchy tune does more than it’s fair share to aid in appeal to listeners, however if you listen to the lyrics (which I’ve deemed too explicit to type out) you’ll find yourself questioning the point Malone is trying to convey. I believe that this style of music, which deviates from early 2000’s rap by lacking real lyrical meaning (although one could argue that Kanye’s “Gold Digger” does not possess the most heartwarming of lyrics) is fueled by the most recent generations to reach adulthood; “Millenials” and “Gen Z”. It is no secret that Millenials, born from 1981-1995 have not had the easiest time making it in this world thusfar. The latter part of the generation began graduating college around 2008, the year of the financial crisis. The recession in the global economy, and more immediately in the United States, left the newly-graduated lot to feel left out. They struggled to find jobs, and in a time when a young adult should be feeling proud of their newfound success many were forced to take jobs that they had not studied for. This, along with other reasons which we don’t have time to discuss in this chapter, have lead Millenials to be the most depressed generation in America. According to data from the insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield major depression diagnoses increased 33% from 2013-2016. Gen Z, although well deserving of their own synopsis, is generally in the same boat. Clearly the general attitude of the young adult in America is grim to say the least. I say this to point out that it should be no surprise that these young people are listening to music that speaks to being “the best” in a provocative manner. It is important to note that some artists like Juice WRLD, popular for his many songs that deal with depression and anxiety, have seen success because they address the issues that many young people face today.

Expression of social issues through music is not a phenomenon that is limited to these two generations. Throughout history music has embodied the voice of movements, some political and others not. A great example of this is the astronomically famous group the Beetles. More specifically, John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. John and Yoko were seen as polarizing figures during their popularity and even today some people credit Ono with the disbanding of the English band. John and Yoko were political activists to say the least, and their span of public influence transcended music – making them interviewees on many talk shows and in magazines. An example of this is John’s interview with the underground magazine Red Mole. When asked about his political activism John stated: “But I was always political in a way, you know. In the two books I wrote, even though they were written in a sort of Joycean gobbledegook, there’s many knocks at religion and there is a play about a worker and a capitalist. I’ve been satirising the system since my childhood. I used to write magazines in school and hand them around. I was very conscious of class, they would say with a chip on my shoulder, because I knew what happened to me and I knew about the class repression coming down on us.” (J. Lennon, Red Mole, 1971).  Clearly John was raging against the social norms of the day. He was not the only one, it appears. Even before the Beetles guitarist took up his cross to fight “the man” Josh White, an American singer and Civil Rights activist who grew up in the Southern U.S. during the 1920’s ,recorded “When am I Going to be Called a Man” in 1936. This song was in protest to the fact that it was common practice for a white man to refer to an African American man as “boy”. There are surely many other examples of musicians weaving politics into their message, almost too many to count. However, one can be certain that music has had a major impact on today’s politics and that politics has had an equal impact on music.

Art, including music, is graceful in the sense that it doesn’t go away. Music helps to define groups as a whole and is passed down form generation to generation. In a sense music never truly dies. It is only until someone discovers an old work and resurrects it that the music lays resting. This reincarnation of songs, lyrics, and melodies can be seen in today’s most popular songs. Jay-Z and Kanye West released an album in 2011 titled “Watch the Throne”. Along with being one of my personal favorite albums of all time this album featured the track “Otis” feat. Otis Redding. “Otis” samples one of Otis Redding’s own recording of the track “Try a Little Tenderness” (recorded by Ray Noble in 1933). “Watch the Throne” went platinum in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Needless to say this is only one example of past music being brought into today’s musical scene.

Now that we’ve covered the bases, let’s look at what today’s music is trying to show us. Music in the United States has a vast and lengthy history in the United States, a country that in only just nearing 250 years old. In that time music has swayed from religious genres, rock and roll, classical, hip hop, R&B, metal, punk rock, and rap just to name a few. All music genres have their own underlying message. Religious music is quite frankly religious by nature. Rock and roll is often associated with rebellion. You get the picture. But what message is scribed into the minds on main-stream listeners every day? Well, as I touched on before our post-modern society seems to be suffering from ailments from nearly every angle. I believe our society is becoming desensitized in ways we previously could not have imagined. For example, The Rolling Stones, an English rock band nearly as popular as The Beetles. However unlike the Beetles “the Stones” as they’re often referred to were seen as bad boys in their day (the 60’s and 70’s to be more precise). Even though their reputation was infamous they shocked the public by releasing a video of that they paid a film crew to shoot at the concert Altamont. This concert was controversial because there was unprecedented violence. The commentary on this video gives insight into today’s desensitized culture of consumption; “See the movie in a theater today and you’ll wonder what this critical rumble was all about. Younger viewers, especially, will probably be dumbfounded when they come upon these charges: Watching the Stones watch this wreck of an event in “Gimme Shelter,” they won’t think for a second that the filmmakers were trying to make the rock stars look like choirboys. At worst the Stones’ responses are pitifully inadequate. During the actual cataclysm, they seem despairing and confused; even months afterward, they appear to be in shock. The movie never asks us to forget that the Stones were the concert’s prime movers. And the filmmakers don’t beg any indulgence for themselves” (Gimme Shelter: the True Story, Michael Sragow, Pg. 3). This commentary speaks to the fact that the generation that I belong to requires more and more “extreme” statements, actions, and themes to be satisfied.

Craving more “on the fringe” art and expression is one thing, but what does that actually translate to in today’s music industry? To find an answer one needs only to view the Billboard Top 100. Songs like “Murder on my Mind” by artist YNW Melly, “Please Me” by Cardi B, along with “7 Rings” by Ariana Grande. Just to recap, while writing this commentary “Please Me” comes in at number 3, “7 Rings” at number 4 and “Murder on my Mind” at number 9. Also, I’d be remiss if not to mention number 6 on the charts “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” another track by Ms. Grande. I don’t think number 6 needs much explaining, neither does “Murder on my Mind” – the general themes seems to be broadcasted in the titles themselves. “Please Me” which also features artist Bruno Mars, seems to be a ballad centered around lust with the main chorus echoing “Please me, baby”. You get the picture. These songs do not coincide with societies’ general sense of morality. Agreed upon by nearly everyone; murder is not a good thing. Infidelity, something touted as fun and exhilarating in “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” is something that we’re told not to partake in. Is it human nature to rebel against the norms? Do people listen to these songs and daydream about breaking up with their significant other, or maybe murdering a close friend (this is eluded to in YNW Melly’s hit)?

I believe that mainstream music expresses the general well-being / attitude of the public. Compared to the music that was popular 30, 40, even 50 years ago today’s music is drastically different. However, I am not sure that this is 100% a bad thing. Our world changes daily, and while previous generations have succeeded in certain aspects they have failed in others. With the collective artistic focus transitioning into this new style of music I think it is possible that this change can mean that younger generations are focusing on different issues. Music is all around us every day. What we choose to listen to not only defines us but can help mold us as we’ve seen with previous generations. It will be truly fascinating to see how this generation’s music influences the future.