The Millennials seem to take some sort of inspiration from the Blues. Living in what conservative and fundamentalist Christians like to call the "Culture of Death", the same kind of charges are prevalent in how many of us our age are wont (or are perceived) to act. Those actions encompass potentially repulsive valuations put on sex only for pleasure, or longing for a situation that is better than what is the reality in a moment, but somehow naturally exists by their longing alone.
The lamentations that are often prevalent in the Blues present themselves in dramatic and poignant fashion. Failed or failing relationships, an insatiable appetite for repeating the banal act, whatever "sinful" and depressing situations you can think of beyond protest. Millennials, their modern culture, and their detractors seem to stress the same kinds of issues.
All that can be said here is that a connection can be found between conservative notions of the Millennial's culture and the sorrowful laments of classic Blues music. Take the music of one of the genre's pioneers, Robert Johnson. He essentially established the tradition of music characterized by a soft and somber tone, of the same sembelance as the traditional "Negro Spiritual". He was one of the primogenitors of rounding his music with lyrics that dealt with loss of innocence, rocky relationships, and the naturally unapologetic.
Willie Dixon faithfully carried this invention further in the 1950s as an established Blues musician. And few songs of his can make such a link between the profane sentiments of a lustful man and the perceived New Age culture more so than "I Just Want to Make Love to You":
One can certainly contend that the man in the song may just be expressing an intense and sincere desire to be with his wife. But a listener can't necessarily deny that the narrator wants the woman to focus on him.
But how does this old-fashioned song connect with the current "Culture of Death"? Because the act of love strictly for pleasure is an element that puts conservatism off by a mile. The Millennial culture is characterized by charges of indulgence, as well as ill-work and acting out unnecessarily to try and make a point. These are the views of traditionalism set in a society that has seen a shift in values and controversies, for better or for worse.
Even so, Millennials seem to echo today the same laments as Robert Johnson once did in the Delta eighty years ago. The content, it can be argued, is by-and-large the same, or is cast in the same kind of light that highlights a stand against "orthodox" concerns of money, social status, or real place of morality. Millennials are an extension of the "Me" generation, seem to be concerned with their own personal happiness or security, and has a penchant to react against the uncomfortable world though channeling the Blues.
