I grew up in the late 90s through early 2000s in a time when the mainstream Pop, Hip Hop, and Rhythm and Blues genres were at their peaks with artists who were heavily inspired by Michael Jackson and Prince. Artists such as Alicia Keys, Jazmine Sullivan, Usher, Beyonce, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake, and now The Weeknd, would borrow the dance moves of famous 80s artists or attempt to imitate their voices, styles, and even wardrobes.
We as a generation have to realize that some of the greatest mainstream music that we are listening to today is inspired by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Prince.The music of R&B artists in the 80s generated and coexisted with other genres. Yet even with artists inspired by musicians of the 80s, our music is nowhere near the soulfulness of that time.
Nowadays, we use Auto-Tune almost instinctively when decades ago, music in its rawest form was appreciated. Prince as an artist is known for his amazing instrumental skills, especially with the guitar, and his music extends through several genres. Artists used to write their own songs, played several of their own instruments, had smooth bass lines for a handful of their songs, and delved into the most beautiful lyrics ever written. Now, we use machines to "enhance" our voices rather than using our voices as the instruments. We rely on all this technology as if it will add a certain "flavor" to our songs, when in reality it actually takes away from the talents that we as humans may naturally possess.
Although 80s synthesizers gave rise to genres such as "electro," "techno" and "eurodance," the choir singing and old harmony that would accompany such songs are now lost. Additionally, our usage of the same hi-hats and snares has become very bland and repetitive, taking away the uniqueness of individual songs. Although this technology may sometimes work, its over-utilization takes away from the genres of music we love, like rock, hip hop, R&B, and even jazz. However, we can still continue to be inspired by those before us and pay tribute to them if we properly utilize these techniques.
Our lyrics can also be a lot better. Although expressing our sexual nature is something that artists of all times have done, the way in which we express these emotions has changed significantly. Nowadays, lyrics such as "These hoes ain't loyal" and "Gimme that p****" have become all too common. Compare these to: "U had a pocket full of horses/Trojan and some of them used ... I'm gonna try to tame your little red love machine." - Prince. Lyrics were a lot more metaphorical, allowed room for imagination, and carried more meaning and story. These old school sensual songs with the right vocals and instrumentals have nearly died out. Nowadays, music is merely "catchy" rather than purposeful and iconic. The entire music industry has also changed, because rather than being excited to buy albums which go platinum, we now rely on illegal downloading.
Overall, we should consider that R&B artists of the 80s have inspired people of several genres, and have caused music of the past to become positively transformative, in ways that we cannot imitate today. These are the reasons why we do not merely mourn the losses of those artists who have passed away, but we also mourn the fact that there will no longer be anyone or anything to compare these legendary musicians and songs to.
This is why people become so nostalgic when thinking about the 80s. We should be thankful to the artists of the 80s because they have given us beautiful and timeless gifts to love and hold on to.*
* RIP Prince
