You've undoubtedly seen it. Every time I listen to any song older than 10 years on Youtube, be it Outkast, Nirvana, Tupac, Queen, anything, there will be some comment by a user with some "edgy" image as their profile picture, saying that "(insert artist here) is real music. Not that fake shit like (popular artist one), or (popular artist two). Nobody makes are like this anymore." And every time there are at least three responses agreeing with the initial poster, concurring that music sucks now and that the 1970s, or the 1990s or the 2000s were the best times for music. And you know what? It's all bullshit. Yes, there was good music in the 70s, there was good music in the 90s, and there was good music in the 2000s. But guess what? There's still good pop music being made today.
It is part of not necessarily a disturbing trend, but rather an annoying trend. And it is not by any means a new trend, either; I remember being a middle schooler and having similar thoughts. I was that annoying little bastard with the Aerosmith t-shirt and the declarations that "I hate all this new crap like Taylor Swift and Kanye West." I was the type of kid that said the best hip hop group there would ever be was Run-DMC.
I think back on this as I listen to Shake It Off, while I wear my Life Of Pablo Tour t-shirt. A lot can change in six years. But I don't think that my taste necessarily changed. Rather, I think that I just figured out that life is a lot easier if you don't go through it with a default reaction of "I don't like that." I probably would have loved Graduation or Red, had I just listened to them rather than just let my preconceived notions of "POP MUSIC = BAD" color my perception of culture at large.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to like pop or anything like that. The problem is, too many people keep this idea that whatever they like is inherently right, and whatever they dislike is therefore fake and wrong. I still don't like all pop music. I can't stand Meghan Trainor, but I don't think it's wrong to like her music. I can see the appeal, and I can see why her music is popular, it's just not my cup of tea. But to some people I have known, the mere act of liking Meghan Trainor would be seen as a cardinal sin, and to be met with a swift persona non grata.
What we need to accept is that our personal tastes are not infallible. Nobody is right or wrong about music. I know that even though I absolutely love Death Grips and Ho99o9, many people would see it as too abrasive or noisy for their tastes. And I loved Carly Rae Jepsen's new album, along with 1989 by Taylor Swift, but many people can't stand either of these artists.
And you know what? That's absolutely fine. Just stop assuming your taste is always right.
