Don't Like - Vocal Domination
Over the last three and a half years, I’ve listened to a lot of contemporary pop music.1 Some of it is great, some it is trash. But it’s interesting seeing the trends play out with things like songs getting shorter or artists releasing their Jack Antonoff albums. My current least favorite trend, which has probably been going on for some time now, is that singers dominate records. It doesn’t matter how good the beat or the backing band is, a pop star’s voice is often the most consistent thing on a song. From the hook to the verse to the chorus to bridge, they won’t let anyone else get a note in edgewise. It’s so peculiar because a great pop song, like any song, ought to let all elements shine. Perhaps that’s not what the most diehard fans want, but it’s pushing music in an increasingly odd direction in which music gets relegated to background music.
Briefly put, I have a funny relationship to modern pop music. For a long while, I’d say I was pretty not into it with exception of an extremely soft spot for Bruno Mars (What can I say? I love that little man). That was an anomaly for me because overall I didn’t much care for pop music of any era, having been hardened by rockist sensibilities as a teenager who grew up listening to 106.7 KROQ. Over time, as I listened to more disco, house, new wave, and odd ball pop, I came around on pop as I generally had more fun. This was good for me as my wife is a certified pop girlie. She’s not an insane Stan or anything, but she listens to the latest albums and keeps me up to date when she’s got the aux in our car. So, while I’m no expert, I’m not unaware either.