I am not what people would call a music aficionado by any means, but I do know that I cannot go for too long without bathing myself in melodious tunes. While there are some people who are stuck in one genre, I find myself listening to things that are in a range of categories. Pop music has been one constant for many years, but I realize that there are 3 things I never knew about it until recently.
1. I learned that many of the most recent artists that grace the charts are not from the US. I know that there were many people from the UK who were really big in the 1980s, yet somewhere down the line things shifted so they were not as prevalent as they once were. Earlier this year, I realized that so many of the more popular artists out there these days, like Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa are not native to this country. To be honest, I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing in general, but as long as they keep making hits I don’t mind.
2. Another thing that I figured out was the fact that being a huge pop star does not stop you from being the focus of people who do not have good intentions, even in public. When Ariana Grande performed at the funeral for Aretha Franklin, I was shocked by all of the people on stage ogling her like she was a piece of meat. Sure, she had on a short dress, but that did not excuse the barbarians looking at her like she was a fawn and they were bears in the woods.
3. When it comes to making music, you can do anything you want and still be a star in some people’s eyes. I have heard so many rumors this year, like the fact that R. Kelly has allegedly kept women in dungeons and Bette Midler has compared oppressed women to oppressed African-Americans. This has not stopped people from calling themselves fans. I am not sure I could do the same.
While I know I will never stop listening to pop music, I think it is funny that all of these things have been happening and most people have no idea. It sort of makes you think every time you listen to certain artists, but it will never make me stray from the genre as a whole; it is part of who I am.