Monday, May 23, 2011
FRIDAY
I'm sure you've all heard more than enough of Rebecca Black's youtube song, "Friday," that went viral a few months ago and recently was used in the T.V. show "Glee's" latest episode. Well that song has been stuck in my head for about a day now thanks to the kids I babysat so I figured I'd blog about it. Now it's not so unusual for a teenager to make a youtube video hit, but this quasi-legitimate music video is ridiculous[ly catchy] to the point that it may have been following a pop music trend: simple, catchy songs that get stuck in your head. Advertisers have been using these for years to promote their products through jingles that are so haunting they drive you to spontaneously hum or tap your fingers to the beat when you're not even thinking. Since many "music artists" follow the same strategy of coming up with a single hook accompanied by a repetitive beat it's become child's play to create a song; with the ease of digital editing, kids can be their own producers as well. That leaves us to wonder, will there be more songs like, "Fiday"??? I, for one, am afraid to consider such a thought. However, we must acknowledge the recognition this video has gotten since February. It's had almost 150,000,000 views, had a few good parodies, been discussed on many talk shows, and been performed by a musical T.V. show whose main plot involves teenagers writing and singing songs to feel like rock stars. Maybe this is just another youtube video that's about to get too old. But maybe--cross your fingers it's not true--but maybe this new teenage hobby will continue to seep into our society, as it has through the media of internet and television, and haunt our tapping fingers and whistling tongues with crazy tunes that lack all but the basic musical merit.
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I personally am blown away by the efficiency these music companies that work with artists like Rebecca Black. I remember looking at the record label that she was signed to, and it turned out that they are specifically in the business of taking young kids and turning them into pop robots. It was so funny they even had a section about parents who were looking to get there kids produced; not based on talent, but the amount of money parents could shell out. As a fan of pop music I can appreciate a lot of different motivations to making music and even though Rebecca black is obviously just a formula she does have a huge following and EXTREME marketability.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how the corporations use people to drain money for themselves. This music video is a great example of it. I hated the first second of listening to her voice. I have not listened to the entire song. This is how you beat those people. Fortunately, people can see through her stupidity. I also have a plethora of great, timeless music that will forever snuff her flame of fame to me. There will be more examples of this type of work because people have been doing it for forever. It will not be as simple as this, but it will exist.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. It's kinda funny to think that something so obviously disliked by the masses still makes its way around the country, and even to England, due to the high marketability David mentioned. Greg, you're right, there are tons of good musicians and music out there to be listened to, and yet people have always indulged in the catchy little tunes people like her sell out--I mean "shell" out.lol
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