Quote:
Originally Posted by ocman
It’s not different. It’s the same. That’s the problem. Stagnation of music being recycled over and over for the past 15 years. And the more observant among us can pin it to something beyond some generational cliche and more to the online shift that only strengthened the monopolizing power of the American music industry. It’s one sound, uninfluenced by the world and completely self-referential. British music industry is one obvious victim. It’ll likely never reach the heights of influence that they once held except for the artists that fit the American sound.
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The thing is, "the music industry" is less relevant than it's ever been. Top 40 has a smaller market share than ever - kids these days don't watch MTV or listen to the radio; new artists start making music in their bedrooms and build a following through Soundcloud, Youtube, etc.
I do agree that there is less innovation happening now, and change seems to come more slowly, but we're also coming off of an era of unprecedented technological & social advancement. It's harder to come up with new stuff when everything's already been done, and there aren't any new instruments or drugs to inspire new ways of making music. The 1920s-2000s were likely the exception, and we're now just reverting to the norm. Still, there's no shortage of great new music all the same; while there are also unmistakable 2010s-2020s sounds & styles that simply couldn't have been from any other era.
I'm dreading the inevitable AI-ization of pop music, which will further stifle creativity and innovation in favour of anodyne rehashes of old music; but, the effect of that may also be to make pop music even less relevant than it is now. Or on the the other hand, perhaps the next generation will find creative new ways to use it and it'll end up being one of those new technologies that ushers in a new wave of innovation.
Either way, at least for the time being - to quote an earlier post from Wigs -
rumours of music's demise have been greatly exaggerated. People are still making it, people are still listening to it, people are still going to shows, and people still at least try to do new things.