A Plague of Simplicity

When we look at music in the past, we must identify what was going on during that time in order to gain a complete understanding of the song, album, or artist. Most of the time, the music reflects the societal values of the time or current events. Music is like a mirror that reflects everything back towards its audience and it adapts to changing times based on what the audience desires.

We’re no longer in the world of the 1960’s, where artists composed love songs with deep meaning and lyrics that went beyond the basic literal content. Looking at songs throughout this time period, I see lyrics that are well-rounded and poetic just by themselves. Nowadays, however, when I look at a vast majority of popular music, I hear mainly simplistic lyrics which rely heavily on the actual instrumentals to supply substance to the songs.

Thus, I wanted to dig deeper into understanding why music has evolved and changed. Is simplicity an inevitable end? I personally don’t think so. I think this is a certain phase of history that marks a significant change and evolution of the music realm. Music styles fluctuate. This is seen by comparing the pop-like flash-in-the-pan hits of present day artists to musically talented and developed bands of the mid-late 20^th century. There are plenty of phases in music history. We’ve got the 70’s disco rock. We’ve got the 80’s pop rise. Every decade seems to offer a new fresh twist on music. Right now, our simplistic ways is what is on the rise.

Now, why has simplicity taken such a stronghold on modern music and the modern listener? I believe that it is a direct reflection of what our society wants. In all areas of life now, people desire everything to be brought to them at an instantaneous and efficient rate. As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, it enables the society to fulfill this need for quickness. Everything needs to be faster! The internet has strangled other methods of media such as books, newspapers, and magazines because of its instant connection of the world and information supplies. With one click, I can see everything going on immediately.

With all this information, everything becomes more concise. Things need to stand out and not be too laborious to read. Otherwise, most people will lose interest nowadays. Someone is most likely not going to read a 100 page book describing the war in Afghanistan, but they may click on the Yahoo! News blurb. This mentality of quickness makes other things need to be faster. Shopping has taken a stronghold on the web because of its ease and rapid pace. Fast food restaurants are becoming predominant worldwide. The world is becoming a whirlwind of efficiency.

Because of this growing mindset, I believe that people have begun to crave concise, simple songs. If a song can still get across the basic message and idea of a more complex (and maybe deeper) song, people will accept it. If they feel that they are still taken on a journey with the artist, even if the song lacks lyrical vigor, they will be drawn to it. They also want to be shocked. Lyrics can be shocking, but it takes a lot of effort on the artist’s part. It is much easier to shock people in order to grab hold of their short attention spans by working through other aspects of the industry. Instead of shocking you with content, they shock you with what they do (like Lady Gaga’s meat dress) or their wild instrumentals and jams. Because pop music is becoming more flashy, provocative, and out-there, powerful lyrics have gone by the wayside.

Our society has changed music so much, that lyrics are no longer even the core of a song’s soul, but rather an extraneous spice that is needed in order to hear the vocals. When I analyze the lack of lyrics in this manner, I find myself sad. But, because I have grown up in this evolving world, I don’t mind this change in casual listening. I think a majority of people would say the same. So even though we’re plagued with the simplistic lyrics of today, I can’t wait to see how music will be changed tomorrow.