150 replies to this topic

[Marida]

^ Some very good points there.

Sometimes it just comes down to stereotypes, people label other people based on the music they listen to.

Jpop has become very popular in my country, especially among teenagers 14-18. I've loved oriental cultures all my life and when I founded a cosplay community in one popular Finnish website, there were no other communitites like that. This was in early 2005. Now my community has some 600 members.

Now I'm older and sometimes when people ask me what kind of music do you listen to, I don't really want to bring out the fact that I listen to Jpop because they will assume I go along with the Jpop trends existing. I've just come to a conclusion that, whatever, if they want to label me in such way, be my guest. I guess it doesn't really matter anyways.

[Sludgie-kun]

^Wow impressive stuff you got going on there Marida~

Music to me is like a mirror on what you're like on the inside. Anyway I'm afraid I fall into the category of a "labelist". I basically become a snob towards people who like different styles of music from me, a bad trait my friend passed to me lol. http://www.hello-onl...tyle_emoticons/hello-online/tongue.gif Now let me rave about Mihimaru GT, a duo which I've fallen in love with ever since Mixedmedia told me about them. Oh gosh I love them.

The duo comprises of Miyake and Hiroko, both of them are composers, lyricists and vocalists (Miyake is more of rap). Which is very, very cool because they have made it big not by using somebody else's compositions or lyrics, but they made it big by sticking to what they believe in and all of their own hard work. Hiroko is the main vocalist in most of the songs while Miyake brings in his rap for the song's bridge or verses.

And what I like about Hiroko her voice sounds so energetic all the time~ And it's amazing similarity to Yaguchi's voice. I don't understand what they're saying at all, but I do love the fact that ALL their songs have a "gambare" and "you can do it" feel to all of them. Maybe it's just me but that's how I interpret their music. And I've never even heard or seen bands which have all of their songs with such a feel good feel to them!

Plus the fact that they have never sold a trashy album or single, by trashy I mean songs which have connotations about sex and/or violence. Yey, I do love them so~

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[michikodesu]

American music often emphasizes sexy. And now I do not find sexy attractive in the opposite sex or the same sex.
I have had a bad experience with sexy. All the girls I find attractive people say are cute instead of sexy. And all the girls I find ugly people say are sexy. So apparently sexy = ugly. Because I do not find sexy people sexually attractive. I find them ugly. I am attracted to cute people. Because again, the people I am attracted to people say are cute and not sexy, while the people I say are ugly people find sexy and not cute.

Apparently there's something to sexy other than being sexual. It apparently has to do with looking ugly, while acting sexually provocatively.
As opposed to being good looking and acting sexually provocatively. In which gives the view the idea of blank sex in which they are only enjoying the cheap body and not interested in the person as an attractive person.

So this is a thing I find unattractive about American pop music. People might call me closed minded for my preference.
But it's an underground preference. American music is popular everywhere. To be a fan of American pop music is just to help a devouring industry help to devour more. I don't like it, and I don't want to support it. And I think people who have only listened to it are closest minded and ignorant about music. They're basically only listening to what they've been spoonfed, so I don't consider them real music fans at all.

I think you just read my mind!!! That's one of the main reason that I DON'T like music here in the States because all it focuses on is sex and being sexy. And the industry's idea of sexy is some cheap, trampy image for the female artists and no shirts and hip-grinding for the males. Why can't sexy be an attitude. I've always thought of it as something intangible and very demure. It's not something that is blatantly obvious. But it seems that here in America, we can't think for ourselves so they feel that they have to give us the image because "we" can't form one in our own imaginations........I have a whole opinion on the mind-set of Americans but not here (I'll be off-topic).

And because of this fact, a lot of people who listen to one type of music don't want to branch out and listen to other types of music. But it is also an image thing. How many people do you know that will say they like metal will say that they like country or someone who says that they like hip-hop will say they like classical? It's a generalization, but that's truly how it is, especially what I have seen here. There are a few people that will branch out, but they are also the same people that branch out and watch and listen to and like to experience different things themselves. Not the ones that buy into just one culture and not deviate from that.

I feel that here we're kinda preaching to the choir because we already branch out (if not, we wouldn't be on this forum). It's hard to make other people understand that there are so many choices for everything out in the world if they would just step outside the box that they've allowed to be built around them. Being open-minded is great; but it seems that closed-mindedness is way too contagious.

[Sludgie-kun]

^Thank you for breaking free from your cultural convention. Bless you for that. I've hated radio music for quite some time now, because all we get is music from the USA. Which is dead set stupid and shallow. Well on the channels that broadcast mostly pop/rap/rock music anyway. I'm not total Nazi though, I find original and new artists like Mika great, as well as some others.

Hm I don't quite know how sexy can work out to be an attitude, care to explain? Mm...you mean people like Avril (While she still had her rocker image) or Jojo? They are very good looking but they never gave the "in your face" sexy.

Anyway it's all about following the trend of the hottest music, if you don't listen to it you're out. So all the people who want to be included listen to music that they otherwise wouldn't listen to. But after a lot of influence from a friend, I've learnt to branch out to listen to other types of music. I've delved into lots of stuff, from opera to heavy metal, and I've finally decided to settle on good old Japanese!

This probably creates a lot of barriers when it comes to music related conversations, so people don't really deviate. But hell I love Japanese music too much. And the only way to teach a frog in a well is to fish it out with a sharp hook muaha

[やっちん♥]

Music means everything to me and it's with me everywhere.
Whoever said that the pop listeners don't appreciate music are VERY wrong.
Pop music has the most melodical tunes so they can all F off. Music with a catchy tune will always make me like it and I'm not paying attention to the lyrics or anything, I notice them after but I still don't care if they suck - I listen to the music.
Anyway music is important to me and that's enough, right?

[Marida]

Thanks Sludge .

Yeah I don't listen to radio either, because it's just really empty. Most of it's American too. I don't mean to say everything from America is bad, no. But mostly it feels like where is the pride in not bringing more Finnish music out, since America is still totally another country...

About sexy being an attitude, sure it can be! It doesn't have to mean you look sexy because you're wearing thongs and having a look which says let's do it . No.

Like Mari is really sexy to me, because she has an amazing attitude. She seems strong and independent. Thus, she seems sexy. A powerful minded woman, that is sexy.

[Sludgie-kun]

A powerful minded woman, that is sexy.

Ah...I think you hit the nail on the head

[Marida]

^ Well yeah, I think that's quite basic definition of sexy, in a certain way at least!

But anyway, I want to hear more of everyone's thoughts on this topic!

[faraithi sayounara~*waves*]

The music I listen to reflects the life of my soul.

[Sludgie-kun]

^True, music does reflect upon what you are like inside.

And god I haven't seen you around in a while!

[HollowKevin]

music is an expression? lol I dont really kno for sure, but music is just a way for me to escape the harsh reality of the day. Too much bull goin on in my life and music just lets me forget about it, even it its only for a sec.

[Marida]

^ Of course you can express yourself through music, just like dancers express themselves thru dancing. Thru music you deliver your soul, thus express yourself, right? http://www.hello-onl...tyle_emoticons/hello-online/wink.gif

[writerserenyty]

As well as a huge fan of H!P and other J-Pop, I am also a classical music fiend; my iPod is basically dominated by J-Pop, American/British Indie rock, and classical music. I play clarinet, and I love learning about music history. And while I've heard people say that they can't hear other music because it's not classical, and that it's not properly done, I don't think that's it at all. I just think that music has evolved with the times, to fit the times. Remember, quite a bit of music that's considered classical was composed for entertainment, for ballets, for operas, even for auditions! Bach's Brandenburg Concertos? Yeah, those were written as audition pieces!

I think that all music, whether Morning Musume or Beethoven, has its place, and has the opportunity for entertainment and enjoyment. I personally prefer Hello! Project stuff over American pop because I prefer the image; most of the stuff I see come out of Hello! Project has a good message, positive lyrics, and I absolutely love music that's upbeat, something that I don't hear as often in the US. But no matter what you like, I think it's all valid. Music is self-expression, and no matter if that's classical or The Peace.

So, yeah. Resigning yourself to one genre, one group, or one country even is just limiting yourself, I think. That's why I'm not a fan of radio stations; they always tend to play one genre and one group over and over, and I get sick of it.

[Glasseyelashes]

where i live, the dominant music genre is country, southern rock, or rap. i voice my opinions about the music that's played on the radio, and i get shot down. it's astounding how many people are afraid to go out of their music comfort zone. everything that's played on the radio these days always sounds the same, and when someone new comes out, i'm intrigued, but in the end, they end up sounding like everyone else. call it the "safe music". it's a tried and true sound, and people like it. but try something new, and it gets frowned upon.

i'm not saying EVERYONE is like that, but here in oklahoma, it's pretty much the norm.

[Marida]

^ That's it. People tend to go along with everyone else, stay in the safe zone, music is one good example of it. If someone differs from the norm, it'll be weird and the person will be looked upon differently. That's why some people don't like to differ much... But I think everyone should . Maybe it's just human nature, I don't know.

But it's a shame that something as personal as music is considered as "labeling tool" for people. And I think music is personal, because everyone has their own taste.

[faraithi sayounara~*waves*]

If someone differs from the norm, it'll be weird and the person will be looked upon differently. That's why some people don't like to differ much...

That's why I've chosen to avoid talking about my musical tastes with real-life people in person...

I just listen to whatever I like in private and in the comfort of my own home!

[Marida]

^ Yeah well that's the other option . I like to do that too nowadays. It's not really anybody's business what I listen to!

[Glasseyelashes]

^i'm the opposite. true, it's no one's business who i choose to listen to, but i like to see their faces when i tell them who, and what types of music i like. they always say that i look nothing like the type of music i listen to(if that made sense).

since when did music have a look?

[Ritsuka]

im most likely repeating everyone here but music is an art that anyone and everyone enjoys :] its one of those things that people wont ever see eye to eye on. to me music is good no matter what genre or anything. even if i dont enjoy it, if someone somewhere enjoys it, then it is good.

since i want to be a singer, it is my life.

i once had a friend who told me i wasnt as musical as her because i didnt listen to all musical styles. i think that is just wrong D: a measure of how musical one is shouldnt be a count of how many genres one listens to. i listen to many many musical styles but i think even if someone only listens to one genre they can be just as musical as those that listen to all of them.

[Marida]

I remembered I created this thread and wanted to revive it. More thoughts please!