As opposed to indie music? Or just pop music in general? If you read my earlier post on my music shuffle, you’ll already know that I have fairly eclectic tastes in music. I will happily listen to opera, reggae, punk, disco, country, instrumental, and hip hop music all in one day. Maybe it’s how I was raised. Both of my parents are musical–vocally and instrumentally–and we listened to a variety of music in our household.

Pau Casals centenary statue (via Wikimedia Commons)

I also grew up listening to “world” music what with living in different countries in Africa and Europe. How else would I have grown to appreciate Cheb Khaled’s “Aicha” in 6th grade? I also have a soft spot for French hip hop and Indian music.

All this to say that generally I enjoy mainstream/pop music. I listen to Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Pink, and Lorde. I listen to Justin Timberlake and Madonna. I don’t only listen to pop music because I like hearing a variety of musical styles, but I’m certainly not “above” listening to pop music. In fact, I get rather annoyed by people who look down their noses and sneer at those of us who do listen to pop music. You aren’t better than anyone for listening to that obscure band who only records to vinyl or cassette tapes. 😉

If there were anything I would change about pop music, I would ask artists to think more about their lyrics. I would prefer less misogyny–both outright misogyny and internalized misogyny–and I think I would like less dissonance between songs. For example, I recently listened to an album where the title song is a fun, inclusive track for girls and women. In it, there’s a line about not needing men, which is great for younger fans to hear. Independence is great! But that song is followed immediately on the album by a song that is all about trying to get a guy to notice the singer and act. If you are going to present a message to your audience, can you stick to one message?

For the most part, I unashamedly enjoy mainstream music. Sometimes, it’s just fun to let your hair down and cruise to some great beats.