Mainstream music has run into a pitfall over the past few years.
Anyone can tell you that I enjoy listening to quality pop music, but I still can't shake this question: Why do I feel less connected to some mainstream hip-hop music than I do a James Taylor song? The answer is that the lyrical content of some of this mainstream music is beyond my reality.
I can't connect with the glitz and glam of the artist's lifestyle.
A good example of connection lies in one of Kanye West's new songs called "Runaway".
While I can't say I have sent a girl a photo of my man-berries (as the song explains he did), I can totally connect with the bigger meaning of the song.
He's essentially saying, "Girl, I'm a jackass.
If you stick around with me, you'll only get hurt, so you should probably head for the hills.
" That makes sense to me and that's why I will still be listening to Kanye years down the road.
Yes, he talks about living the high life, but he can also bring his songs back down to earth where the rest of us live.
He lets us live in the fantasy and reality of his lyrics at the same time.
On the other hand, you can get too much fantasy out of a lot of artists.
Maybe that is their role in music.
Maybe they just want to give people something to dream about in regards to living the party life and having lots of money.
But the still-present problem remains: As much as any of us thinks the songs are catchy, none of them are emotionally connecting to us.
If artists want to leave a lasting mark on society, they will need to release singles that makes that personal connection.
Empathy.
You need your audience to empathize with your point for your point to matter at all.
When I hear some new hit single talking about being "all up in the club", it doesn't feel personal.
It's just me hearing about how awesome someone else's life is.
There's no slot for me to fit into.
I'm trying to shove a circle into a square hole.
Yes, there is satisfaction in fulfilling fantasy by listening to lyrics involving glam and the high-life, but we need something to bring us back to realty.
We need words that will make us observe our own lives and help us navigate through our own problems.
So, if you're an artist, write some lyrics us common people can understand.
Pen something inspiring.
Don't keep trying to impress everyone with your status, but instead, use your status for good.
Some new pop star sits around complaining about poverty in the world (because it's the cool thing to do), yet that same artist will spend thousands of dollars making sure his/her supply of high-quality mineral water never depletes.
Hypocrisy like that destroys credibility and character.
Write lyrics that will inspire communities to rise above it, not become part of the problem.
Don't stop the fantasy, but know how to pull us back down and force us to look in the mirror at our own existences.
P.
S.
Turn the radio off and go searching for good music.
Excellent examples are The Roots, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, Mos Def, Foxy Shazam, OK Go, Common, and Talib Kweli.
Don't let the radio dictate the quality of what you listen to.
Explore music.
It's awesome.