Journey through the genres of music..

Introduction: It can pep you up even if you are in the worst of moods. Many turn to it in times of sadness or in moments of depression. Music has always had a cathartic effect on people, along with providing enjoyment. But have you ever wondered as to how the different genres of music have actually evolved? BVT explores the different genres of music for you, and we kickstart it with Pop Music.

Source: Vijay Times, BVT pg- 4.)
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal

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Many deny it, but most of them secretly like it. Popular music or Pop Music as it is often called is a soft combination of other genres of music, like, rock, country, folk, and blues etc. Its style represents the generation in which it evolves. It is constituted by a catchy riff to start the song, after which follows the vocals, which are saleable or marketable. The riff is the most important part of any song. It is said that a listener determines his likeness in the first ten seconds of the song, and if he doesn’t click then the entire album goes kaput.

Themes like love, rejection, romance; proposal, you and I are a part and parcel of any pop song. The themes are represented in forms of verses, which are separated by a chorus.

Being solo is where the entire responsibility lies on one person, if the artist fails, it would take a massive effort to revive his loss. Some of them who have made it solo are Celine Dion, Madonna, Robbie Williams, and Anne Lennox. Most artists who have made it solo have actually been women while surprisingly, most artists that have made it in a band have been men.

Speaking of bands, the only thing that comes to mind is a boy band. Their ability to sing in harmony while complimenting and supplementing each member of the band is remarkable. Bee Gees, Beatles, Backstreet Boys, Destiny's Child, Take that… could be a few who have excellent harmony and technique to compliment their chocolate boy/girl images.

The trademark of most of the boy bands being, a good catchy riff, combined with love lyrics sung in harmony and basic aim of getting an overall result of having girls swoon over you and throw their undergarments in your face. The number is then packaged in what you would call Santa Claus clothing or given an attractive look. The main objective of any popular music is not only to create a song but also to ensure mass appeal. It does not take much time to decide whether you like a song or not, and it certainly does not depend on whether you have an acquired taste to it or not. You like it and buy it, or you dislike it and forget about it.

Popular music is not only about music, it's about "Image" and "Style". The whole package of the band is taken into consideration, and consists of turning the artist into a larger than life figure. Popular makes itself felt in lifestyle, fashion and psychological symbol systems. If you look at ABBA, you will realize immediately, the people, the lifestyle and the fashion that existed in the 1970's.

Most popular music is churned out by youngsters representing that generation. There spirit and enthusiasm is incomparable. Its amazing how one can define a decade in terms of music; its amazing how if you say I grew up with Boyzone, you would immediately know what age you belonged to (which would be the 1990's).

Popular Music is criticized for being a marketing stunt, where the essence of real music is sacrificed for fame and fortune. Pop music and bands have been constantly taken to task for dishing out trashy music. All said and done, making music does require hard work, even if the everything involved is not essentially music. Call it a stunt to make money, or call it pure good listening pleasure for the ears, Popular music is here to stay in the midst of people who love the freshness of their era and want to be associated and remembered for it.