I used to think great music had gone too but maybe it never left!
There have been exceptional artists who have made exceptional songs in the past 10 to 15 years: John Mayer, John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, Bobby McFerrin, Jill Scott, Sade and of course Adele, to name a few. I guess their existence just seemed so insignificant in proportion to the junk I had to sift through on the radio. Or....
Maybe I was just too ticked off at the fact that some of the great artists I knew just weren't allowed to be heard--shot down for not writing cookie-cutter songs and mindless lyrics; or because the ones who I thought got a break by being signed have never been given the exposure they deserved. Maybe I was just really disappointed that nothing had come of my own career, and tired of being told my songs weren't good enough, I wasn't showing my skin enough, I wasn't 'Pop-y' enough, so I felt like there wasn't enough 'great music' out there.
But on days like this, when I'm standing at my kitchen sink and Adele's melodies float through my mind, and I know she is the best selling artist in the world right now and has broken records that only dead artists have achieved...
In a year like this when Esperanza Spalding wins Best New Artist over Justin Bieber (never mind she's been around for a quite a while)...
I feel good.
My ears are thankful 'cause I've been so tired of the other stuff out there.
Maybe a change is coming. After all they say things come in seasons...
Maybe the industry has swung so 'wrong' that it's about to swing 'right'. I certainly hope so!
To all those great artists who have been discouraged and disillusioned by 'the system' but keep on keeping on, I salute you-- you have strength only few possess.
I pray that if you keep making music simply because it's what you love to do most, and tell honest stories only the way you can, what is truly yours will come to you.
With all the love I have to give,
Janelle
What makes a artiste great? Is it that you like it? Is it that he/she can sell a lot of records? Or that they say something with their music? And who determines great that person's words and music are?
ReplyDelete:)
Me,
ReplyDeleteA great artiste is of course relative, as it boils down to an individual's taste.
Nope it's definitely not about record sales. As I said many great artistes haven't even been able to sell their records yet.
In regards to lyrics/music. It can be either or (there are great instrumentalists) and it can be a combo of both.