Does “Hipster-Bullshit Feedback-Playlist” even make sense?
Let’s break it down. The coined term “hipster” can be defined across musical genres. It’s about swagger, alienation; it’s pure funk. Anyone can be a hipster, really. It’s about presentation, style, demeanor—regardless of what type of beats you listen to (indie, emo, rap, country, blues!) Anyone who dares to take just one step outside of the norm and explore their own personal realm is a hipster. And “bullshit,” well, bullshit describes everything I just wrote.
Though you won’t find mainstream music on my project playlist, just because a single or artist gets some major radio air time, doesn’t take away their credibility. Merely stepping outside the conformist circle of pop artists singing sing-a-longs doesn’t legitimize any artist. Despite my Rockist tendencies, honestly, music is a form of artistic expression. I sure as hell couldn’t make million-dollar tracks, so who am I to judge?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Chris Daughtry’s howling is insufferable and I’d rather drag my knees across concrete than listen to Britney Spears’ single “Womanizer” one more time. However, sometimes personal biases just get in the way of giving music a shot.
Therein lies the difference between reviewing and criticism.
You can be a hater all you want, but if you can’t defend why you detest or adore arts and culture (here, music in particular) then your written opinion is categorized as just another review without credibility.
Check out any interactive website today and likely opinions will be tossed right and left without justification. Anyone can blog. But to truly criticize is to express opinion via thorough exploration of a creative work. Dig Deep. Discover exactly what it is that makes you cringe or scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs.
People rely on other people’s opinions; it’s human nature. Reading a critic’s judgment that shares similar interests, dislikes, and attitudes can heavily influence whether a consumer chooses to buy Kanye’s new album or not (see Jessica O’Neal’s Review).
The snarky attitude behind the “Hipster-Bullshit Feedback Playlist” precisely describes my attitude towards reviewing music—with a hint of humor, slightly racy, and at times a bit rude. And yes, snarkiness comes with a taste of cockiness but with a good argument standing behind my opinions, cockiness is simply a type of writing style.
**Note: Chris Daughtry’s whiny, purposefully shaky voice paired with overdramatic super-hero soundtrack music contributes to my distaste of his stuff. And Britney Spears, well, I’ll save my opinion on her for another review.
No comments:
Post a Comment