Hating Pop Music Doesn’t Make You Deep
“I only listen to real music.”
A phrase commonly used by the pretentious at-home music critic to make their superior taste known to the unwilling person they are in conversation with. But what truly makes music considered to be real? More often than not, this “superficial” music these critics are so adamantly against takes the form of standard pop music.
Pop music was named as such due to its widely successful debut and rapid increase in popularity, overtaking several older genres. Listeners were obsessed with the bright and upbeat production, falling deeply in love with the idea of this classic pop star. A vision of a singer who makes fun and energetic music, with vast crowds filled to the brim with screaming fans. As brightness pours in through blinding stage lights, these stars radiate confidence and beauty as they perform their catchiest hits for millions. These glittering stars attract a wide fan base, predominantly inhabited by women. Pop star “Stan Culture” (a term for being an extreme superfan of an artist) is a largely female space, and most online discourse within these fandoms comes from girls expressing their love for their favorite artist.
Pop haters more often than not have the same critique of this genre: that it's just not deep. The bubblegum production mixed with bland lyrics; why would a music aficionado waste their time with that? The deep music these listeners so desire is more likely than not a smaller artist writing existential pieces, whom they can ask people if they have heard before, relishing when they say they have not. There is a sense of ego that is paired with this mentality, screaming “I know more about music than you!” and “You wish you had as niche a music taste as I”. This often comes off less as an attempt at preformatism and more as a desperate attempt at individuality.
It's almost as if to say, since you believe yourself to be smarter than the average population, that means what the average population enjoys is beneath you. Within these fan spaces, however, are primarily young adult women. The sentiment is often shared that women cannot enjoy anything without being ridiculed for their interests. Girly clothes, songs, and movies are often regarded as lower forms of artistic expression than stereotypical male interests. Shallow, if you will. If something was made for, or widely beloved by women, it is perceived to exist at a lower level of intellect. This idea is upheld by the patriarchal conditioning of people to believe that a man is inherently more intelligent than a woman, thus the belief that the media cishet men enjoy is of a higher caliber.
This raises the question of why art must be dictated based on intellectual depth, instead of personal preference. Society’s obsession with individuality actually halts the formation of a personal identity, focusing too hard on how one wants to be perceived instead of organic personal interests. Enjoying something because it is fun does not dictate the intelligence of a person and completely discredits the art itself. Because of the stigma around pop music, assumptions are often made without the exploration of these pieces of work. The genre covers a wide variation of deeply personal life experiences, with artists pouring their truest selves for the world to critique. Charli XCX’s 2024 album ‘BRAT’ is the epitome of this sensation. To those unfamiliar, this album appears to be nothing but drugs and parties, but underneath is a raw expression of human emotions as a commentary on the reality of a stereotypical party girl. The album discusses insecurity, questions of motherhood, family, and grief, all woven together to a complex club beat. The album is very self-aware, contradicting the types of topics usually presumed on a project like this.
The judgment placed on pop music within the music sphere does not come from a place of passion for music. It stems from the insecurity of those without a proper sense of what they like; simply, what they want you to believe they like. You do not have to enjoy pop music to acknowledge the impact it has made on modern music. But to discredit the work of these artists only proves a lack of music knowledge or an obsession with self-presentation.
Strike Out,
Lillian McLemore, Writer
Strike Magazine Chattanooga