The 'Shit Trend' in pop music right now

Ugh... 'Happy' is playing on the radio and the only heartening thing about it is that finally it feels like we're coming out of that obnoxious faux-town craze that lasted wayyy too long.
But there's always going to be a 'Shit Trend' in pop music that exemplifies a particular time - usually it involves producers and artists jumping on an actually very credible idea, but pumping out as many watered-down versions as possible before the trend expires.
Right now, the extent reggaeton-lite fad is clearly becoming more than just a fad as it's been going on for years and recently reared its head with DJ Snake's 'Taki Taki'.
Is this the 'shit trend' right now? Or is there something more insidiously bland waiting in the wings? What other shit trends have there been in history, ones that despite being a bit shit seem to exemplify a two or three year stretch?

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TtXBmK1v--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/cy99k7hwkcxoqclsmrzs.png

Is that a trend or just a one-off novelty hit though? I think there's a difference. The shit trend is something where someone has a hit and immediately everyone piggie-backs off it. Like, how many lightweight pop songs have become huge hits off the back of Despacito, just because they feature a little Spanglish and a weak-ass reggaeton beat?

do you like "Despacito"?

everybody likes despacito?

5 billion views can't be wrong!

(It's shit)

You mean like grunge, DL? Or Britpop? That kind of thing?

if you mean semi-credible underground music hyped up and co-opted into the mainstream then watered down for tweens? then I suspect it's mumble/ soundcloud isn't it?

both britpop waves qualify for this, yes. it doesn't mean there wasn't some gold amongst the shite

5 billion views can't be wrong!

(It's shit)

― imago, Monday, October 15, 2018

I'm delighted we're listening to "Despacito" (which existed before the Bieber remix) through English-speaking ears.

DL do you mean literally every style of pop music that has been popular ever?

It's actually harder to think of examples where everyone hasn't immediately jumped on the bandwagon and started producing knock-offs.

waiting for this fuckin' 55-year 'white boys with guitars' trend to finally die out

THANK YOU

fucking shit trend imo

Despacito is terrible, but it's exactly as thomasintrouble is saying, it's a pervasive sound that's part of a co-option of something credible and underground. That's not necessarily what a 'shit trend' is, but often it's the case. It'll be looked back on as 'that time when all the popstars had to have a hit song with loping clipclop rhythm and a guest verse in Spanish.

Not sure if grunge / britpop as genres count within themselves, but certainly the music that came after - the many many many bands that came in the wake of Kurt's death or post-Oasis who sounded like a refraction of that music, but nowhere close. Nickleback, Puddle of Mudd, endless hyped NME landfill indie bands.

Nu-metal is definitely one though, even though maybe the first couple of Korn albums, Deftones, Linkin Park each had credible moments, the influence of nu-metal pervaded so much of American culture that even established metal bands like Slayer, Sepultura, Machinehead, were pretty much forced to change their style and make albums in that style. I'd even go so far as to say that it reached beyond rock music, into hiphop (Eminem's popularity I'd say is directly attributable to the permeation of nu-metal brat culture); even bratty gross-out stuff like Tom Green and Jackass tied into it. It all came to signify a very turn-of-the century pre-911 vibe that has aged incredibly badly and few remember particularly fondly.

DL do you mean literally every style of pop music that has been popular ever?

― Matt DC, Monday, October 15, 2018 2:18 PM (nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's actually harder to think of examples where everyone hasn't immediately jumped on the bandwagon and started producing knock-offs.

― Matt DC, Monday, October 15, 2018 2:21 PM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah... yeah I guess,.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdolTNroyhM

waiting for this fuckin' 55-year 'white boys with guitars' trend to finally die out

― himalayan mountain hole (bizarro gazzara), Monday, October 15, 2018 2:21 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It is though, isn't it? I mean, I can't think of that many non-legacy big-selling acts out today that really fit this schema nowadays save for maybe a few pop-punk emoish bands?

"Credible" is not a useful idea when talking about music IMO.

(Truthfully I'm struggling to define the word "credible" better than "critically respectable amongst rock critics" so if there's a better or more useful definition than that I'd be happy to hear it)

Im thinking of how after "Uptown Funk" there was a definite run of attempts ti recreate it, eg Fleur East and Aston Merrygold

xp re credibility: isn't it that old idea/l that they're "in it for the Art not the money"

'blindly following the shit trends in pop music' is basically the career of olly murs in a nutshell

boxedjoy Yes, this kind of thing.. 'Uptown Funk' and 'Blurred Lines' doing 80s funk; but I'm surprised not more people jumped on it?

I'm not interested in talking about the semantics of the word 'credible' ITT really

Oh there's that thing, I think they call it the 'dolphin noise' which was kind of cool when Bieber did that song with Skrillex and DJ Snake did 'Turn Down For What', but is now such a default noise in so many songs you barely notice it

finally an ilx thread about how nu-metal sucks

I do appreciate Doglatin's patient attempts at defining what a 'shit trend' is for those who might not be able to get their head round the concept.

As an offshoot of the dolphin noise there's also a 'electronically distorted unintelligible and vaguely ghostly backing vocals as a hook' thing that happens in a lot of pop songs from the latter part of this decade. I'd say it's post-Burial, but I don't think that's really the reference point for these tunes, e.g:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-IoluTnuKs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwjwCFZpdns

OK DL I'll leave it alone for the sake of the thread but from reading your posts it (or some other associated idea) seems pretty important to understanding what you're talking about.

I like DJ Snake's (with Selena Gomez, Ozuna, & Cardi B) 'Taki Taki'. "Despacito" too. "Reggaeton-lite" is in both of these cases pop-reggaeton that's worthy.

On listening to commercial radio today, apparently the 'Passenger' singing voice is still a thing.

xps ^ ah yes, the 'we got a criminally-insane gagged-and-bound Victorian prison inmate to do our backing vocals' sound

The 'Passenger' voice. I hear so many buskers and open mic type people (women and men) doing this voice. Like a Fraggle with two plumstones in the mouth

The multi-voice 'oh-oh-OHH-oh oh-oh-OHH-oh's or variations of it filling in the gaps between the lyrics in choruses. Imagine Dragons, Arcade Fire, all that shit. It will not go away.

The 'Passenger' voice. I hear so many buskers and open mic type people (women and men) doing this voice. Like a Fraggle with two plumstones in the mouth

― Scritti Vanilli - The Word Girl You Know It's True (dog latin), Monday, October 15, 2018 8:57 AM (thirteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh yeah this is trash. even ladies are doing the passenger voice now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SU0gFPMwP8

spot on

Reggaeton-lite has been a staple of the charts for a good 15 years now (La Tortura, etc), and Imagine Dragons and Arcade Fire are arguable on a downward trajectory after peaking in terms of 'relevance' five years ago. Passenger's big hit was six years ago, surely this vocal style can't stay much longer. The 'shit trend' us old people are going to be annoyed with in the coming years is probably post-Gangnam Style K-Pop.

That stunningly bad recent Diplo/Sia/Labrinth song is the first thing I thought of re this thread.

I came into this thread expecting to learn about a bizarre theme of coprophilia appearing throughout the Hot 100... imagine my disappointment to discover the truth.

there was an "eat the booty like groceries" line hopping around rap and r&b a few years ago

I have been waiting for rock to die since the mid 90s.

I can’t believe that reggaeton has become more forward thinking than mainstream rock which has found comfort in not doing anything that feels remotely original for almost three decades.

but what is mainstream rock these days? lots of people complaining about it and yet I don't really hear any on my travels? apart from when they leave Radio X on in the work kitchen, which is all Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro, but that barely counts as new music ?

Tell me with a straight face this isn’t the most depressive billboard list of the decade:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Mainstream_Rock_number-one_songs_of_the_2010s

it's been decades since the best or most interesting rock music was accurately captured in a billboard modern rock chart.

And the “rock” list is equally laughable:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_number-one_Billboard_Rock_Songs

But that mainstream rock list gives me shivers, had to recheck if the year for those songs was wrong. Poor genre has been trapped in a loop. I’ll take terrible trends over not following a trend at all and being trapped in that graveyard.

it's been decades since the best or most interesting rock music was accurately captured in a billboard modern rock chart.

― voodoo chili

I’m not talking about what’s going on in the underground or the indie scene. This thread is about the mainstream. What would be the biggest rock bands that weren’t popular in the 90’s nowadays? Imagine Dragons, 21 pilots, Black Keys? I’ll take the current trend of trap and reggaeton over those ay day.

This ‘current’ trend of trap and reggaeton as mainstream chart music is also nearing the end of its second decade on top, not looking particularly fresh.

I don't know man. You're not making a lot of sense. You claim that you haven't heard any artists you like from the past decade (except for 3 songs) including underground and indie stuff, but then keep asking why "mainstream pop" is worse now. Worse than when? 1967? 2008?

― We were never Breeting Borting (President Keyes), Thursday, January 3, 2019 6:34 PM

I was only referencing mainstream stuff because of the video that I posted. But I seriously can't name any new artist (underground/indie/mainstream/whatever) from the last decade that I would want to own their album. But yes, the 2000's are largely similar to the 2010's and I have very little favs from that era as well. I don't mention old groups (starting in the 60's-90's) because many of them did put out albums I like in the 00's and 10's. Also I could probably find a all around good ambient or instrumental album from the 10's if I wanted to.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last Alice in Chains album is better than you might expect.

― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Thursday, January 3, 2019 6:36 PM
I should listen to the Alice in Chains. Thanks for the recommendation, I keep forgetting about that one.

is flopsyduck the latest iteration of raccoontanuki? anyway that video is evidently awful but this response to it that i saw a while ago was interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfNdps0daF8

flopsylorax

Thought this thread was about Lil Wayne

that takedown video is good but way more effort than the original really deserved at all

but lol i didn't get to the part where he claims that max martin and dr luke are responsible for "the vast majority of chart-topping hits in the past two decades" and "behind virtually every single band that is played on the radio today"

is there a name for the guy's expression in the video above, one that conveys the smugness

^the “Joel McHale”

god i’m now imagining a future where max martin co-writes for post malone... brr

It's absolutely true that there is tons of cherry-picking, exaggerations and spin in that original video (I haven't watched the response). But the sentiment is also true that there is more of a repeated generic sound (copycats should at least vary what they copy) and less creativity, and more people whom can't play instruments. The crappy video's statement that there is generally (in today's modern hit parade) smaller volume variance between instruments and shorter songs with more/earlier hooks might be true.

But the sentiment is also true that there is more of a repeated generic sound (copycats should at least vary what they copy) and less creativity, and more people whom can't play instruments.

citation needed

God I don't know if I can get through that response video. Over analyzing something that bugs you and and putting in several hours to create a response can't be healthy.

(I'm reminded of Quincy Jones calling the Beatles "the worst musicians in the world... no-playing motherfuckers")

Or maybe it is therapeutic to over-analyze what bugs you? Fuck. I feel like lingering on something that bugs you can't be healthy and yet ultimately all the work you put into making a response can lead to a therapeutic feeling. The internet is dumb.

The internet also smells bad and is ugly.

overreach and misguidedness of that OG video aside, this train of thought is especially wild to me considering that the last few years have shown a HUGE shift away from the more centrist model of pop music. even the crotchety strawman frameworks people have lobbed against chart music for the past twenty or so years of pop have become strained and outdated.

I don't know if has changed that much? It still sounds terrible to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgTVrcRUMig

"well that's easily fixed"

sooo, she kills herself?

What's the idea behind this thread exactly ? Theorizing your yells ?

(I'm reminded of Quincy Jones calling the Beatles "the worst musicians in the world... no-playing motherfuckers")

I've known a couple of classical or jazz guys who hold a similar low opinion of the Beatles' musicianship, even if they give them credit as composers/songwriters. Still seems nuts to me tbh.

What's the idea behind this thread exactly ? Theorizing your yells ?

― Nabozo, Friday, January 4, 2019 11:50 AM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you called

Flopsy, If you can bear to watch to the end of the response video you'll see that the reason it's needed is that the original video poster has more than 2 million subscribers, so it is a bit important if he is spreading bullshit.

I think to answer your original question you really need to ask yourself.

I figured it out. Why I don't like modern music. (you can't see it but I had an epiphany).

Modern music has abandoned my idea of cool by distancing itself from the past. There is a newer kind of cool, but until I see it and embrace it, most all of new stuff will sound like shit.

I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded.

If only 'millennial cool' could make itself apparent to me. I don't know how I'm supposed to lift the veil when what is cool today seems like a direct contradiction to what I believe is cool.

To theorize:
A=old cool & !A=new cool

xp

"the reason (the response video) is needed"

but is it though?

I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded I have finally opened up to the possibility that I'm close-minded

But have you opened up to the possibility that you are dick because you harbor a hatred of yourself?

Ugh I want those 10 minutes of my life back, he argues that modern pop music places the hook earlier in the song due to short attention spans fueled by ipods yet he defends 60’s pop!? The most popular Beatles songs all have their hooks in the first 20/30 seconds of the songs or in the intro. This has nothing to do with pleasuring the milennials ffs.

Did pop had better lyrics in the 60’s than pop from this decade? I can cherrypick mind numbing stupid lyrics from huge hits of any decade and make that argument.

The only point that may have some foundation is the “timbre” one, instead of using studios with actual instruments technology allows the trend of creating music from your laptop with synths and samples and those who do use instruments tend to be more lo-fi than in previous decades. That’s not a tech limitation though, maybe an economic one... established mainstream acts may still get the full thing and it sounds better than anything from previous decades regardless of your opinion on its content.

I've known a couple of classical or jazz guys who hold a similar low opinion of the Beatles' musicianship, even if they give them credit as composers/songwriters. Still seems nuts to me tbh.

I'm sure there's plenty who don't give them credit as composers/songwriters either.

If the guy just said "look, there's a lot of commercial music that is designed in the same way a corporation designs a mass market snack food" I would agree. But that's about it.

I've known a couple of classical or jazz guys who hold a similar low opinion of the Beatles' musicianship, even if they give them credit as composers/songwriters. Still seems nuts to me tbh.

Isn't this a case of guys for whom chops are an end in themselves vs. guys who are only interested in acquiring the chops necessary to convey their songwriting ideas?

I think it’s possible to think the Beatles didn’t have great chops and not fetishize chops as an end unto themselves although you are probably missing the point of the Beatles

This is a terribly conceived thread

Yeah, these guys (and the two I have in mind are both musicians and were both my colleagues) don't just see chops as an end unto themselves. I'm not talking about shredders. The Beatles' chops never struck me as lacking, though. xp

There's probably a big racial factor in Quincy's opinion, like how aggravating would it be to have the composing and arranging skills he has (and the session jazz guys he was down with) and then see the Beatles endlessly praised as the boy geniuses that somehow made pop music "sophisticated" in 1967 when they dropped acid

all the beatles had chops, but only paul's bass chops rivaled any of the guys that quincy might've worked with tho.

This is a terribly conceived thread

all the beatles had chops, but only paul's bass chops rivaled any of the guys that quincy might've worked with tho.

― bros before HOOS (voodoo chili), Friday, 4 January 2019 21:24 (three minutes ago) Permalink

Exactly. Real players. Like Stephen Stills.

"I also remember Stephen buying a Precision bass for Paul McCartney and telling him it was time to start playing a ‘real’ instrument and not his old Höfner."-Graham Nash

That’s what makes it so compelling.

You wish

fwiw I only mentioned the Quincy Jones bit because of the "no one knows how to play instruments" thing

I mean I guess people could be posting here not because they feel compelled to but because their bodies have been hijacked by our government through computer chips that.... this sentence is too shitty to even finish

Grimes, "We Appreciate Power" (2018)

found a piece of confetti on my foot and my genuine, initial reaction was “oh wow, someone must’ve installed this chip in me while i was asleep last night”. happy new year !

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) January 1, 2019

Stephen Stills invented jazz and wearing football jerseys

Pop singles were fire in 2018.
Radio was not fire.

Okay this was like 600 points ago, and feel free to continue your discussion uninterrupted by my comment on it, but was someone in here really predicting that the replacement for Imagine Dragons sorta-rock as the “shit trend” on pop radio would be a Kpop crossover
Like, putting aside the question of how those two even map onto each other (or whether the former is primarily of annoyance to “old people” when the better part of this thread has now been spent trying to talk a RYM user down from the ledge of that “millennial whoop” video), I would gladly make that trade right this second if it were up to me

God I don't know if I can get through that response video. Over analyzing something that bugs you and and putting in several hours to create a response can't be healthy.

― (V) (;,,;) (V) (FlopsyDuck)

you know what i like most about you, flopsyduck? your apparently complete and total obliviousness to irony

if you read on you will see that I saw the irony and flipped that post on its head

But i do like to feel liked every once in a while