pop-as-sound vs pop-as-ethos

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

This is something which came up a) between Gareth and I last night at Lovelife, and b) in the comments box of the last post in the wake of Sweden's first round upset/The Knife's dominance of the pie thingy.

It's been noticeable recently (over the past year or so definitely) that the ahem 'online pro-pop community' seems to have collectively decided that 'pop' is a fixed sonic genre: synth-based, very gay (large elements of androgyny and burlesque), very white (a deliberate move away from turn-of-the-century r&b-influenced pop eg Britney, Xtina), and Swedish for preference. I don't like much of this stuff as I find it all very bloodless - those I approve of (Annie, The Knife) often have a harder electro edge, but for the most part it's incredibly unimaginative and wimpy (Bodies Without Organs, those terrible people whose entire career seems to be based on covering the Pet Shop Boys) - and as we all know, WIMPY = INDIE.

But surely the entire point of 'pop', the point of music made with commercial impact in mind, is that it can never be rooted in any particular sound: it's anything and everything which cannibalises anything and everything else, leading to sonic results all over the musical map. It's an ethos rather than a genre - I think the scattergun Xenomania approach typifies it quite well - which means that the pop umbrella can cover everything it or you or the public wants it to.

How do you view pop? And what's your view on the trend towards wimpy, bloodless Scandinavians being held up as some sort of ULTIMO-POP?

Comments

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

Also, for the talk of pop being genre-blind, voracious appetite, Lex is the first to say that -eg- Franz's "Take me out" can't be Good Pop because it has guitars on it! It seems to me it's much more pop than the dull new The Knife album.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

But just what is it that makes 'Take Me Out' closer to Perfect Pop than 'Silent Shout', if that is the case? I'm not convinced this is worth trying to explain mind you. I like both songs anyway.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

it's not Good Pop because it's BAD POP!

Annie comes across as being slightly less cutesy than eg Robyn, and when she DJs she plays quite banging songs.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

"it's not Good Pop because it's BAD POP!"

but hooooow whyyyyyy?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

and also consider the idea that 'Take Me Out' = Bad Pop but 'Take Me Out (Daft Punk mix)' = Good Pop

but really, how DO you rationalise and reason that?

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

His rationale for it last night was "all records are basically sh1t, and just fodder for remixes".

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think I stand by that.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is a totally sustainable attitude but not necc. a 'pop' one historically.