[online music]
[packaged music]
[cs thoughts]

August 2000

Here's where I get to rant a bit about my pet peeve: packaged music.

What exactly is packaged music? Well, the simple definition is that it's any music where a person is chosen based on looks alone to become the next teen star, regardless of any musical ability. This person is then given pre-written songs, backup vocals, a dance choreographer, and a wardrobe consultant. He or she or they put out an album full of bubble-gum crap that sounds like all the other bubble-gum crap out there. Guess why? Cause it's all written by the same people in the same fifteen minutes. Even though the music stinks, the record companies and newfound stars make millions off of posters, t-shirts, celeb endorsements, and the like.

Why am I so against this, you might be wondering? It's not that I can't accept diversity in music. There will always be musical styles I dislike and that's okay. The problem is, record labels are looking for the easy buck, so they prefer to create a boy-band or a girl-group than to work with emerging talent. So struggling bands out there who are coming up the hard way, touring local clubs, putting out indie releases, working hard on their music, well, they're getting the short end of the stick. None of this is taking music forward. If anything, it's setting it back.

Music should touch people in ways that they can relate to. It shouldn't be the same empty crap over and over again. Can anyone really distinguish between the Backstreet Craps, N'Stink, or any of their million clones?

Well, that's enough ranting for here. If you want to read more on the subject, check out my Anti-Packaged Music Website, which is completely devoted to the topic.