The New Music Hater

Dear New Music Hater,

You know who you are, we all do.

You are that person that sits in the corner at a party, thumbing your nose towards anyone who enjoys chart-topping pop songs. You are that annoying talker that constantly gripes about pop-stars being 'sell-outs' or 'lacking talent'. You are that person who gets so offended by popular music that you spew your non-stop haterade towards the tunes that millions enjoy.

You seem to fancy yourself as someone who is smarter than the rest of us.

Well, I've got news for you. You are nothing but a new music hater.

A what? You ask.

Allow me to explain:

A new music hater is a breed of music critic that snobbishly considers themselves superior to all other pop-music lovers. Your kind has been around for a long time and very tiresome to argue with. You lament about music 'not being the way it used to' and make a point that others feel inferior because of their love of mainstream pop music. You seem to think you are so self righteous when you argue your musical tastes.

Well I'm here to say that I can see right through you.

The truth is that the only reason you indulge in this non-stop hating is to let your smug, superiority complex shine. In other words, you like to hate on the music others love because it makes you feel better about yourself. You would never, in your wildest dreams, let loose to a Britney, Gaga or Ke$ha track and always have to roll your eyes at any electronics or digitization in a song. You make a point to air out your noisy, whiny complaints by proclaiming that most popular music is not 'real music'.

You have a constant need to seperate yourself from the rest of us that openly and genuinely enjoy chart-topping, pop music. You stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that today's popular music is the soundtrack and the backdrop of our lives. You resist the fact that the breezy, catchy and happy anthems that permeate today's pop music are a reflection of our times - and that is not a bad thing. According to you, anything that is played on the radio should be avoided like H1N1.

And the irony of it is that you secretly enjoy much of today's popular music. You will occasionally confess your liking of a pop song, but are quick to explain that you '...only like this song' or 'I have to be in the right mood' or my personal favorite, 'I like this song, but I don't like her as an artist.'

Please, new music hater, enough already. Stop with the hating! It must be exhausting.

Why must you hate on pop stars? Why can't you see that the music industry has changed and it takes new skills and talents to make it? You refuse to see successful acts like Ke$ha, Gaga and Rihanna as viable recording artists because, according to you, they make formulaic and generic music.

Since when was creating music that is catchy and taps into a huge, lucrative market such a crime? Why do you insist that all music needs to be serious, soul-bearing, angsty with deep lyrics? Whatever happened to enjoying happy, up-beat and light music that evokes good times and makes you want to dance? Remember dancing? No of course you don't!

Because you are a new music hater.

Why can't you accept that today's pop-stars are, in fact, very smart, shrewd individuals with a strong business savvy. They understand how today's music industry works and are playing it to their advantage. You can deny it all you want, but today's music industry is all about sound and image and mark my words, no artist is immune to this fact. I wonder if you can see this.

No, of course you can't, because once again, you are a new music hater.

You are no different than the fossils that railed against the emergence of disco music in the seventies, or the relics that scorned the popularity of MTV in the eighties or the staunch Republicans that shunned hip-hop and rap music in its infancy. You can't see the exciting new frontiers that today's music is crossing and refuse to acknowledge the relevance of today's artists.

You, new music hater, will never acknowledge electronic music as a viable artform. According to you, real music can only ever consist of loud drums, guitars and a screaming, angsty singing voice. Maybe that was the case in 1991, but unfortunately, the grunge era is a thing of the past. You have forgotten that music is, first and foremost, an artistic expression of self. Does the method of how that expression is achieved really matter? Ask yourself, since when was the term 'musical instruments' reduced only to drums, strings and voice? You have forgotten that music is about innovation, exploring new sonic territory and pushing the boundaries of what music can/should do.

Rather than sitting in your sullen corner griping about how the music industry has gone to shit, perhaps you should recognize that the only problem is your perception and attitude.

Let's use some examples to illustrate my point:

Justin Bieber. Very young, successful and marketed. I can already hear all you haters voicing your chorus of derision towards the name Bieber. But, the kid is a multi-instrumentalist and has written a handful of his own songs. Sure he is being promoted and singing commerical and marketable music now, but he is also developing himself as an artist. Who knows what he will branch off and do once he matures. I'm actually quite excited to see what he will be capable of in a few years.

Ke$ha is another great example. Here is a woman who understands that she is in the BUSINESS of making records and is shrewd enough to know how to build her brand thereby ensuring she stays in the industry. Along with recording catchy, rowdy anthems like "Tik Tok" and "Blow", she is hitting a huge market by developing her unique garbage chic image and presenting a self-deprecating, humorous version of herself. Great artist, unique vision and a very smart businesswoman.

New music hater, you would be surprised to know that Katy Perry is actually a fantastic live vocalist, plays guitar and writes many of her own songs. I saw her in concert last year and she blew me away.

I can already hear your groans of disgust. Trust me, I've been hearing them for the better part of my life.

Most importantly, you have forgotten that everyone is entitled to their own preference when it comes to music. If you prefer music outside of the pop-music sphere, that is your prerogative. But drop the I'm-better-than-you-because-I-would-never-listen-to-Gaga attitude. It is tacky, annoying and, honestly, the highest form of arrogance and ignorance possible.

Me thinks it's time you got a swift and much-needed kick in your out-dated arse.

New music hater, who are you to denounce a Britney song as a 'piece of crap' when it is someone else's soundtrack to an amazing summer? What audacity do you have to diss a mega-star like Rihanna when millions love and enjoy her music? Where, exactly, do you get off trashing David Guetta when his music packs dance floors all over the world? Dare I say it, new music hater, the problem is not the music, it is simply that you just don't get it.

So keep this in mind the next time you decide to open your mouth and spew your haterade against talented and hard-working pop singers like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Britney and the like. The problem isn't the pop music landscape, it is entirely your own distorted perception of today's music.

And really, you're not fooling anybody with this tiresome facade. Only yourself.

I'm just sayin