I have been listening to A LOT of Lowertown lately. More specifically, I have had “Best Person You Know” on repeat for the past three days or so now. Then, a friend of mine shared an Adrianne Lenker (“Vampire Empire”) song online and that, too, has been on repeat for me. Not to mention that Peter McPoland keeps putting out bangers lately as well. Just listen to “Gruhguhguh” and thank me later.
Anyway… With all of this music I’ve been consuming, it has really got me thinking about the overall beauty of music. I truly do believe that the existence of music itself is proof enough of something unimaginably divine.
The range of emotions it can reach, from love and happiness to pain and sorrow, is really just the beginning of its impact.
Really though, if I’m being honest here… Writing this post is actually rather difficult for me. Because as much as I respect and enjoy music, I don’t fully understand it. But I think that mystery just adds to its overall pull on me. Still, I wish I could speak more intelligently about some of the more technical aspects of music. From chord progressions, to beat drops and so on.
But alas, I’m something of a simpleton when it comes to music. Admittedly. I’ve never considered myself much of an audiophile or anything. And really, the “music” has been mostly secondary to me. Sure, a nice and catchy beat is fun! But I grew up listening more to spoken word and post-hardcore. Essentially, I’ve always been more drawn to lyrics than I have to the music itself. I like artists who can tell a good story, more than anything else really.
Now, that’s not to completely discredit the music. I think that most of the best songs do a good job at incorporating, both, a solid beat and meaningful lyrics. That’s probably why I enjoy The Front Bottoms so much, honestly. I think that they have managed to walk a very fine line between having music you can dance to whilst not sacrificing their story along the way.
The lyrics and overall story of a song are not everything to me though. Because I know country music and Christian music focus heavily on story. They focus so heavily on story, actually, that I’d argue they forget about the music itself. Besides, the lyrics in a country song are a bit too simple for my liking. Personally. I like songs where the underlying meaning unfolds for me over time. Country songs are just a bit too blatant in their messaging for me. Christian music, however, is a bit more esoteric and that’s why I don’t necessarily mind it. Heck, one of my favorite bands is a Christian band (Hotel Books). But, anyway… Overall, I’d argue that the best genre of music to ever exist is rap.
Ah, yes… Rap. Arguably, the most divisive genre of music to exist. Right next to country music, actually. Either you love it or you hate it. Rarely is there an in-between. And, well… I guess I’m a rarity! Because while I do enjoy rap (and, overall, prefer it to country music), I don’t particularly adore it. Still, I think it is, inarguably, the best genre of music simply because of how it meets my criteria of blending fun beats with captivating stories.
I know it’s all subjective though. And the criteria I have isn’t necessarily universal. But I think it’s easier to get someone to like a rap song over getting them to like a country song. And I think that’s because rap is, at the end of the day, simply fun. Like, rap music is, debatably, the literal definition of what music is and should be. Love it or hate it, rap is the most influential genre of music to exist. It’s the most unique and innovative.
I say this, and yet… When I was gathering pictures for this post, I completely forgot that rap existed. The closest picture I got would be the Calm Life album cover (from the artist, BROCKBEATS). But that’s not really rap, either. More of a sub-genre. Called, “lo-fi.” Maybe you’ve heard of it? If not, “lo-fi” is music in its purest form. Typically, there are no lyrics in lo-fi music. Mostly, it’s just instrumentals and vibes. A lot of people listen to this kind of music while studying or working. Personally, I equate lo-fi to something like elevator music. Something that’s unassuming and inoffensive overall. Something that is just relaxing and chill. Not entirely my cup of tea, honestly. But I do enjoy it sometimes. BROCKBEATS is definitely one of the better lo-fi artists I have found.
And I could keep going! I haven’t even talked about pop music or heavy metal. Really, I’ve barely even begun to scratch the surface. But I think I painted an introductory picture that’s good enough. I guess the biggest takeaway I’d want readers to walk away with is… Music is awesome! There’s so much variation to it. And if a simpleton like me can write over 800 words on it, then what’s stopping you really? But no, I just enjoy music. It is a fascinating art form to me. And I am just so glad that it exists.
And I can’t believe I’m doing this, but… I made some music of my own about 4 years ago because I was bored one night. HERE’S THE LINK. But, like… Listen with caution! (not that it’s explicit… It’s just bad. REALLY bad)
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