I Am Deeply Sickened By The Music Industry of the 21st Century
If there is one thing that has kept me afloat all of these years, truly. It’s music.
That is my passion, the reason I continue to push forward, and why I find value in life.
I’m not going to sit here and elaborate on why it means so much to me, just know that it does. I’ve left everything else in life behind to pursue it and I have no regrets and I am extremely protective of something so important to me.
If there is one thing I cannot stand, it’s when talentless and passionless fools try to enter the music industry for the wrong reasons. If you’re doing it for the attention or to get laid, please fuck off, I have no respect for you or the people who follow a band because of their gimmick/image. Clearly they’re lacking something if they have to compensate with some cheesy ass look.
Music is something used to unite and heal people, not to get you laid and famous. Music is all about expression in the auditory form not visual. I am extremely sickened by the fact that music has become all about who can dress like more of a train wreck and not who can REALLY put their heart on their sleeves as they perform and give you shivers in your spine. Every shit band writes about the same tasteless shit constantly and I’m getting tired of it.
Once in a blue moon an amazing band full of talent, passion, & emotion comes along and I get upset knowing that within the next decade they will be forced to break up because they just aren’t that “popular” because they don’t think they’re “Vampires” or “Zombies” or some sort of fucking shit that has NOTHING to do with music and children nowadays have become brainwashed to like this stale, hollow and meaningless shit.
I worry about my own musical career because I refuse to EVER play into any of these trends, I strictly put my heart in my music and that’s it. I don’t try to add an extra breakdown because I know it will “sell” more or add some cheesy dubstep wobble wobble crabcore bullshit to appeal to an age range.
When I write, my emotions are portrayed not only through the music but through the lyrics as well and that’s what I think counts most.
But unfortunately our music industry is plagued by a bunch of underaged kids who have no idea what good music is because they’re too busy trying to fit in with the rest of the kids in their school. I’m going to sum this up for you.
To the bands: If you aren’t putting a real piece of yourself into your music, please quit. There are other ways to gain attention and get laid continuously. Perhaps you should develop a personality and not hide behind an instrument while riding the current trend wave. Stop following roads others have made for themselves and pave your own. If you can’t grab an acoustic guitar and sing your songs on the spot, don’t do it. If you have to pay someone to write your music, quit. If you have to PAY to get signed, what’s the real point? You just used cheat codes to beat the game, where’s the fun in that?
To the fans: Support real musicians, stop letting all these talentless shmucks steal the spotlight. Stop falling into these stupid trends of stripe coloring your hair, wearing ridiculous make up and dressing as if you ran into a closet while covered in super glue. Don’t listen to a band because “everyone else likes them” or because “they’re hot/cute/whatever the fuck.” BE YOURSELF. Make your own mold, stop trying to fit into someone else’s standards. Listen to music because it SPEAKS to you. When there is no other way to express how you’re feeling find those artists who have been there for you and can share those emotions vicariously with you.
One last thing: Every band uses auto-tune in their records to perfect their music and to save some time in the studio. The difference lies between whether a band can perform live or not. If you want to prove you’re a legitimate singer, have an acoustic performance.
-Jonathan Anthony Wolfe
