WAYT: I've got the fever

I have a confession to make: I’m not always right.  (What am I thinking, admitting to being wrong?  My husband will undoubtedly print this out, frame it and wave it in my face at every available opportunity!)

Usually when I’m wrong, I like to be very hard-headed and take way too long to admit it.  So once and for all, I will just come out and say it.  I like Justin Bieber’s music. 

I have fought him off for years.  I find Bieber, as a person, to be absolutely obnoxious.  I do not believe that anyone his age should be getting up to some of his antics.  For example, should a 17 year old be on vacation in Hawaii with his then-19 year old girlfriend and be photographed with his tongue down her  throat?  Should a 17 year old be driving a car likened to the Batmobile?  Should a 17 year old be commenting about Canadian healthcare policies in entertainment news magazines?

And come on with that hair.  That used to be my biggest annoyance.  Thank the Lord he finally cut it. 

But dang if he doesn’t make catchy music!  And you know how I love music. 

I’ve been wrong about pop culture phenomena before.  I mercilessly mocked my sister for liking the movie Twilight.  And now look at me – my first website visit every day, after my email, is www.twifans.com.  I spent several hours of my life trying to figure out a way to trick my husband into giving our son a Twilight-related name.  Last November, I went to a Twilight movie marathon and watched nothing but Twilight movies for ten hours straight. 

Now, I just got back from my local Target store where I purchased an iTunes gift card so that I can buy the new Justin Bieber CD.  (For $14.99, this CD better validate my complete 180 on Bieber.)

I thought you could never make a Twi-Hard out of me.  I also swore you could never make a Belieber out of me.  What is the world coming to?  I’m supposed to be a grown woman!  I’m supposed to be growing more cultured with age!  Maybe I should start listening to 60’s music or something…

I blame it all on The New Kids on the Block.  If they hadn’t been the thing when I was in first grade, where would I be now? 

But I can’t deny it anymore.  Justin Bieber’s got the right stuff (see what I did there, NKOTB fans?) that makes me turn up the volume and sing along. 

What do you think of Justin Bieber?

WAYT: She's a fighter, we already know that

I had a thought this weekend and wanted to share it with you, my readers, to see what you think.  Do you believe that some entertainers have crossed over into a parody of themselves?  The example I came up with this weekend was actor Johnny Depp.  He used to be enigmatic, in all kinds of movie roles that kept you guessing.  Now, suddenly, he’s in almost exclusively Tim Burton films, he’s typically over-costumed and generally weird.  What’s up with that? 

I wonder about Christina Aguilera.  I was all set to write a stinging defense of her because I love her fiercely.  Maybe I still will.  Let’s talk through this.

I am obsessed with The Voice.  I had never watched it before this season but compared to American Idol, The Voice is leaps and bounds ahead of other reality TV singing competitions.  The contestants get to sing whatever they want so that they can repeatedly blow us away (no silly theme nights) and Carson Daly is so enthusiastic, you’d think it was his kids performing up there, and the coaches have such interesting banter that they’re a show all their own. 

Anyway, I grew up with Christina so my fondness for her was part of what brought me to the The Voice.  I remember my friends and me, before we were licensed and had nothing better to do, would call in to the radio station to request “Genie in a Bottle” over and over again.  I have owned all of her CDs since then.  She did innocent, bridged over into edgy, got a little skanky but cleaned it all up with that 1920’s pin-up album.  I don’t care what anyone says because, bottom line, you cannot deny her voice.  Truly, there’s no one better. 

Of course no one likes that she’s put on weight.  It really wouldn’t be such an issue for the public if she wasn’t still wearing the same clothes she wore when she was thinner.  For her performance last night on The Voice, for example, she could have worn actual shorts rather than glorified underwear, or even pants.  But no, she still wore the little tiny hot pants.  I thought she looked uncomfortable.  And she’s always SO made up.  Kudos for going glam but sometimes she needs to ask her makeup people to use a lighter hand!

You can’t fault the girl for having limitless self-esteem and self-assurance.  She knows that her voice is undeniable.  The rest should not matter.  And I would bet that’s her self-affirmation, every day when she looks in the mirror.  Cake on the makeup, shorten the shorts, who cares.  She can sing like no one else. 

But is Christina a parody of herself, clinging to this former notion of herself as a tiny, tiny person who can wear basically nothing?  Shouldn’t her style evolve?  She’s a mother, she’s divorced now.  Maybe her image should do a little growing up.  Is she a parody of herself, trying to go back to strictly pop albums as she did with her recent flop just before she started The Voice?  Should she do something more impactful?  Maybe she shouldn’t joke with Blake Shelton and his contestant Raelynn; maybe Christina should try a country album.  “Crossover” albums are all the rage these days!

Britney Spears fell right into the parody trap.  She kept on going, with her recording-studio-engineered voice and provocative pop performances in no clothes, and eventually, it all came crashing down on her.  She’s made a comeback of sorts, but it’s never going to succeed as long as she keeps trotting out the same old thing.  At some point, you have to try something different, do something that catches everyone’s attention once again.  And it’s not making out with Madonna on the VMAs.  That’s over.

And maybe no one likes Christina because she’s not afraid to give criticism on The Voice.  She’s not Paula Abdul or Jennifer Lopez, determined to be sunny no matter how bad the performance.  Sometimes she hesitates or rambles on before she gets down to brass tacks, but eventually she says exactly what she thinks.  Christina’s not afraid to give her genuine opinion without sugar-coating the truth.  Most people can’t handle a woman who tells it like it is; believe me, I would know. 

I think that Christina will find commercial success again.  I can’t wait to hear her next album.  When, WHEN will it be released finally??  But what do you think about Christina?  Do you think she’s a gorgeous face, a misguided wardrobe but a beautiful voice?  Do you think she’s skanky and you don’t care about anything else? 

WAYT: Rap Music Haters

I love the Grammys!  You know why?  Because I love music!  I especially love the Grammys, because it’s every kind of music in one night, in one location.  A giant music love fest, live on TV.  I love it!

The Grammys appeal to me because I appreciate all different types of music.  I like country, rock, rap, punk, and lately, I especially like the lesser-known acts that are slowly making it onto mainstream radio.  So it bothers me when I hear many people out there say that they absolutely hate rap music.  My mom, in particular, flies into a rage whenever she hears thumping bass at a stoplight.

What are you thinking, rap haters?  Have you ever listened to a rap song?  Can I point out some good rap music for you?  Maybe I can change your mind.

Let’s first agree that there are rap songs and rap artists out there that are absolutely obnoxious.  Let me choose one artist in particular: Eminem.  When he first came onto the scene, he was pure entertainment.  His lyrics were annoying and his music videos were batty.  But since then, Eminem has really changed.  He went through the Hollywood wash cycle – shoot to stardom, drugs, divorce, rehab, new album – and now his music is even more mainstream, and the tone is much different.

Doesn’t everyone know the hook from “Love The Way You Lie”?  That song is the best.  He raps and it has the deep bass beats that my mom hates, but do you know the words that Eminem sings?  The song talks about an abusive relationship in a very honest and raw way.  He tries to spin out the jumbled mess of emotions involved in the relationship and what both sides goes through.  I think that when music of any genre elevates something more than entertainment, the artist should be respected.  Even if Eminem didn’t write those lyrics (in fact, he did - genius), he’s still advocating something.  And that’s to be commended, in my book.

There are also rap artists whose voices are pure music.  Ever heard of Ludacris?  Most of his songs are raunchy (I think they’re fun) but that voice!  It’s deep, but there’s a real harmony and magnetism in his tone.  Drake and T.I. are other rappers with killer voices.

Someday, I’m sure I will no longer like this kind of music.  But I hope that I always appreciate good lyrics.  And I hope that I don’t discriminate simply based on genre.

The other day, I was talking to a work colleague about music.  His teen daughters don’t understand why he doesn’t know about the music that they like, and for him the answer is simple.  He just doesn’t care.  It’s not important to him.  He sticks with what he likes, which is to say, what he liked when he stopped caring about music.

I, on the other hand, care a lot about music.  I love to sing and my biggest wish right now is to buy a guitar so I can get my Taylor Swift on.

Rap went through a real explosion when I was younger and that may have made me partial to its sound.  But I want all of you out there who hate rap music to think about why you hate it.  It is the culture the music supposedly promotes?  It is the lyrics in some of the songs?  Trust me, that’s not true of every artist and every song.  Some of it is art and I’m begging you, don’t hate all of it because of how you feel about some of it.  I promise, there’s something for anyone to love, at least like, out there.

Did I mention, the Grammys?  And that I love them?  Tune in so we can later bash Nicky Minaj – she sings rap music that I dislike.  (See how I said “dislike,” instead of “hate”?)

P.S. In a post today about music, I have to say God bless Whitney Houston.  The news of her passing stopped me in my tracks.  She brought something beautiful to the history of music.  I hope that her soul finds peace now.