Pop music has always been a popular genre of music, one that reflects the time it’s from. From the disco in the 70s to the catchy club songs in the 2000s, pop music has always seemed to evolve and surprise listeners. However, within the last 5 years, I’d say the creativity that once flowed with pop music has stopped abruptly. While artists are still releasing new music, it all sounds the same, repetitive, influenced by social media, and relying on technology.
The first major reason pop music is less creative is its heavy repetition throughout many songs. They all have similar beats and extremely predictable lyrics, which come off as a money grab, not artistic expression. When listeners can predict what the sound will sound like before it even reaches the chorus, it’s less exciting. Instead of experimenting with new sounds or rhythms, artists continually stick with repetitive music that is proven successful.
Another contributing factor is social media. Apps like TikTok and Instagram promote short, catchy songs that easily go viral. This encourages artists to focus on one part of the song rather than working on the whole, and to put careful thought into every lyric. Producers are now shifting from prioritizing originality to trends. Songs like “Anxitey” by Dochi have only one good part, while the rest of the song is predictable and bland. In that part of the song you could hear a heightened sense of instruments, and loud vocals creating a “dance break” that many people seemed to love. The one good part lasted for over 3 months, prompting people to stream the full song and leaving them disappointed.
Technology is also another reason why pop music has been getting boring. It helps produce music faster and easier, but not more creatively. With the use of digital beats, auto-tune, and samples, it seems as though anyone can come up with the songs Grammy Award winners are creating. The overuse of technology not only lowers the bar but also makes the music feel emotionless and shallow, amplifying its artificiality. For instance, JoJo Swia excessively uses auto tune in the recording studio as well as live performances. The same thing happens with samples that are reused from old songs, the same music keeps getting recycled, and sometimes without permission. There have been countless lawsuits between artists over the use of similar beats or lyrics without giving the original artist credit.
In conclusion, pop music has lost its creativity due to its bland repetition, social media, and reliance on technology. While it is still entertaining and occasionally surprises me, it lacks the artistic risk and creative thought process that once made it great. The music industry needs someone willing to take risks and be creative. Until then, pop music will continue to sound familiar and old.
