Are youth subcultures genuine signs of revolt or simply the manifestation of style?

Subculture is often associated with the development and ever evolving factor of style, behaviour and interest. As we are aware youth is an early stage in life where you are of young age and are prone to experimenting and learning new things, whether it is from parents or society. Youth Subcultures are often developed due to that individual wanting to be identified as changing their views. Hebdige highlights that youth is only present when there is a problem and identifies two distinct themes, youth as a painful transitional period or juvenile delinquency as a consequence of urban deprivation. The Hip-hop culture is an example of this the baggy clothes and baseball caps are styles which were meant to highlight the poverty struggles of people of the ‘ghetto/streets’, and this was also reflected in the artists lyrics. It’s all about embracing something and making it your own, therefore I believe subculture is more a manifestation of style. It may start off in the perspective of rebellion, but as soon as it becomes accepted and it’s appropriated society sees it as style.

does digital download signal the end of the music industry?

No download just slows down and disrupts the physical side of consumers going out to purchase music. Music will still continue to be listened to and brought, industries will just be more aware that their artists’ products are being heard online. It is important to know that digital doesn’t necessarily mean better quality in sound, it mainly just heightens accessibility. Downloading has its perks i.e. it’s less time consuming and we have instant access to our desired songs. We want to be able to have more control over what we watch and listen to; digital download assists us with this. Consumers can create their own playlists and download music when they feel like it; this power previously would have heavily been controlled by the music industry. Record companies would market and release songs with no worries of having their songs previewed and downloaded before release date. Although downloading is high in popularity consumers still prefer to go out and buy CD’s its just personal preferences, and not law breaking. Music is entertainment and will continue to be brought whether it’s in physical form or via the internet.

Can popular music ever really be unplugged?

Within some aspect popular music can be deemed unplugged. Many relate unplugged to being a musical instrument, arrangement or performance that does not feature electronic amplification or modification. As with all types of music there are often acoustic versions of songs that have been sung without the backing of various instruments i.e. the keyboard or electric guitar. However the very fact that when singers perform to an audience, whether it be acapella or pre- recorded they use technical equipment the microphone. This vital piece of equipment ensures that the best vocal sound is being given out and heard by all members of an audience. It is important to highlight that without electronic amplification or modification many of the music that we enjoy and listen to today wouldn’t really create much of an impact. Technology continues to be an evolving factor within society and music heavily depends on it, to get their (artists) songs heard by mass amounts technology comes into play.

What is world music?

My initial thought on world music was that it sounded like the obvious name, music that is produced and listened to worldwide. World music is often associated with Third World countries, but is not subject to. Other countries i.e. Canada, New Zealand and France, are countries that are also involved. They are all incorporate cultural imperialism; here consumers prefer to listen & buy foreign music or songs, rather than the product of their own local artist. History provides evidence that the rise of global dominance and subordination was primarily seen in the USA and Western Europe. A number of things we find within our culture today are heavily influenced by the American way of living i.e. fashion (baggy clothes, Hip-Hop) music is the same. We predominantly follow a one way international media flow, the Anglo- American way. When you listen to music from different countries whose first language is not English for e.g. African Hip-Hop music, you realise that a major influence of styles and patterns from America has been imported within their (African) traditional sounds.

Is popular music a mass produced commodity or a genuine art form?

Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Therefore it has been created to capture an audience or spectators’ attention, music is also created for this effect. As within all genres of music i.e. popular music it is marketable and standardized. Part interchangeability for instance is a trait you find within this for e.g. pop boy bands Westlife and Boyzone. They are owned by the same management company and produce the same kind of music, which often if not always all the songs sound the same throughout their albums, or are cover tracks that they have sung on. This similarity however is what makes both bands successful as consumers know what to expect to hear, when they buy these artists music. To some extent popular music is a mass produced commodity as it is the particular sound and regularity that people buy into.