Music has always mirrored the time period it was created in, but lately it seems that pop music is stuck on repeat. If you scroll through today's hits you might notice how many of the "new" songs sound very familiar. In the past decade, popular music has become very reliant on remakes and covers. One trend in music right now is for current popular artists to remake the music of past top artists. Instead of creating new songs and ideas, many singers are remaking songs that already exist. These new versions of older songs bring up questions of originality and ownership. Who benefits the most from these remakes?
A recent example of this is the remake of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" by Luke Combs. Combs stayed very true to the original version of this song. He even referred to himself as a woman, keeping the original lyrics. This sparked many conversations and concerns. "Fast Car" was written and performed by Tracy Chapman, a queer black woman, who shared her emotions in this song. Even though Combs introduced this song to a new audience, it still brings up debates about race, gender, profit, and ownership of creative works. The remake became very popular showing how reviving older songs can create new appreciation and inaccurate recognition. This example shows the fine line between revival of old songs and exploitation of other artists.
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ReplyDeleteAs a fan of both Billy Strings and the Grateful Dead, I love to hear Billy perform the occasional Dead cover, but I couldn't have been more proud to be a fan of his than earlier this year when an interviewer suggested that he make a tribute album to the Grateful Dead. "I think there are enough people suckling at the teet of the Grateful Dead," Strings told the writer.
ReplyDeleteIn a time when new artists are discovered on sites like TikTok and Instagram weekly for singing covers of classic songs and radio is full of reimagined versions of former hits, it was refreshing to hear an artist recognize that creating his own music, while respecting the legacy of artists who came before him was important.
While I disagree with much of Adorno's theories on popular culture , I do believe he is correct that popular music is more focused on consumption than creativity. However, if a cover song or remix is the catalyst for the next generation to discover a classic song or new artist is it really all bad?
Hi, You have an interesting post. I agree with you, I've also noticed the trend of remakes. The remake trend is touching different aspects of popular culture, it's seen in TV shows, movies, books, hair styles, clothes, and in decorating someone’s living space. Some of the remakes are being labeled under different names. For instance, bell bottoms are now termed flare legs, and the shag haircut from the 1970s and 1980s is now called the “wolf cut.” I've often heard others say "they need to come up with something new instead of copying, it's getting old."
ReplyDeleteI feel your post reflects on the culture jamming article from this week. Popular culture/society is recycling history because at one time it worked, and it left a historical mark. With others wanting to recycle it, I feel they are trying to recreate something that doesn't exist anymore. Society has greatly changed and some of the remakes are creating a jam and a disconnect. When the remake is good, it reconnects individuals and gives others something positive to talk about. Great post.