COM 142 University of North Carolina Pop Music on Resistance Research Paper 6–8 songs that speak to the playlist’s overall theme in different ways, i.e. th

COM 142 University of North Carolina Pop Music on Resistance Research Paper 6–8 songs that speak to the playlist’s overall theme in different ways, i.e. the songs all have a distinct role to play. In notes for each song (250–300 words per song), you will employ concepts drawn from class readings (and, potentially, other texts) to explain how these songs relate to the playlist’s overall theme, as well as to each other.

SOURCE: You are going try to find songs that relate to pop music and pop culture. Use google and search my course reading book called Rojek, C.(2011). Pop Music, Pop Culture use information from this reading and tie it in with the songs you choose for the playlist and my answers below.

Question: Several course readings engage with themes of resistance against dominant power structures, discrimination, and more. Compare where two readings of your choice (out of Adorno, Bannister, Hebdige, Lipsitz, and Ramos) locate potential (or difficulties) for resistance.

Answer: When studying the music industry, taking account of pop music articulating resistance is crucial. We have looked at many examples of resistance connecting with music and the two that stood out to me the most were Adorno and Lipsitz’s argument. Adorno believes that popular music is very standardized and repetitive. It is made to please all listeners and limits true creativity. Adorno does not like pop music and suggests that we should all resist against the pop music mainstream system and make music for ourselves. Adorno also mentions that we know we should stray away from pop music, but we refuse to do it. His argument stands as aesthetic freedom and social freedom are connected. So, by conforming to society’s attraction to pop music, we are not using our true voice to resist against dominant power structures.

In comparison, Lipsitz’s argument is a little bit different than Adorno. Adorno’s argument was different while he talked about people not demonstrating resistance enough in mainstream pop music. Lipsitz uses music articulating resistance as reality, and something that black people have already succeeded with. Black people have been using music as an outlet for their voices to be heard for many years. They used in during times of slavery, civil rights movement and to fight current struggles that black communities face. The example he uses Queen Latifah in his argument to talk about her use of rap to fight against stereotypes of black women. After reading Lipsitz argument, I thought about N.W.A’s protest song “F the Police”. The song gave black people a voice and an outlet to talk about police brutality. I both really enjoyed reading Lipsitz’s argument and agree with its 100 percent.

Question: Processes of cultural de-differentiation are central to Rojek’s understanding of pop music and pop culture. After summarizing what Rojek means by cultural de-differentation, discuss its implications for the study of popular music. How have scholars of popular music explored processes of cultural de-differentiation? How have they had to adapt their ideas because of processes of cultural de-differentiation? Strong answers will include examples from at least two different readings. These can include chapters of Rojek’s textbook, but also other course readings

Answer: Cultural de-differentiation means breaking down barriers and how everything is connected. In music, this means how some songs cross many genres or there are songs that you can’t classify into any genre at all. Cultural de-differentiation is so important when studying popular music because most music of the 21st century is breaking out of the mainstream stereotypes and expanding across many elements. For example, we read an article by the theorist Ramos. Ramos uses Prince as his main example. Prince was a great artist and mostly known for his gender fluidity and his unclassified race. Prince refused to be labeled. You couldn’t even label his music into any specific genre. It was its own sound and he was his own unique self. So, scholars of popular music have to break away from strict classifications of people and their looks and music and their sounds. And adapt to the idea of individuals and music crossing different avenues, looks and genres.

Another part of his argument is the power of technology and mass media. Mass media instead allows for elements of a specific genre to expand and cross over others. According to Rojek’s journal, “rap relies on multi-lane surfing and splicing from other music genres. It doesn’t recognize boundaries or limits.” Technology has allowed for different groups of people to be exposed to different music genres. For example, we read an article about bounce music in New Orleans. Twerking is a dance that people in New Orleans do when bounce music is being played. Unfortunately, the idea of twerking is now heavily connected with Miley Cyrus due to the effects of the internet. Due to her music video on YouTube, people associate twerking with Miley Cyrus. This is an example of cultural de-differentiation because twerking and bounce music has crossed into many white genres such as pop music and country by way of the internet. It has broken down boundaries. I think it is a bad thing in this case though, because I feel as though people in New Orleans were not given credit for their culture.