First of all, I’ll be man enough to mention that I don’t follow modern pop music as much as some. With that being the case, I’m only vaguely familiar with the artists who make it. However, I frequently wonder what would have happened to artists of previous eras had they survived to continue to make their magic, so the thought occurs about the future of today’s stars.
We lost Sam Cooke, Clyde McPhatter, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, et al, much too soon and I’d wager that most if not all would have made wonderful music for the decades that they lost for dying so soon. We actually saw Elvis and Michael Jackson age, grow, and evolve from fresh faces to mature superstars. I wonder if we’ll see Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande on the charts when they’re in their 40s?
Watching the video on the main forum with Fourplay feat. Chaka Khan made me think about how well Chaka still performs, 40 years after Rufus first hit the charts. Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson were among the many who still made music long after they debuted in the '60s. There were ten times as many flash in the pans who flamed out over the same period of time. Many didn't have more than a couple of great albums before they were consigned to the 'whatever happened to X' files. Talent will win out over time.
I have little doubt that Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Adele for the next 10 or 20 years; their talent is beyond the strength of producers to affect greatly. So long as they have good songs, they’ll grow and evolve into different, if not better talents with time. Too bad that Amy Winehouse didn’t give herself that chance.
My questions: Seeing as the appeal of many of today’s pop artists is in their ability to project their youth through their songs and their public image, will they still be popular when they grow old? Ariana Grande looks like she’s 16 and will probably still keep that image for the next 5 or 6 years. Will her talent allow her to maintain success when she inevitably starts to age? Do we want to see her at 30 or 40 years old, given what we’ve seen of her already? Will Justin Bieber’s act get old before he does? And will we care about a James Dean wannabe in his mid-30s if his songs and voice don’t mature?
We’re already seeing Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears enter their ‘30s. Justin and Christina seem to be maturing but Britney may not need to, being paid a million dollars per night to perform in Vegas. I’m sure most of you are like me, with an ear to the past more than the present. But there are some of you who listen to the radio today. Who do you suppose is the flavor of the week and which of them will be just as popular in 20 years as he or she is today?
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