Rafael Montes Barrera 3/12 Week 13 - The Memory and Reminder Music Assumes
Memory is defined as the faculty by which the mind stores information. It can also be defined as something remembered from the past. Following my recent shift in blog type, I've decided to voice my thoughts and personal opinion on music and the personal reminders certain songs or albums assume. The music I consume/examine may be niche and somewhat alternative compared to most tastes in music, but I feel they are intricate examples that still effectively portray the relationship memory plays a part in.
After more than three decades since the shocking death of Kurt Cobain, his well-aged work and his persona continue to captivate and occupy fans. As the lead guitarist of Nirvana, Cobain made waves in the grunge and the alt-rock scene. As a musician, Cobain was different from most. Instead of worrying about sales or commercial success, Cobain made it a priority to find and play a “raw” and emotionally impactful sound—something he occasionally mentioned in formal interviews. This was evident through reflective sentiments he expressed in interviews. Nirvana’s most popular album, Nevermind, was, by Cobain’s own admission, to be a bit too polished or toned down. This philosophy became more apparent in Nirvana’s last studio album by the name of In Utero, which I find maintains unrelenting intensity, most evident in Cobain's vocals and Dave Grohl's drumming. The tracklist provides a burst of energy when I’m weary or bored. Understanding the historical significance of Nirvana’s discography simply allows me to appreciate it even more. Being historically aware of music is a blessing in appreciating it—but I recently learned this could also be a double-edged sword, introducing challenges that could sometimes cloud listener enjoyment.
Evidently in my recent blogs, I have already discussed the disappointment I—and many fans— feel towards Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. I have also talked about the highs and lows (mostly) lows of Ye in recent years. From his Tokyo performance to new merch sales, Ye created hype and hope. Now that it all falls down, I now find less enjoyment in Ye and even Kanye West’s early work at his peak. Each song serves as a reminder of what happened. On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy—one of my favorite albums—is where I feel the most dissonance. I often find myself listening to it from time to time due to Youtube’s playlist algorithm. The album was released in 2010 at a time where Kanye West received much backlash and hate for his outbursts and entitled comments. I normally describe the project by detailing a “vulnerable Kanye” on an album that contains songs that are admittances and somewhat apologies of his faults and arrogance—yet ultimately reaffirming his refusal to change, whether to mend his addictions or personal faults. When I used to listen to the album before everything happened, I felt at peace and in tune with the music. Back then, his controversies were just hiccups in Kanye West’s career. Now, however, the album also serves as a reminder of the musical prowess that was squandered for hedonistic and political extremes.
Music stands as a force of emotion and art. Never in my life have I found an art form as exhilarating as fashion—until I started taking music seriously. Through hours of listening, vinyl shopping, scrolling through listings, and delicately playing records, I have found music to be a powerful tool in my daily life. With this passion, I have found an interest in the artists and influences for which music I find especially captivates me. Even as surface level or fresh of my time in finding music, I have already seen how even the highest levels of musical artistry have the potential to later be reduced to sour dissonance.
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Hi Rafael! Your description of how music can produce various feelings when produced with different intentions was thought-provoking! It was also helpful that you gave multiple examples with Nirvana and Ye so I could understand the topic better.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, I’ve tried to pay attention to what music I listen to because, as teenagers, we are so prone to being influenced by our music taste. Back during quarantine, the genres I listened to expressed so much pain and misery that, even though I still enjoy the songs, listening to them now honestly makes me a bit depressed. I believe those influences truly demonstrate the power that music can have on us a lot of times without us even realizing it. But because of that power and the feelings, emotions, and memories that come with it, music creation should avoid negative messages—especially oppressive ones. I do not listen to Ye because I have never really enjoyed his music, but what I fear with people like him, is that his influence in music and online can create harmful messages.
Despite all that, you did an excellent job of looking at the emotion and memories in music. Adding your own personal experiences helped add more depth to your observations, so thank you for sharing, Rafael!
Hey Rafael, I find that popular media and celebrities are all cyclical—they may seem at their highest relevance one year. However, the next, they might fall down to irrelevance. With someone like Kanye, his relevance has stayed consistent throughout his career, but in more recent years, at the cost of his legacy and persona. In my opinion, artists should not resort to online degeneracy in order to stay relevant since their music should speak for itself. Artists should much rather stay irrelevant but maintain their dignity rather than sacrificing it for relevance.
ReplyDeleteSociety’s memory is at its all-time low as short-form content takes over, which is a reason why strings of outrageous tweets and degeneracy works so effectively. Therefore, I completely agree with your position on Kanye’s recent controversies with the media. Your POAS presentation also reminded me that Kanye before Ye was a legend in the music industry and despite falls in relevance, his status would have never dipped as an all-time great. However, his recent persona, Ye, destroys everything that Kanye worked so hard to build over his career. Thanks for sharing Rafael!