Consider the above music video for Wiz Khalifa’s hit, ‘Black and Yellow.’ This song, an ardent anthem for the city of Pittsburgh, the artist’s hometown, has garnered over one hundred million views on YouTube. The metropolitan population of city of Pittsburgh, however, consists of 2,300,000 residents, a number dwarfed by the online success of the song itself. This begs the question: is there a reason beyond ‘catchiness’ that a song so concerned with a specific place is such a great success? What, if anything, does the success of this song say about the way our generation views connection to a location in the context of music?
Wiz Khalifa’s song is not the only recent hit to use as inspiration a city or state. Jay-Z’s smash hit, ‘Empire State of Mind’, and Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ also were embraced by not just the subject of their lyrics but by the country (and the world) as a whole. All of these songs, admittedly, are considered ‘catchy’– the melodies infectious, the beats certainly hum-able. Yet one may argue that the reason these songs are so popular is not completely fixed to their respective sound, but rather the sense of belonging that each song and the artist behind them imparts upon their viewership. One can feel Jay-Z’s love and appreciation for his city in ‘Empire State of Mind’– as our society entangles its roots more and more deeply with online communities, one seems to forget the distance between, say, a kid on the West Coast and a mega-superstar in New York City. One might argue that we, as humans, desire community, and connections to each other. Is it a product of our modern closeness to the Internet and technology that those who cannot find or create such a connection in real, physical life stray to the Internet or other channels of media to forge an online connection to a place to which they have never been? Do we view connections to a place as a sure sign of safety?
Far-reaching: comments for Empire State of Mind come from around the globe, emphasizing a love for New York, despite often having never been there.
In contrast to the previous songs, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ surprise hit, ‘Home’, presents a different view on people and by extension society in context of place. This song, oft-played on popular radio, emphasizes the importance of connection to each other rather than to a fixed location– “Home is wherever I’m with you.” The Lost Generation had Paris to anchor its thoughts and its actions; this band might argue that our generation has each other to do the same. The song ‘Home’ rejects any notion that one must have a certain relationship with a physical place to be safe, to be fulfilled or to live a good life. Instead, ‘Home’ again argues that all we really need is each other.
Of course, there is the chance that we listen to these songs because we just like catchy music. I’ll leave you to ponder these questions with a video of one of Seattle’s newest favorite sons- Macklemore, a Northwest sensation quickly expanding his fanbase to the entire country.
3 comments:
I feel that these songs with the exception of "Home" are all popular because of their beats and catchyness. I honestly didn't even know Whiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" was about Pittsburgh until recently and I can still sing along. I believe the reason popular music focuses so much on location is because people like to represent where they're from. People feel loyal and like to express their loyalty. This is one of the reasons why professional sports teams have such big fan bases. People have strong connections to their cities and feel a sense of security and community being "home".
Much like musicians, people who frequent different social networking sites and blogging sites feel a sense of community and security on the internet. Bloggers and gamers feel so connected to their community that it often feels like home to them sitting in front of their computers even if they're in a false universe with aliases representing themselves.
What i find interesting about this post is that some of the songs are music i wouldnt normally listen to. IT just goes to show that social media and internet technology have a way of "getting the message out", whatever that message is and regardless of who it belongs to. You may end up listening to or reading something that you never thought you would like, and it impacts you.
I agree that these songs are especially popular because they represent- like you say- our generation's desire to be rooted in some location or community. Maybe there will be a day when a song about Facebook or online communication makes it to the top of the charts.
Further, a connection to a certain group or community is an easy way to identify ourselves without necessarily showing the intimate details of our lives. I think that our generation in particular likes being a part of social and cultural movements, no matter what they might be. It could be a new song on the radio, a social networking site, or even a political revolution. We find safety and comfort in coming together for a cause, something that I think we can use to make positive changes in the world.
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