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Q: Why do so many Chinese people like such bad music?
So many of my former university students had virtually no interest in high culture or aesthetics, but they loved some of the most terrible music imaginable. Its gastronomic equivalent would be a cold dish of tinned baked beans. I've met so many twenty somethings who say they love the Backstreet Boys. I've also walked through villages where Ke$ha and some kind of tinny sounding dub step was blaring from speakers placed on the ground in front of the store.
Almost all of the new songs seem to have the same percussion rhythm.
When I was asked my opinion of Justin Bieber, I told them the truth and their reaction seemed to be that they simply thought I wasn't "cool" enough to appreciate such awesome music.
Could it be solely due to the fact that it's marketed as popular which makes such dross is so widely enjoyed in China? A common expression you hear in China is "all of the people think that..." as if that constitutes irrefutable proof of a notion's soundness.
It's not bad music, it's just different (oh, I think it's crap but that is my opinion) Music styles are linked to culture. So just because we don't like it, doesn't mean the music does not have its place.
icnif77:
You didn't get 'down' from me!
BuTT...I'm contemplating....
'sneaky mastard'…I got 2 already. What did I do? 'Questa è l'ingiustizia. E '! by Calimero….o2
laowaigentleman:
What isn't bad music? Chinese music? I didn't mention Chinese music.
I mentioned Justin Bieber and the Backstreet Boys.
icnif77:
@lao: maybe you should edit your Q to '....bad Western music'. Many understood, you're asking/talking about 'bad Chinese music'.
laowaigentleman:
It is a good experiment to see how many people read the content of the questions asked on this site before shooting their mouths off when they've only apprehended the bare minimum of what the questioner is trying to ask.
'De gustibus non est disputandum' applies to music too, IMO.
laowaigentleman:
I contend that there are means of evaluating the calibre of certain works of art and that those methods of evaluation are comprehensive and comprehendible. There is a subjective element of course, but surely this can't apply to every piece of art a person appreciates through the reflective approach of disinterested contemplation.
We can agree to disagree though.
icnif77:
mhhhh...'cultural revolution thingy' here. You can't expect much but 'bad copy' in that short time.
We all had shown appreciation for an old art-ists, they didn't.
I cut them some 'slack', because of the GWall, and living behind....'what would you (we) like, if in their position?'.......
I'm not talking about Chinese music. I am talking about lowbrow pop. How do you like working out while listening to The Backstreet Boys? Most countries are filled with people who can't think of anything more awful yet a lot of Chinese people love this music. Musical taste is linked to culture as has been said already. This is a fascinating phenomenon which I would like to explore further.
If matters of taste can't be disputed, then the role of art, movie and music critics is what exactly?
icnif77:
20Y ago, I would do anything for Dylan& Baez. Their songs from 1960-70.
Today, I'm fan of 'Zappa & Mothers' 1978...Pink Floyd, Paco de Lucia.
However, I love A. Winehouse or R. Olstead too.
I'm not sure, what's in today.
'io voglio uno piccolo gelato….' and some more 02…too!
I had a chance to watch The Voice of China over the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of music I heard. The talent on that particular episode made me rethink music in China.
Scandinavian:
Yup, they do have some really good singers on that show, and their choice of songs seems to have pretty high variation. My wife watches it, so I have probably seen most of the current season. The show works well as background music even though less talk would be great.
DrMonkey:
Yeah, a lot of candidates who work a lot and love what they do. I'm regularly impressed by the musicians there.
xinyuren:
The guy from Xinjiang is my favorite. I forget his name but his voice is very distinctive. Reminds me of a Chinese Tom Waits
laowaigentleman:
I am not talking about Chinese music. I am talking about a general uniformity of taste of music in China and that uniform preference tends to be very bad music from the WEST.
Shall we evaluate <insert here a country>'s music based on TV and mass media music ? I don't appreciate most of pop music in the Anglophone sphere too. Justin Bieber, One Direction... It does not means all anglophone music is crap, and the bands I enjoy are not very well known, I understand it would be crap for many (Boards Of Canada, Com Truise, Aphex Twin, Luke Vibert, Verbrilli Sound for example). There are some very good musicians in China, who do original work, but they don't get a lot of publicity, exactly like elsewhere. A recent Chinese song I like is "Ni de mama bu xi huan wo", I really like Wang Fei work, etc.
laowaigentleman:
I should be clear. I am not criticizing Chinese music. I will accept that maybe the way I phrased the post hinted that this was my opinion. It isn't. I have merely observed on multiple occasions over a two year time period a uniformity in taste which doesn't exist in other countries.
If you go to a lecture theatre in Ireland, New Zealand, USA or Canada and ask the students to list their five favourite musical groups you will get a wide array of different genres. I haven't conducted this test, but I have more than enough confidence to advance the conjecture that the taste will be far more uniform here in China. I am very interested in peoples' theories as to why this might be.
I haven't criticized Chinese music. Read my post again. I said nothing about it.
DrMonkey:
Leave the university, go in a low income suburb of any western country, and ask what music people there like :) Then, go in a trailer park for additional face palm. The same would be true for clothing, interior decoration, etc. Go on websites like Wallmart People or Lamebook...
Yes, taste are more uniform in China, because being different is something people tend to fear. Also, If you are exposed to the same things, and everybody you know is exposed to that, you feel it's normal and you will genuinely enjoy it. Blaming farmers to have not much culture, you are shooting the ambulance. It's a lot about acquired tastes too : I like the Sex Pistols but my wife thinks it's a drunk guy shooting in a microphone while a cat is being sodomized with an electrified dildo. Objectively, she is not really wrong.
laowaigentleman:
Why do university students in China like the same kinds of music as people from low income suburbs in the west?
DrMonkey:
For the same reason I propose above : what they are exposed too, them and the people they are with, since early childhood, which seems to be about the same. Then, what to conclude from that ? That does not make them dumber or something like that, that just might show that at university level of education, exposure to culture is on par with low-income population in the West. Look at the economic indicators like GDP and such, and it kinda makes sense : about the same.
When I hear traditional Chinese music, I think the instruments are out of tune.
here and therelaowaigentleman:
It sounds like someone has picked up a cat by its tail and spun it around their head. A bit like the bagpipes.
coineineagh:
DONT MOCK THE BAGPIPES!! they were a terrifying marching anthem for british armies. england was fortunate to inherit them in the union with scotland, and HK spaghetti westerns are proud to sport Danny Boy at funeral scenes. they can NOT be compared with China's Strings of Boredom. which would make a more awesome ringtone? I have Runrig's Breaking the Chains to tout my heritage!
JacobJohn:
oh that music is the most terrific thing I've ever heard. I don't even understand how could such thing be called music. I rather call it anti-music this much that you can be sorry for being naturally gifted with listening abilities. When I hear it I just wish to be deaf, even for a short frame of time. Sorry for those who love the so called "Chinese opera". Anyway, it's anything but music.
Who cares? Cultural differences. If they enjoy the music, let them - even if it sucks.
laowaigentleman:
I'm not trying to stop them. I just want to know why they like it so much when it sucks.
These are university students too. Leisured and (somewhat) edified.
Hulk:
I'm aware. Quite simply, it sounds good to them. Either that, or they're just trying to seem, "sophisticated," and, "international."
i think it has to do with peer pressure. chinese feel comfort in the group, in part by liking what others like. we learn to distinguish ourselves from any group, even peers. to the point that westerners will dislike something for the sake of individualism - simply because you like it, i cant anymore. i remember behaving like that in my youth, especially with music.
chinese staste in music is bad because the music shouldnt promote individualism beyond consumer selfishness, and be intellectually unstimulating. that's celine dion, backstreet boys, and most chinese music ive heard.
Agreed with Scandinavian, you cannot call is bad because it is not your personal taste. Yet another one who thinks the things they like are 'better' whereas music is clearly personal taste and culturally influenced.
laowaigentleman:
How about movies? Is Citizen Kane better than Happy Gilmore or is the question purely subjective? Am I unable to say that Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia are better than Fifty Shades of Grey and Atlas Shrugged?
If artistic taste is purely subjective, what role do art, film and literary critics perform?
mengxing:
Oh well I didn't know you were a music critic, you should have said.
Part of if it is also the literal culture police. Remember that censorship prevails also in music, meaning only the biggest labels will have the resources to actually conform to the "importing" rules, thus you only get bland pop droning out from the radios. The independent labels or even individual artist can't (or in a few cases don't want to) to though all this shit.
If the people in China are mostly exposed to this kind of foreign music, it's no wonder they will learn to enjoy it. I think group conformity comes second in this instance.
you can try to watch one episode of The Voice of China. you 're gonna freak out. haha.
My parents thought the music I listened to as a teenager was awful. Well, some of it was awful looking back....
Mostly it was just the older generation not understanding and appreciating the sophistication and deep meaningful lyrics of gangster rap and death metal though.
laowaigentleman:
There isn't enough decent metal in China. Their idea of metal is Bon Jovi and Linkin Park.
Shining_brow:
I went to a 'metal' band's rehearsal - all they played was G'n'R... :(
I could quote a internationally respected expert on Berlioz on this issue,but I'd be accused of cherry-picking, name-dropping, or panda-baiting.
This is a very good question, it seems the Chinese appreciation of music is severely warped. Marketing can't be purely to blame for the excessive amount of Kenny G and The Back Street Boys i've seen on the shelves over the years, just go to any park and take a listen to the discordant dirge groups congregate to create, it sounds insane.
Remember what your freshman lecturers used to tell you before taking exams? Read the question carefully. Perhaps I have inadvertently weeded out some of the many foreigners in China who have false credentials.
The "popular and famous" is the new religion and the fans are its worshipers. Like any religion, it tends to "fan"atism, and, although it's not anymore like Buddha or Confucius, you are right to see how biases people look at you when you are not able to appreciate, enjoy or sense the beauty of their idols.
