Authenticity and it’s perceived significance in popular music
Authenticity in music has long been a major factor in the success of a recording artist. However while authenticity is still very relevant in many styles of music, success in today’s popular music industry has evolved to rely more on the public and media identities of artists rather than the originality and authenticity of their musical works. With the rise of the digital age, new technologies are now making it easier for music producers to produce high quality recordings through digital automation rather than live performance. This shift in the means of production has given rise to the popularity of technology based music, pushing dance, electronic and hip hop music into the global mainstream. This electronic music revolution has seen a decline in the live performance of mainstream music and the rise of DJ sets, as well as an increase in ghost writers and producers, working quietly behind globally recognised performers.
Technology and the impact it has on the perceived authenticity of musicians has been a topic of heated discourse dating back long before the music industry resembled what it does today. The rise of the use of microphones in popular music in the 1920s and 30’s saw the birth of the style of singing known as ‘crooning’, made famous by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Gene Austin. Even at this early point in the development of musical technology, some audiences criticised this style of singing as being ‘inauthentic’ due to the artist’s dependence on technology to enhance their volume and alter their tone. Similarly, and perhaps more predominantly, the influence of electric guitars on popular music saw similar criticisms from some audiences. When Bob Dylan replaced his acoustic guitar for an electric in the 1960’s even many of his most dedicated fans criticised the direction of his music and the role of the electric guitar in folk music. With each decade of music new pieces of technology have been introduced into the industry to assist musicians which have raised questions regarding what is authentic artistry and what is musical deception.
The value placed on authenticity in the music industry however stretches further than just an artist’s use and dependence on technology. The birth of hip hop music in 1970’s New York and the genre’s strong association with race, politics and privilege saw artist’s authenticity valued for different reasons. Hip hop’s focus on racial hardships, predominantly for African Americans in New York at the time, and honest, undisguised and fervent lyricism saw audiences assessing artists on the consistency of their lifestyle in relation to the lyrical content of their musical works. As hip hop grew and spread to white audiences, the line between authenticity and exploitation was blurred as more white MC’s grew to prominence.
While white artist’s drew from the style of black artists, they often had more of an economic advantage over black artists making it easier for them to commercialise on the hip hop style. Lyrically white hip hop artists who attempted to discuss things such as racial politics and economic hardships in their music were viewed as inauthentic, simply capitalising on the genre, while honest artists that could create quality recordings, despite their white upbringing and privilege were more well received among audiences at the time.
While honesty in character and lifestyle was and remains a fundamental factor in being valued as an authentic artist in the hip hop scene, the criteria to which authenticity has been assessed in music has always shifted from different styles and genres. By understanding genre as a set of rules and constitutive features, we can understand that due to the unique features and associated culture of each different musical genre, there will be different means of critique upon which authenticity within each genre is assessed. For example, in the 1970’s the rise of punk music, and the associated punk scene, saw an uprising in a defiance against authoritarianism. To be authentic in the punk music scene, artists were to uphold a DIY approach to their music, shows, fashion and art. Bands refused to sign to major labels, as ‘selling out’ was heavily condemned in the punk scene, performed on stage aggressively and anarchist political statements and ideologies were very important to the scene. If a punk band did not behave as such or did not adhere to this lifestyle, for example signing with a major label, they were often criticised by audiences as being inauthentic and not ‘punk’.
Similar to punk music, rock n roll music was very centred on live performance during the 70’s and 80’s; authentic rock musicians performed theatrical shows, utilised a more virtuosic guitar style than that of punk, performed often in bold outfits and attire, and lyrics were focused more on that of an authentic ‘rock n roll’ lifestyle such as themes of sex, drugs and rock music. Technological developments and changes in the means of producing music in the 21st century however has seen a significant shift in how audiences judge authenticity in popular music. While older generations who grew up surrounded by a music industry devoid of internet influence and digital technology often still hold the same beliefs regarding musicianship and authenticity, younger generations are seeing music assessed on a different set of terms.
The digital age of music has empowered many aspiring artists; where once producing a song or an album seemed an impossible feat it can now be achieved using something as simple and common as a computer. The means of production are now readily available and sometimes even completely free. Aspiring producers have free access to an enormous library of music through the internet, access to free or very affordable software and digital audio workstations and collaboration is made even easier through the ease of communication with similar artists and creatives via social media and other online tools.
From the digital age also emerged remix culture; a modern form of artistic appropriation and another incident in the industry that raised new questions as to how we regard musical authenticity. Recordings were no longer limited to their physical pressings, digital copies could be replicated over and over again and these copies could be accessed and manipulated by anyone with an internet connection and the right tools. With replications becoming so easy to produce new laws had to be introduced regarding copyright. However despite the introduction of new laws regarding replication and appropriation the digital age still made it very difficult for these laws to be enforced. Several artists who saw a significant amount of success in the early digital age through their use of remix and appropriation of existing material encountered legal trouble, for example Girl Talk who faced up to 300 copyright infringements for his music. During this period discourse arose in the music industry regarding what is acceptable artistic appropriation of existing material and what is simply copying.
Gavin Kendall stated that “usually technology is viewed as a bad thing; ‘real’ artists don’t need it, because they are naturally creative.” (1999), however the rise of remix culture and digital technologies in the new millennium saw audiences asking whether this development in technology was instead a new tool for artists to expand the sounds and scope of what music could be, from artistic reinterpretations of existing works to new styles of music completely, such as EDM microgenres like vaporwave and ‘chopped and screwed’ that relied heavily on digital editing as opposed to musical performance.
Today’s global music industry has also grown to encapsulate the huge phenomenon of stardom. Popular musicians are becoming household names and breaking sales records faster than ever before, sometimes even overnight.
As defined by Evans, stars are people famous for particular achievements in a specific field, not to be mistaken for celebrities who are known for their behaviours and personality (Evans, 2005). In today’s industry, stars act as a focal point for consumers to relate to and desire for the glamor and intensity of the star lifestyle. Through the internet and contemporary mass media, audiences are being connected to stars more frequently and seemingly more intimately. Through the closing of the gap between artists and consumers brought upon by the internet and social media, record labels are losing their authority and stars are instead becoming the core body of the current music industry. However with such immense significance placed on particular performers’ personalities and media identities, to many modern audiences, music production has taken a back seat to the glamour and theatrics of the star lifestyle.
Today’s popular music charts are often dominated by the same artists, or stars, for extensive periods of time. As of July 2017, Katy Perry had spent 69 consecutive weeks in the Billboard top 10, the Chainsmokers had spent 61, Drake had spent 51 and countless other artists had spent similarly extensive periods of time in the top 10 (Statista, 2018). However while this immense commercial success could be perceived as the achievements of a very successful performer and songwriter, it is extremely common in today’s industry for songs that achieve such huge international success to be written and co-written by an extensive team. Katy Perry’s 2010 single “Teenage Dream” was composed by herself and a team of 4 other composers, all highly successful international producers including Max Martin and Lucasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke). The song “Teenage Dream” was named the 2nd best song of the 2010’s by Billboard. Lucasz Gottwald and Max Martin helped compose and produce many other tracks for Katy Perry (California Girls, Hot n Cold, I Kissed a Girl) as well as tracks for many more commercially successful pop artists such as The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Adele, Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson.
Producers such as Max Martin and Dr. Luke are what can be described as ‘Ghost Writers’, a common feature of the popular music industry today, producers and composers that aid in writing and producing for prominent performers at the peak of their career while remaining out of the spotlight themselves. While performers such as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears may have risen to star status on their own merit and hard work, maintaining such status is difficult in an industry not just driven by music but largely by media presence and public identity. Today’s younger audiences are no longer assessing authenticity on the musicianship or ingenuity of their idols but through the identities these idols portray through the media. For example Taylor Swift’s initial country girl image that saw her rise to prominence among young female audiences soon transitioned to her current status of glamorous international femme fatale pop star, an image encapsulating a much larger audience for her music. Audiences today are mostly unaware that the majority of songs that appear in the top 100 are in fact composed by similar teams of international songwriters, specifically branded for particular performers. This reveals to us the immense significance of artists and their identities as portrayed by the media over the sincerity of their composition in today’s industry.
While authenticity will continue to be a subject of discussion in many fields of music, as it is in various fields of art, with each new and significant development in the industry the elements of what this authenticity is assessed upon will continue to change with each newly introduced technology. From the introduction of a microphone to the emergence of the largest free catalogue of music in existence, technology will continue to shape the way we express ourselves, connect with one another and assess the world around us.
References
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