Below I attempt to self-reflect on what drives me away from modern pop. I list various interesting thought points for me, not in any specific order:
1. Production
I think one of my issues with modern pop is that I find the very good production techniques fake sounding. As if there's less "soul". However, this is still a very very good pop album. She is a very talented singer, and I find pop in general has *very* good production. But alas, I am basing my ratings more off of my personal preference.
2. Priority of Vocals
Also I find I really like the intrumental part of a song when deciding if I like it. That doesn't mean I don't like vocals - I do like songs having lyrics - I just put a lot of emphasis on the instrumental part. When I think of songs I really like, and why I like them, I generally think of the intrumental part. Especially since I like a lot of guitar-driven music, I think of the guitar/bass riffs.
This album, however, really places the emphasis on the singer's vocals and lyrics. I feel like a lot of modern pop can be like this, which is probably a reason I get turned away from it. Of course, MANY pop songs do have their intrumental parts at the front with lots of emphasis! This is just a reflection on certain characteristics of certain modern pop I don't like. I'm also not saying these songs ignore their intrumental parts. And the intrumental parts are very well done for the songs - especially on this album - and are just what the song needs. It's just not what I personally like.
3. Music Exposure When Younger
Another thing really worth considering is what music I was exposed to when young. People have found after all that in general (many people will be exceptions!), people consider the popular music when they were growing up to be their musical preference. Of course, this doesn't apply to many people!!
It is no secret my current music preferences come from my parents. A lot of what they like is what I like now. 80's alternative rock, really. So, I did get exposed to this a lot. However, I *was* actually exposed to a lot of modern pop as a kid too, especially in now-nostalgic situations. For example, when I was at daycare, whenever we would go play outside (every day), the radio would always be put on to the current top hit songs. So, I got exposed to a lot of 2010's pop and such there. Thus, I do associate 2010's pop with a lot of nostalgia. However, I still never really enjoyed 2010's pop at the level I enjoy rock.
