I enjoy reading through this thread. I know there were some unpleasant exchanges, with Felix and later with Wayne, and maybe others.
If I could revise or clarify some of the things I said in these posts, I would say this:
I know it's impolite to say someone is "wrong," and "wrong" about whether you like a piece of music of not. I didn't mean it in a moral or judgemental sense, but people might get that impression from the word.
I know I can be wrong about a piece of music or a song. If you see my lists for the Summer and for the year 2012, you'll notice I've made some changes. In a sense, I was "wrong" about them. It is possible for someone
not to hear what is given to them in a piece of music, just as one might be wrong about facts or make logical errors. I know because it happens to me; I can give a piece of music too much credit, or not enough; it may grow on me or I may get tired of it. It may hit me in a different way at different times. When I know a piece well, though, by then I hear it pretty much the same way each time; but it may still evoke new experiences for me.
Musical taste is not entirely "subjective" or "objective." It is "subjective" in that depends on the ability of the person to receive the music, their background and their level of appreciation, their experiences, what moves them, their senses and body, and what they want from music. It exists in the person's ears, brain and consciousness. It also depends on the music itself, which once recorded does not change, and thus is "objective." So it is both, and there's no basis for saying otherwise.
There's not much more to say about JB now. I really enjoy the videos I posted here about Johnny Depp's encounter (post 470), his meeting with the little girl Cody on Jimmy Kimmel (post 403),
his Top Ten list on Letterman (post 192), his interview with Chelsea Lately (post 472),
his amusing moments. I like almost all of his songs, and
one in particular. I seem to be able to rely on him; he's a master. He doesn't let me down. He's a great guy too, and very entertaining.
It is primarily the sound, arrangement, melody, harmony, and maybe rhythm that I like in any song, especially if it evokes the experiences and ideals of my life. Good vocals are important, but perhaps a secondary contribution to the whole. Bieber's vocals are usually, but
not always, great, in my experience. Others disagree, and that's their valid opinion. Lyrics and "social significance" are important but also secondary, in my opinion. Shallow lyrics don't matter if the music is good, in my opinion! The particulars about the artist him/herself are NOT important, in my opinion, to the appreciation of the music!
By the way, sometimes it helps me to appreciate a song for itself, to hear it performed by another artist, if I don't especially like the original. This happened to me for example with One Direction's
What Makes You Beautiful.
What was "wrong" in Wayne's comments, was to say that (having dispatched all of my explanations) he had
not made a decision to dislike him, but that
he never will. That was just illogical. But saying he doesn't like his singing, is a comment that makes sense to me. I don't expect he
will ever like Justin Bieber's music. But in turn, I don't like the "singing" (really shouting and screaming or rapping) of most 3T rock, which many of Bieber's critics here like. So, I like my opinion.
And in any case it's always wise not to take these kinds of arguments and discussions too seriously. Just
enjoy the music you enjoy, share it, and tell others how great it is (in your opinion); that is worthwhile (in my opinion!). And it's been an activity of mine for a long time. It is not forcing it on people, and I hope it doesn't come across as that; I
can't do that anyway.
Originally Posted by Eric the Green
