Originally Posted by
C14E:
“So many narrow minded people on here.
If you feel like saying you can't stand Leona's singing style or that "Bleeding Love" is an annoying song then that's fine. Music is subjective, people will have their own tastes and opinions. What annoys me are the people who have taken it upon themselves to define "real music" and decide that anyone who likes a certain singer or band knows nothing about music and that their opinions really don't count.
I could come on here and say that Leona does actually write songs, for this album and in the past. I also understand that she plays the guitar. But that misses the point and it's just arguing into the hands of these "real music fans".
At one point, a real artist had to write their own songs but I notice how Elvis and Frank Sinatra were kindly given a pardon on this count and a few excuses made up. The simple fact is that nobody cared that Elvis played guitar occasionally. He is a legend because he was a brilliant performer and because he had great songs which he delivered so well. Is anyone actually saying that if Elvis didn't play guitar occasionally, he wouldn't be worthy of note?
Of course, these two are a case in point. Just think of some of the great songs that we would never have heard if music was only performed by those who wrote it?
Although Leona does write, I think her great talent and gift lies in her voice. Of course not everyone will like it, but millions do and as far as I last knew singing (well) is a talent. I remember plenty of music critics (often those that push "real music") saying Pavarotti was an incredibly gifted man... because he had a voice that could connect with millions.
EDIT: On the subject of the X Factor, it does no harm to the music industry. It's not as though the charts are dominated by Steve Brookstein wannabe's, is it? I'd actually say it's a good thing given how wide an audience it brings music to. My first interest in music came from watching Pop Idol (so anything I say must be completely irrelevant!).
Of course Simon Cowell is only doing it for money, but just because someone is working to make money doesn't mean you need to boycott anything they are selling. If you like what they turn out then they are rewarded. If I did that I wouldn't have anything in my house. So long as it's good quality then you buy it. Do you think EMI signed the Beatles for anything more than to make money? And what can be said for Amy Winehouse, she's managed by Simon Fuller's "evil, capitalist, mass market driven, Spice Girls and American Idol creating" 19 Management.
She's only where he is because Fuller and a business partner want to make money. That's no reason not to buy her records. It's capitalism.”
I think you make some really good points. Personally i don't enjoy Leona's music, its just simply not my taste. However i would never refer to it as "crap" as it blatently isn't, people bought it and it sat on the top of the charts for, in this day & age an impressive amount of time.
But I do think that not everybody bought her music for the actual music. Some people simply buy into the image that the management team of Leona's & X Factor have created.
I personally don't enjoy X-Factor or similar shows because as much as people want to pick a winner & see the success they dream to maybe have one day, there is also the other side of the people who get their dreams shattered sometimes the most in verbally disgusting way! But not only that you then get shown "the worst auditions of the day" & "the worst auditions of series" just to add salt to the wound - thats not about the music - thats making "entertainment" at the expense of others.
The other reason I don't agree with some of the "ethics" around these type of shows is that, if the public then don't want to buy your music or into the image they have moulded you into (however you choose to look at it) they throw you on the scrapheap & start the cycle again.
I do think that there are some good points to the show, it gives "normal" people a chance to show their talents, which may otherwise unoticed or never have their moment. Also showing that dreams are achieveable and there have been some great sucess stories Will Young, Girls Aloud & Lemar being the most memorable, which undoubtedly adds variety to the music industry.
But for every success story there are many, many more "scrapheap" stories - Alex Parks, Hear'say, One True Voice, Sarah Whatmore, Steve Brookstein. The list goes on & on....
I would be interested to hear what "Real" music is incidently? Is music not a rythmatic melody? Vocals, Guitars, Pianos are not a required element. Banging wooden spoons on pots and pans on the kitchen floor constitutes as music (a favourite past-time of mine as a kid!) - maybe not sellable worldwide, platinum album music - but its still music. It really annoys me when someone will voice their opinion and state it as a fact -
"The Spice Girls
are crap - Kaiser Chiefs
are real music" etc etc
An opinion is exactly that an opinion, a fact is something proved beyond all doubt. You cannot prove beyond all doubt that The Spice Girls are crap and Kaiser Chiefs are not because someone somewhere likes them.
anyway thats my
opinion on the matter