Olivia Rodrigo

[Chris Templeton]

Sometimes I look at the Billboard charts and I see that Olivia Rodrigo is #1 on the pop charts, so I decided to check her lyrics out to see what was coming out of her mouth on her hit record "Sour":
https://www.lyricsondemand.com/o/olivia ... yrics.html
I'm glad I don't have teenagers or tweens listening to this crap. Pitiful.
As Jerry Byrd said, "Music is a reflection of society".

[Fred Treece]

It ain’t exactly Shakespeare, is it.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Well if it makes you feel any better knowing that the C&W chart #1 is equally pure crap,
check out the #1 Country hit “Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes

https://youtu.be/G_zuB-ogIBw

reminds me of eating raw bacon dipped in pickle juice.

[Jim Fogle]

Brooks,

Even Walker Hayes was caught by surprise when "Fancy Like" became a hit. Two things helped push the song up the chart, the restaurant chain, Applebee, uses the song in their newest commercials and Walker Hayes' teenage daughter created a dance for the song then posted a funny video of her teaching the song to Walker. He stated in an interview he's been making a living singing and writing his own songs for more than eleven years. His first album was released in 2011. Now he feels like he's an overnight sensation.

"Fancy Like" is a feel good, novelty song that has caught the attention of many people. There have been plenty of novelty songs over the years and they usually don't stay in the limelight for very long.

"Homesick" is a more common example of the songs Walker Hayes sings: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hunterh ... esick.html.

A current country singer that has made his mark singing quality songs is Luke Combs. To me the lyrics to "Better Today" are as good as it gets. Luke Combs seems to be pretty daring in this song. The recording is just him singing and a piano. That takes a lot of faith in your singing and the power of the lyrics. https://youtu.be/_dju4pz2YYw

There are a LOT of bad songs playing on modern country radio but there are some really good songs if you dig a little deeper.

My issue is not as much with the songs as I really don't like the audio production. Typically it's too much in your face with the lyrics buried by the sound. To me that is a producer and artist that don't have much faith in the song so they shift their work to how it feels.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Jim, a 16-year old fan of Olivia could probably make the same defense for her.
Crap is crap.

[Jim Fogle]

Jim, a 16-year old fan of Olivia could probably make the same defense for her.
Crap is crap.

I agree crap is crap.

Recordings, television, movies and everyday language have gotten much coarser over the last decade. Vulgarity has become normal while civility and patience are no longer in style.

Unfortunately life goes on and what's considered normal and acceptable changes.

There is a lot of current music I do not consider acceptable so we likely agree more than you think.

[Chris Templeton]

And the record companies have their hand in what gets released.
The country engineers and producers are mixing many current songs like rock & roll or rap (big drums, bass and keyboards especially).
The biggest criticism I have about country music these days is, the super aggressive way they are pushing/marketing alcohol (and cigarettes) to kids. A reference to it is in most every male singer's songs and fewer with the ladies.
I feel bad for the young kids who feel that to grow up, or get the babe, you need to drink.
Then there's the 'puter/staring at a screen isolation, but I won't go there.

[Jon Light]

I feel bad for any kid that is not actively trying to piss off old people.

[Chris Templeton]

How old is "old" and what kind off pissing off? The "I'm never talking to you again" or a little ribbing kind?

[Jon Light]

Definition of old? Talking about 'kids these days'. Definition of pissing off an old person? Causing them to talk about 'kids these days'. Has nothing to do with liking or respecting the music. Has nothing to do with whether the music is good. Every generation has mouldy figs and every new generation has the easiest time pushing the figs' buttons.

[Chris Templeton]

Ahh, moldy figs. I learn something new every day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldy_figs
That's what the folk purists were when Dylan went electric at Newport.
It's also one of effects of recorded music.

[ajm]

Olivia Rodrigo and "Sour": Just to be clear, this appears to be an entire album, and not a single song.

"Homesick": Unless I missed it, this is a song by HUNTER Hayes, NOT Walker Hayes.

Luke Combs "Better Together": That song sounds a LOT like some other song, that I can't think of right now. Maybe somebody else can identify it.

[Brooks Montgomery]

OK, now I'm confused. I'll try and keep track of it all on this

[Fred Treece]

Is Olivia Rodrigo making music to deliberately piss off old people? Is that why she has a #1 hit? That seems like a dumb reason to sing, and an embarrassingly dumb reason to buy her music. Not that her music doesn’t piss people off; obviously we have a disturbance in The Force here. I just seriously doubt that was the prime directive.

Besides, I thought we were just critiquing her lyrics, which seem to point toward her being the one who is a bit torqued. Imagine that. An angry, angst-ridden 18-year-old celebrity.

[Paul Strojan]

I say this as a member of Taylor Swift’s generation,

When I listen to the oldies station and what the kids were singing about back then, I don’t understand why my generation and younger are so negative over. No polio, no draft, eating too much has replaced not having enough to eats. As the old song goes, let’s talk about living.

[Donny Hinson]

For some reason, stupid lyrics make the most memorable songs for the majority of the population. Compared to many of today's songs, "Please Release Me" is a literary tome worthy of the highest accolades.

I almost fell out of my chair when I read the following about a song from my teen generation:

In fact every American artist, black or white, asked about “I Want to Hold Your Hand” has said much the same: It altered everything, ushering in a new era and changing their lives. That the Beatles represented something transmitting at a higher creative frequency was clear even to many outside the pop audience.

[Dave Mudgett]

In fact every American artist, black or white, asked about “I Want to Hold Your Hand” has said much the same: It altered everything, ushering in a new era and changing their lives. That the Beatles represented something transmitting at a higher creative frequency was clear even to many outside the pop audience.

Ha! It took two years before the stigma of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" dissipated in my mind and I would seriously listen to anything the Beatles had to offer. I'm glad it eventually wore off - they obviously had a lot to offer - but I still cringe when I hear that tune. And I'm not a guy deeply into lyrics - I'd just as soon play something by Dick Dale or the Ventures. But there are limits.

Since that time - well, let's just say things have moved on. No skin offa my nose - if I don't like something, I just turn the page. No point in trying to control other people. We can see today in Ukraine the result of that kind of thinking.

[Fred Treece]

The lyrics to I Want To Hold Your Hand were epic to 8-year-old me. And the music? There was nothing before it. It was a born again moment. I didn’t even like music before then.

What anxieties does the younger generation have now? Mostly the same ones every other younger generation has had, with maybe a few very exciting additions. This article barely scratches the surface, imo https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... sic-lyrics

In today’s world, The Beatles’ “Run For Your Life” might have been the breakthrough hit and She Loves You would have tanked.

[Jack Hanson]

In today’s world, The Beatles’ “Run For Your Life” might have been the breakthrough hit and She Loves You would have tanked.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!



Or today, the big hit may well have been Helter Skelter or Revolution #9.