Top Five Most Annoying Things About Today’s R&B; Music

It only takes a short trip on your radio dial to realize that something really wrong is happening to today’s R&B; music. You need not be old enough to make first-hand comparisons between R&B; now, and the music of Motown. There was a time when in order to complete an album, a team of songwriters collaborated in the hopes of developing an R&B; chart topper. The artist actually had to sing the lyrics that were written for him/her. And musicians had to be hired to play the song. But artists today are not being held to the same set of standards. In fact, what’s being force-fed through the airwaves, and what’s being called quality music, are actually watered down attempts to achieve the same musical glory. Once upon a time radio broadcasts were worth recording simply because disc jockeys had an endless rotation of great songs. But now, with the advent of iPods, fancy computer technology, and a fresh, new hungry crop of music mogul wannabes, that watering down of solid music-making has become the new official standard. There are many different things that really annoy me about what I’m hearing on radio stations today. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably just as frustrated…

#1 – No One Sings…

With performers out there like Beyonce, and Ciara I am sure I will take a lot of flack for intimating that no one really sings anymore. There was a time when lyrics could be heard clearly and sung along with. But these days, the “singing” is more like a series of syncopated “runs” (what I also like to call vocal acrobatics) strung together and called lyrics. In listening, it sounds as if the singer is rushing to finish her lines before the next musical verse rolls around.

There is something to be said for the indulgent experience of hearing a professional singer’s voice soaring over a catchy tune. Girl groups like En Vogue were popular in the 1990’s because not only did they have individual style, voices that never seemed to crowd one another, even when they were all singing at once. Years later Jill Scott came onto the scene breaking through some of those barriers that kept real singers from being recognized for their vocal talent–as opposed to how good their legs looked in a pair Manolo Blahniks. There seems to be no thought put into vocalization in R&B; music these days. It seems as if songwriters (if you can call them that) are rushing to cram as much stuff into a song as humanly possible. The result is that you have a quartet (or trio) of chirping women all vying to be the lead singer.

#2 – Gimme a Beat-Just. One. Beat.

No R&B; song is complete without a slamming beat. There is an entire community of music producers who dedicate themselves to composing percussion arrangements that will have people on dance floors in no time flat. Producers like Timbaland, Scott Storch, Jermaine Dupri, and Diddy (Did I just call a grown man “Diddy”?) are known for bringing the heat to nightclubs worldwide.

But in the process of cranking out hot hits, some producers have gone a little overboard with their arrangements. Beat machines and fancy software, like the DSS DJ 5.6, help to create and organize the grooves that earn producers the title of “geniuses” for crafting. The problem with the technology as a whole is that it limits the natural craftmanship demonstrated by true drummers. There is a science to understanding when to apply the high hat, snare, kick drum, and other percussive instrumentation. But the ability to hear, feel, and reproduce rhythms by ear is a skill that not many musicians these days have. So as a result, producers continue to pile on multiple sound effects in an attempt to put the shine on their artists’ hot new singles.

#3 – Where’s the Music?

One of the main problems with today’s R&B; music is the lack of actual music. Sure, many of the latest hot singles contain samples of previous hits. But what’s really missing from the rhythm and blues (for which R&B; was named) is the blues. Take for instance, one of the 1970’s most popular dance hits, “Love Hangover” by Diana Ross. The intro for the song in some opinions was better than the actual dance section of the track. This is because that seductive opening intro had everything that made people swoon: exotic, well-blended music. Songs these day lack mystery. Producers are now diving right into sampled loops and uncomplicated non-musical hooks. The instrumentation that does exist in today’s R&B; songs is either pre-programmed, or made to sound that way.

#4 – What You Talkin’ Bout?

In the 1970’s, 80’s, and even 90’s, the subject matter in a lot of rhythm and blues songs covered a pretty reasonable slice of territory. Though most songs traditionally follow themes of love and romance, the approach to these topics has become hackneyed. But more often than not, the presentation is either tacky, unsophisticated, or unpoetic. In older R&B; songs like Prince’s “Little Red Corvette“, the Purple One used metaphors and colorful poetic language to describe some pretty racy material (pun intended). Parents did not feel overly compelled to cover their small childrens’ ears because the subject was so well veiled. Today, R&B; singers cover the most intimate of topics unabashedly.

In addition to poor presentation, the subjects themselves have become overworked. If a pants-sagging R&B; crooner isn’t talking about his lady’s physique, he’s discussing what he’d like to do to that physique behind the closed doors of the bedroom—in full detail. Other topics include the ever-popular Infidelity, in all sorts of variations. But still, the presentation is so conversational, that audiences wonder whether people are actually writing the material, or letting the R&B; singers read from their diaries over pre-programmed tracks.

#5 – Mergers and Acquisitions…

Since when did hip-hop and R&B; become one genre altogether? Over the past decades, these two genres have been distinctly separate. Even when the popularity of the sung “hook” on hip-hop tracks took recording studios by storm, the songs themselves were still considered hip-hop songs. Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s “All I Need” remix (in the summer of 1995) is a prime example of the traditional hip-hop song which utilized R&B; as a garnishment of sorts. But over time, male singers started to look exactly like members of the Wu Tang Clan; the same “thugged-out” looking men coming to the stage were now coming to sing instead of rap. Toss in a few smoking video girls and back-up dancers, and a new genre was born: the R&B;/Hip-Hop singer.

There is no issue with the fact that quite a few rappers sing, and many singers rap. Take Lauryn Hill and Queen Latifah for example. These ladies began their careers spitting hot lyrics. But their sultry singing voices never took a back seat. Andre 3000 of Outkast ruled the Dirty South with his on-fire lyrics and gentlemanly drawl. But the same fans he made with “Southern Playalistic” criticized his foray into singing, and playing a live instrument. Having the talent to express one’s self in more than one way is an artist’s blessing; lumping all the talents together into a clever marketing scheme, however-is not.

Reference:

• www.mtv.com