Lecture 2

TASK 2

 

Reading over philosopher, Adorno's piece on Popular Music, it's clear that today's society and it's culture and music would not be considered appropriate or likable by Adorno himself. I have chosen a fairly recent popular music video and artist, (Rihanna - Umbrella). In my opinion I think I can epitomise Adorno's sentiments analysing this video and music. 
According to Adorno, the only music he finds favourable is 'serious music', "A clear judgment concerning the relation of serious music to popular music can be arrived at only by strict attention to the fundamental characteristics of popular music: standardization" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:73). Apparently, popular music is standardized, it lacks being unique, "the beginning and the end of each part - must beat out the standard scheme" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:74). Listening to 'Umbrella' by Rihanna, I can hear how there is a lot of repetition in the song. The beat is constant , there is a definite chorus which is repeated throughout, and also contains the repetition within the lyrics. Adorno explores how the use of 'standardization' then causes a 'standard reaction'. Us as listeners are "manipulated not only by its promoters but, as it were, by the inherent nature of this music itself" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:76). We expect the expected, the standardization of popular music means that any reactions given to it will, effectively, be standardized as well, "popular music never functions as 'itself' but only as a disguise or embellishment behind which the scheme can always be percieved" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:76). Rihanna's music video contains all the content that us as viewers expect, and therefore want to see. The repetative beat, the sexual connotations, the fashion, are all factors of mass culture, what everyone as a 'mass' society wants to listen to and watch. Popular music aims to give it's viewers what they want, "the composition hears for the listener" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:77). Could this suggest that us as the viewers, are in fact the musicians, the "products of the same mechanisms which determine the production of popular music" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:81). We create the music that we want to hear? Could it be that Rihanna is mearly a robot, an instrument that gives us what we want?
However, Adorno states how ownership of popular music must be aparent. To avoid being labelled as copiers of one another, individuality within the music's production must be there in order to maintain sales. It is Adorno's theory that supports, popularity is simply mass production, disguised as individuality. Hiding this reality is key, if "unhidden it would provoke resistance" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:78). Rihanna's song, although very much similar to other music releases, is labelled as her own, unique song, afterall, "the illusion and, to a certain extent, even the reality of indivduality achievement must be maintained" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:78). 
Adorno believes that people use mass culture to escape from their troubled world. They wish to engage with something that isn't serious, this is bad however, because it is simply a fraudulent hide out. Although it may be easier to sell that, in which we are comfortable with, "the less the mass discriminates, the greater the possibility of selling cultural commodities indiscriminately" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:81), it only "induces relaxation because it is patterned and pre-digested" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:81). Rihanna's, 'Umbrella', is something easy to engage with because it is what we want to hear, and it seems appropriate. However, is it boredom that we are simply engaging with, after trying to escape it? The repetition and samey attitude 'Umbrella' has, is effortless to listen to because it isn't anything new to our ears. This could just be encouraging a constant state of boredom, that becomes a circle, a "circle which makes escape impossible" (Adorno, T, On popular music, 1941:81).