Has Pop Music Forgotten How To Have Fun?

There was a time when Pink was ready to “Get the Party Started,” and Lady Gaga wanted us to “Just Dance,” but it seems like these kinds of sentiments are few and far between in today’s pop world.

With every new pop song now we’re told how important the music is, that there’s a statement being made by the artist – even if they’re singing lyrics they didn’t write – and how everyone needs to really listen to what they’re saying.

This is getting old. In fact, it’s been old for a while.

Not everything needs to be a statement, or considered groundbreaking. Sometimes a song can just be fun, and that’s enough.

There’s been an overabundance of over-intellectualizing pop music, and a combination of social media, and thinkpieces, have fans believing everything they like is important, and that it isn’t just a song, it’s a powerful statement about [insert any topic du jour here].

OK, fine, if you want to believe every song you listen to has some great importance to it, you’re more than welcome to, but are you having any fun?

Whatever happened to guilty pleasures? Whatever happened to music that had a sole goal of inspiring enjoyment?

I get it, we’re living in deeply political times, but we’re always living in deeply political times.

I was born in 1978, so my childhood was spent hearing about the Cold War. You know what, the pop music of the era was damned fun. A Flock of Seagulls made us want to run, Men at Work taught us about a land “Down Under,” and Whitney Houston just wanted to dance with somebody.

Yes, there was also political music sprinkled in. It took up just enough space to remind us that music can make a difference, but then allowed us to get back to our escape from reality.

The same goes for more recent events, such as 9-11. That year Eve and Gwen Stefani were looking to blow our minds, while Jagged Edge wanted to know “Where the Party At?”

There’s a reason ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s nights at dance clubs, and music venues have become so big, and it isn’t just nostalgia – it’s that people want to have fun. There was escapism aspect to much of the pop music of those eras, and we could really use some of that right now.

Yes, we absolutely need songs about important issues facing the world today, and yes, we absolutely need songs with deeper meanings, but we also absolutely need to climb aboard the Vengabus, or catch a ride on the Quad City DJ’s train once in a while.

The only recent song I can think of that fit that mold was the ROSÉ and Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.,” and I would love to hear more pop music in that vein … even if, or perhaps especially because, it’s such an earworm that it gets stuck in my head.

People don’t always need a stern talking to, oftentimes what they really need is a release.

Right now the world is a powder keg, and everyone wants to make a statement, but sometimes “I want to take you away from everything for a few minutes,” or “I want to put a smile on your face,” is the most powerful, and impactful, statement an artist can make.