[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by letter

There's a belief that popularity doesn't mean quality, just as celebrity doesn't mean intellect, and good performance doesn't mean incredible talent. Madonna is rich, Mozart wasn't; she's one of the biggest female pop starts to have lived, he's one of the most celebrated artists in the world. It's a terrible imbalance. I don't really want to get into a discussion about this, esp not in an Ayu thread, but most of today's stars are overrated. They become legends for reasons that are ludicrous when compared to the heroes from the past. You and I need not agree, but I respectfully say that Madonna's lifelong efforts in the field of music are not worth a dime. That's not to say she hasn't worked hard; it simply means that she hasn't succeeded in changing my mind. Why I say change my mind and not, perhaps, "capture my attention" or "entertain" can be seen in this excerpt from an article I was just reading:


I believe that the magnitude of many matters in the world is heavily dependant on the perception they're capable of introducing, thus leading to a carefully constructed illusion. The illusion of order and chaos in abstract art is everything (just an example)--Picasso has mastered that, by gaining control over something disorderly, and even still, many believe that abstract art lacks discipline, order, and even direction, which I disagree with. Popular music has all the elements it needs to be popular; eventually, it incorporates something out of the norm and manages to make it universally known, and so it remains in the sphere of the "well-known". Then, more sheep follow. It's a circle. I'm not quite so far away from the topic of this thread. Ayu is, after all, living in these times, so where does she stand in this mess of an industry? I'd say her lyrics have had the biggest impact on people. To touch the heart is one thing, to stimulate the mind is another. To do both, that's success.

As "quality" is a completelly subjective thing, I always avoid bringing this topic to the table. To me, something is well done when it reaches its goals, even if they aren't of my taste... For example: I see nothing special about Lady Gaga, and to me, she fails into bringing anything new to the game... Still, her fans are touched by what she does, some even are inspired by her work and it gives them strenght to overcome the horror-land rollercoaster that a teenager life can be, so, I can't really say she is bad, as she is reaching her goals with her creation.

When I'm talking about someone winning or failing, I always like to bring 3 things, that aren't subjective (or less subjective): Financial gaining, resistence over the years and influence. In the end of the day, an artist don't need to be considered good by me or by you, but they need to be considered good by a lot of people, and this will generate those 3 things we enjoying or hating what they do.

-Madonna made a lot of money during her career, and she still makes, so, she has financial gaining.
-Madonna has a 30 years old career on a area most people don't survive 5. Some of her works are considered pop culture classics and considered by both critics and public among the best things ever produced in the field of contemporary mainstream music. So, she still is resisting.
-Madonna is the mold for every other pop performer that came after her, including the one this forum is dedicated to, to the point of some of her earlier works ripping of directly from Madonna's production (AT02). So, the sole fact that Ayu is who she is proves Madonna's influence.

All of this also works for artists I dislike, don't care about or find irrelevant, like Michael Jackson, Seiko Matsuda, Marylin Monroe, Leonardo da Vinci... Can I say they failed just because I dislike or don't care about their works, or can't see quality on it? I don't think so, as even some artists I really respect and adore are heavily influenced by them, including Madonna and Ayu, their works are considered classics.

On the same way, the fact that Ayu is having huge tours and making a lot of money from it, being on top 5 for best downloaded artists in Japan every year for some time now (even if this is mostly due her back catalogue), that her songs are chosen to be main theme for art movies and social movements actions, that she still is on the cover of big fashion magazines, advertise for big companies and is a heavy influence for one of Japan top popstars from the moment, to me, proves she is not failing, even when I really hate some of her efforts.

In the end of the day, neither Ayu or Madonna will be recognized on art history for their musical efforts or the depth of their work, as neither are technically the best on their field. They will be recognized and remembered by the social and cultural impact of their body of work, by their impact on the mainstream production, by their influence over another popstars and fashion, movies, comics, tv and overall behavior they inspired on people who follow them. Neither can be compared to Mozart as neither lived or produced on the same context he did, and neither impact as musicians is as big or as interesting or as relevant as their impacts as multimedia icons.

Woah, big text xD Sorry