Your opinion on Western music?

[NintendoHTF1242]

Okay so I thought I'd make this topic since
A.) I have been brought back into Western music
B.) I wanted to see other opinions on it

I got back into it after hearing Only Girl (in the World) by Rihanna and Just a Dream by Nelly in September-October. Those two songs are just so amaaaaazing. Then I started to listen to the radio more and more and fell in love with Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars and so on. Now I'm back into the Western music scene and trying to catch up on everything I've missed these past 2-4 years. I can't believe I ignored all this music...because to be honest, I was one of those J-Pop fans who thought that "all music on the radio is about sex and drugs and have no value to them". Yes, there are some songs like that, but they are insanely catchy and fun to dance to (unless it's something like Sex for Breakfast by Christina Aguliera which is just boring XD). So yeah, what are your opinions on Western music?

And please do not start fights or anything. If you have negative feelings towards Western music, try to arrange your post in a calm manner.

I also checked to see if there were any topics like this, couldn't find any so I think this is okay.

EDIT: To answer one person's post, I mean music in America and I guess some acts from Europe (like Girls Aloud, etc.)

[Kingdom]

The Western music industry isn't as bad as weeaboos try to make it out to be.

"OMG no originality" "omg not as good as my homeland Japan" "NOT GOOD CUZ THEYRE NOT ASIAN" etc. etc.

I like a lot of mainstream acts and I like some less than popular, but a lot of the mainstream radio sucks truthfully. But that is any music industry for you; they all have their cringe-worthy artists who are popular. (looking at you too, Korea and Japan)

I love Rihanna the most at the moment, Nicki Minaj is great too, but I haven't really found any new artists who stand out to me. Ke$ha is gross but she makes catchy music, DEV, Keri Hilson, Ciara... are good and stuff. I like the more rnb pop than the Disney-girls/boys.

And I hate Chris Brown!

[XFER]

Well, when you say western, do you mean the west hemisphere or just the USA? Cause if you mean USA, then, I really don't like the popular music that appears in the charts there. However, I love music from France for example, which is still western, but classier and not so invaded with R&B influences.

Also, depends if you like only pop or also have a liking for diverse music styles. The western music scene is HUGE and there are tons of styles. So maybe specifying a bit more where you want to take this thread could help a bit?

[Andrenekoi]

music is music... Sometimes we just need to ignore the delusional otakus,...

[jbrat2219]

Nothing in Western music is really catching my attention at the moment, but if you found songs you like that's great! I have different tastes than most people so I can't really recommend anything. I'm sure you already know the big names already though.

[YuriChan]

Ehh... I don't like what they're playing on the radio nowadays. But every once in a while, there will be a song that will catch my attention.

[emi♡]

I really love Western music, but the mainstream radio stuff is definitely geared towards very specific things and very specific tastes.

And hip hop and dance, really takes the cake for being what is popular.

But uh...I gotta say, it's pretty ****** if you define a whole industry by what radio stations play.

I know it's about popularity and whatever, but honestly, like, broaden your horizons a little bit.

I really love the professional and sophisticated sound that western music has. It's all really well made, regardless if the song is cheesy or retarded or something, and that's something I personally value.

The one thing I've noticed about music around the world, is that they are really unable to pull off that mastered sound.

I also like that...uh singers usually...USUALLY have some nice vocals on them. It's nice for me, as a change of pace from Japan, where I'm surrounded by people with unique voices...that are sometimes not so great.

One thing I HAVE been having a problem lately, is this mainstream "rap" lyric crap that people are pulling. I have a special appreciation of rap music, and I would like at least SOME effort to be put into lyrics...which is like...uh the most important part of "rapping"...right? i mean, come on.

Biggest culprit are the collab songs. Like RiRi's "What's my name". Crap rap lyrics omg.

long and rambly post...sorry, im like, so tired right now.

[ll moments ll]

omg, i used to be just like you. LOL.

i used to be uptight about Western music, because like you said, the messages of mainstream American/Western music was sex, partying, or whatever. but i think over time, i just kind of got over it. music comes in all forms: it can be serious, inspiring and thoughtful, but it can be carefree, dumb, and fun too. now, i listen to everything and i have no shame in listening to what i like to hear. it can be top 40 or indie. it doesn't really matter to me anymore.

i definitely thought Japanese pop was superior to everything at one point (...oh youth, LMAO). but J-pop is the same as every other music industry, imo. i mean, it has acts specifically for mainstream consumption and it has talented musicians.

[DA1SUK1DAY01691]

I, for one, was definitely one of those who didn't like American music after a while—I think from about 2002 to maybe 2007 or 2008 I listened exclusively to Asian music with only older music in English.

However, I think as I got older and my taste changed, I've come to prefer "Western" music because of the sound—I still love Japanese lyrics much more than almost any English lyrics (save for Cheryl Cole's Fight For This Love and maybe Girls Aloud's Untouchable), but the way the Western industry in general generates sound is actually quite amazing. To have hooks played on end and those catchy lines really stick, it's quite fun, to be honest.

I still prefer Japanese music because of the variation, though. I think a good example would be Morning Musume or Hamasaki Ayumi—they've dabbled in so much in their careers, and they have songs that are essentially so different it's amazing to think they're the same artist releasing all kinds of stuff. I mean, Ayu has done gospel, classical, rock (although poppish), good old pop, and one could say "DREAM on" is kind of R'n'B-ish; then you have Momusu who've done big band, latin-inspired, and their own brand of pop as well.

But "Western" music has its merits; I think Katy Perry is a pop genius, and Girls Aloud has helped redefine the British pop scene massively. I think America is finally coming back around to the pop scene, which provides a better medium for better lyrics, but there are some really good hip-hop and rap songs out there, too. In terms of musical diversity, I think Britain may have it there from what I've seen at the BRITs and stuff, but America has some great stuff, as well.

-----

I was totally just writing this on the top of my head and it may not make sense. Haha.
But what I just want to say is I've come around to "Western" music. They definitely have just as much as diversity as Japanese music, just in a different way, I think.

[love in music]

I can't really find anything lovable or impressive like I do with a lot of music in other languages. It's just not my taste.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

I'm a lot into Western music lately. Asian music is rather weak nowadays... to me anyway.

[Mirai Noah]

I haven't been a fan of a lot of the music I've been hearing on the radio in the past few years (I'm not really into rap at all), but as of late, there are a lot of current western artists whose music I've been enjoying.

[2Hurt]

I'm not into western music at the moment... but when I'm in the car and the radio is on I don't really mind the Western music playing ^^ though I'm not listening to Western music at home because I simply don't have anything I like, but I did went to see Celine Dion and Lady Gaga live I agree music is music and the language or looks shouldn't matter.

[ALfromHELLSING]

I care only 'bout western nu-metal, rock, hard rock, rapcore. I don't listen to western pop (well Leona Lewis is the only exception), r&b, hip-hop music. I prefer Asian, POP/R&B and Hip-Hop.

[isthisLOL?]

The western music I like is mostly either rock/direction metal or from established artists that have been popular for some time, aside that it's like a few songs per singer max.
Lady Gaga was pretty great in her late The Fame/early Fame Monster era but that has faded with her releasing piles of **** again now.
However I'm not saying one industry is better than another, because there is not one artist that debuted after 2007 from Japan I actively listen to either I think.

[Coelacanth]

It's amazing to me how people can be so snobby about Asian pop music. Generally, Jpop and Kpop are just as vapid and mindless as western pop.

[PoetGirl]

I dont call my music western eastern or anything like that, I have music I like and music I dont like LOL. It goes by genres in my case. I like rnb, so I listen to japanese singer Hiromi and american Dondria, they are equally awsome imo.
So I dont know what to say about 'western' music except I listen to what I like no matter where it comes from.

About really mainstream western music like Katy Perry or Lady gaga I dont have opinion since dance and electro were never my thing.

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

Nothing in Western music is really catching my attention at the moment, but if you found songs you like that's great! I have different tastes than most people so I can't really recommend anything. I'm sure you already know the big names already though.

I don't listen to the radio except for NPR....Other than that, I still love good old American punk, rock n roll, metal, etc

[koumori]

I've grown up only listening to Western music, so I have so many favourite Western bands that I have loved for years - such as The Cranberries, The Cardigans, James, The Verve...such amazing bands. But anyway.

There's no comparing Western and Asian music, really. Both industries have their bad and good music, and it just comes down to what language you prefer hearing. My favourite music is a mix of Western languages and Asian languages, and always will be. It's easy to stereotype Western music on stuff you hear on the radio that you don't like, but the radio plays what the majority of people want to hear. If you're not in the majority, then obviously you're not going to like what you hear. The radio plays about 10% of the new music that's around.

So if anyone says, "I don't like Western music because it's all rap/talk too much about sex/all the same", I lose respect from them instantly, and also feel sorry for them. They're missing out on some amazing music.

[happiholic★]

I like it as much as I like any other country's music I have the singers I'm dedicated to, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, etc., plus I like a lot of random songs, Grenade by Bruno Mars, Black and Yellow by that rapper guy (I don't know his name). I always liked "club" music, due to my love of acts like Daft Punk and other electronic artists, and since that is popular there are quite a number of songs that appeal to me. I do think that its getting a bit over-done since artists that never made club music are now, just because its popular. I also find it annoying that when I was into it as a kid, everyone else thought that kind of music was "lame" and like it now, but whatever.

So, I have singers that I'm dedicated to and singers who I like only one song, both in English and Japanese. I would never turn my back on the Western music industry.