What are your music standards?

[JackieRos]

I listen to whatever

[Piccolo]

Originally Posted by identity

imo, it is. I tried out possibly hundreds of American artists/bands over many years - popular and unpopular, and failed to really love anything. It only took me a couple of songs to get into Japanese music so I pretty much stick with that and other asian music. I can't be bothered to search for more and more years anymore to try to find good American music when I can easily try out new asian artists and 9 times out of 10 wind up loving them.

You just proved your bias lol. Just because you prefer something doesn't make the other inferior.

[Ranma Matsuri]

I can see why you were 'misunderstood', the options on that poll are very scewed and come off really haughty and biased. It's like you're basically saying that everyone feels the same way you do but are either aware or unaware of it. O_O It probably wasn't your original intention to do so but you've gotta be more mindful of how you set up polls like these.

Well, for me I've been listening to almost nothing but J-pop and occasionally K-pop for the past year. There just hasn't been any... desire to listen to much else. Like emiko stated, a lot of pop music here has hip hop (and even country ) influence these days which I'm just not a fan of. I'm more of a fan of pure pop, electropop, techno pop, 90's, 80's synth pop and even bubblegum teeny pop. There's few artists right now that I bother with, like Britney, Madge, and Ashley Tisdale. Other artists I like/love (like Evanescence), take forever to release something and by the time they do, I've forgotten all about them and can't be properly excited.

Most of the J-artists I like just happen to fit the bill of what I like in my music period. All female with sweet high voices, cute with a hint of sexy, singing catchy fun pop songs that lift my spirits and keep me energized. Artists like Kalafina, alan and Hikki are another story... I turn for them for strong ballads, beautiful vocals, and compositions that stir the blood. I put Ayu in another category all her own, as (much like identity stated) she pretty much convinced me just how powerful music can be. I used to hate pop ballads (and still do to some extent) because I thought they all sounded so generic and boring always talking about a break up or whatever blah blah. I thought hers would be more of the same then I heard HANABI~episode II~ and was blown away. Though I admit to being one of the ones complaining about all the medium ballads recently, still no other artist to this day can make me fall so completely in love with a ballad like Ayu does.

[MemorialAddress]

I listen to whatever the hell I like, no matter what language it is. Language is not a factor for me.
I'm not one of those people who is like "OMG! I ONLY listen to Asian music, so I can't listen to this British / American / w.e music cuz I just won't like it!" I think that's really silly. People really miss out on a lot of great music when they limit their possibilities.
How can you say you don't like ANYTHING non-asian? Have you heard all the music in the world? The answer, for everyone, is NO.

[Yum!Fruit_Salad!]

Originally Posted by emiko

I like hearing about how they do it with their boyfriends lol

Find out what works best for you and him lol.

But seriously, have either you and identity given American artists / bands a fair chance? I mean, when you searched through American music, did you go in thinking "let's see if this time I find something. what am I talking about, I won't". Thoughts like those can greatly alter how you view the music, how you might genuinely like the artist. It predisposes you to find nothing of value.


As emiko said, you have to know why you're attracted to the music you are. I know in identity's case, lyrics mean a lot to her. Again, I agree with emiko that lyrics don't make the music better. You can have a song with very beautiful lyrics yet the actual composition could be boring or crap and vice versa. And seem for you, the thread opener, that emotions seem to be your thing which sorta bugs me since there is emotion in American music. Maybe there's a certain emotion you like more than other that's more heard in Japanese music? But that's preference and because you happen to like 'that' over another 'that' doesn't make it better.


It's accepting the music the way it is and for what it is instead of putting what you want into it. Like Japanese idol music for example. Most people don't like it or even hate it because the singers don't have the most unique or good voices around, their music isn't all that original or sometimes entertaining, and the image they present isn't exactly one most like but that doesn't them any less "important". They have their reasons for existing in the music industry and continuing to do so (believe or not, people do really like that type of music ).

I know that all I ask for is to be entertained. Yeah, it's a low standard and you inference that however you want but I don't feel dissatisfied if I don't like something or someone, I just move on and hope to find something that I do. I don't mentally build a bias against any country's music.

[Kanzaki]

Originally Posted by Yum!Fruit_Salad!

I don't mentally build a bias against any country's music.

This.

Who's that user with the sig that goes something like: "Wapanese = wannabe japanese" something? I wanted to quote his/her sig here.

[Hoshi no Suna]

@Ranma Matsuri, that poll was a bad idea -__-;

I wish we could edit it.

@ Yum!Fruit_Salad! YES, I have, but my posts are waiting for approval, which is quite annoying. This whole thread has become a big misunderstanding.

I won't pull all my hair out to try to explain myself to everyone. I've listened to such a huge amount of music in my life, I feel I have the right to say that some Japanese musicians top the list.

People are getting aggravated for one reason or another, it makes me want to destroy this thread.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by Yum!Fruit_Salad!

But seriously, have either you and identity given American artists / bands a fair chance? I mean, when you searched through American music, did you go in thinking "let's see if this time I find something. what am I talking about, I won't". Thoughts like those can greatly alter how you view the music, how you might genuinely like the artist. It predisposes you to find nothing of value.

I wasn't like that at all. I really wanted to find something I liked. I usually went into it like "yay, this might be the first singer/band I actually end up liking!" and get all excited just to be let down in the end after listening through their albums. I just feel like I did give American music a fair chance, and I wound up not really liking much of anything. I searched long and hard, and maybe found one song that I thought was "okay" or "not that bad" but that's all. Really though, I'd love to love American music but whatever I listen to seems to always disappoint me.

[Picaflor 7/4]

Originally Posted by JackieRos

I listen to whatever

this.

I don't know why you feel attacked. Nobody said anything mean. Sorry if you thought I was trying to insult you or something.

[ストロボ・EdGE]

I just listen to so much... there's amazing and there's horrible music in every genre from every country.

I mean, I'll be at home listening to Ayu, then in the car listen to Katy and Gaga on the radio, get to my friend's house and listen to indie rock in the back while we eat dinner, head to a salsa and bachata party, listen to French rock on the way home, and then arrive and listen to something shoegaze or dream pop.

Variety is the spice of life. Comparing Western music to Asian music is like comparing apples to horseshoes. Try all sorts of music instead of putting up a wall, which is what so many people do and then miss out on amazing music.

[Ranma Matsuri]

@Kanzaki: I know which one you're speaking of but I honestly don't like him much (for other reasons) so I won't go looking for his posts. XD Trying to pick a good definition from Urban Dictionary but it seems to be cluttered with fails. Liking anything Japanese =\= Wapanese. (-_-)

I think this might be the one you're looking for:

7. Wapanese listen to tons of japanese music but will refuse to listen to anything non-japanese. They also tend to say that non-japanese music is crap while the japanese music is godly. However, most wapanese tend to listen to Japanese Pop which can be very, very similar to non-Japanese pop.

[MemorialAddress]

^ that's so true for many people here, I'm sure

[Yum!Fruit_Salad!]

Originally Posted by identity

I wasn't like that at all. I really wanted to find something I liked. I usually went into it like "yay, this might be the first singer/band I actually end up liking!" and get all excited just to be let down in the end after listening through their albums. I just feel like I did give American music a fair chance, and I wound up not really liking much of anything. I searched long and hard, and maybe found one song that I thought was "okay" or "not that bad" but that's all. Really though, I'd love to love American music but whatever I listen to seems to always disappoint me.

That saddens me, no, truly, that saddens me that you haven't. It's the country you grew up in and English is your native language so it should be idealistically be the source
of comfort to express yourself. I would ask if you've looked into past artists like from the 90s and etc. but you probably have. Well, Japanese music seems to fill in what American music has failed to do and you seem happy which is a very important thing in life. =]

[bondingo]

Great first post emiko. I pretty much agree with everything you said.

There was definitely a time where pretty much all I listened to was Japanese music (around the time I first discovered it, so 2005 I think), but with time my tastes broadened again. Like other people have said: Japanese music can be just as crappy as anywhere else (look at Arashi, KAT-TUN, etc.) Sure, American music has kind of blown lately, but that's why I'm constantly looking for new music from anywhere, not just one country. American music was great about a year or two ago, just as British Pop was. More recently K-Pop has been amazing, and it definitely doesn't stop there. I say just keep looking, because you may not think anything but Japanese music is good right now, but that's bound to change, because you obviously haven't listened to every artist from every country on Earth.

[MeltingCORE]

My standards? If it sounds good to me, that's good enough. I do consider myself a music appreciator and I appreciate ALL styles of music since they all take time and effort to make. But generally I tend to stick to Japanese and Electronic music. I love Japanese Pop but my all time favorite genre is Trance. Without Trance, I wouldn't be myself. But anyways, I love all sorts of music. I am open minded. I like from Drum n' Bass to Glitchstep to Orchestra to Speedcore to American Pop to Trance to Happy Hardcore and so on.

I really don't care if some of the stuff I like *cough*American Pop*cough* "sounds all the same" becuase I like it and that's what matters. All that matters is if you like the music.

[Kazeyomi]

I was like that years ago. I mean, during my teenage.
I was totally into japanese music that I often said 'western music is crap, Japan is the best!!1 Kawaiidesune(^_^)v' lol. I'm totally a music sucker as well, so I was listened to anything seriously. Mainstream, indie, j-urban, shibuya-kei, j-rock, visual-kei, oshare-kei, enka, etc. I'm thankful to that, because I know much more about japanese music now. But growning up make me appreciate western music too. I remember when I was watching a Mononoke Hime AMV with Loreena Mckennitt's Mummers Dance as bgm. I totally fallen in love with her voice. Suddenly, my brain worked properly and et voilà wapanese brainwash disappear .
I discovered a lot of wonderful western groups and singers, even though I love oldie music more than most of 00s music. Especially 50s, 70s and a little bit of 80s. And classical music.
I'm still a japanese music lover though, but not so obsessive like before.

Music is such a wonderful thing it's a waste do not appreciate it just because of language, seriously. So my standars are:

I listen whatever I like, genre and language doesn't matter at all.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Hoshi no Suna

@Ranma Matsuri, that poll was a bad idea -__-;

I wish we could edit it.

@ Yum!Fruit_Salad! YES, I have, but my posts are waiting for approval, which is quite annoying. This whole thread has become a big misunderstanding.

I won't pull all my hair out to try to explain myself to everyone. I've listened to such a huge amount of music in my life, I feel I have the right to say that some Japanese musicians top the list.

People are getting aggravated for one reason or another, it makes me want to destroy this thread.

Well, you didn't really explain your ideas in the best way hunny.

I would have never guessed that you are actually versed in many different artists from many countries...I'm sorry that your posts have been waiting approval.

In any case, I think that, saying "There are some Japanese musicians that top the list" is just soo incredibly loaded with bias.

And I mean, I'm sure most of us would agree with that statement, hell, I agree with that statement...but it's sort of like "well, yeah, of course they have some of the best musicians"...

but then there's the problem that, you can find really amazing and talented musicians in every place all over the world...they just might not be making the type of music that you value.


People are getting aggravated, because we hear stuff like your first post all the time, and it's like "um no."

But I'm sorry that you've been misunderstood, but, I mean, if your premise was that you think Japanese music has some of the best music...perhaps you should find another way to say it, and start a new thread.

I think it would be really interesting to analyze possible "evidence" for something like that...even though, it's something based in opinion.

[Mai82Go]

Originally Posted by bondingo

Like other people have said: Japanese music can be just as crappy as anywhere else (look at Arashi, KAT-TUN, etc.)

Lies

....

Hoshi no Suna - I think people should stop to convince you of trying other music, atm, as I think japanese music works best for you. Why don't accept this as a nice thing? I mean, you found the music you wholeheartedly love and can't stop listening to it. Stick to it. Why is it bad that this is the only music you like? There are people only listening to classical, opera or jazz. I love that there is so much different music and when you found YOUR music the one that fits you best - great!

And are you American? Because people try to convince you to like american music the most, it seems.

[koumori]

Originally Posted by Kanzaki88

This.

Who's that user with the sig that goes something like: "Wapanese = wannabe japanese" something? I wanted to quote his/her sig here.

Ooh, that's a dark road to go down. That 'wapanese' insult is overused these days. Alot of people just use it in general now to people who just listen to Japanese music lol. I hate those kind of general stereotypes.