pop and popularity

7/29/2019 Pop and Popularity

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Pop,Popularity, and J ustin Bieber

Melissa K. Avdeeff

Abstract

The study of popular music has been plagued by a number of orthodoxies, often hindering whatgenres and artists are and are not studied within the academy. One of the most prevailingorthodoxies the authenticity of rock music versus the commerciality of pop music has preventedthe inclusion of pop into the canons of popular music study. This paper questions where the popis in popular music studies. Through an examination of Justin Biebers popularity in mainstreamculture, as mediated through social networking sites such as YouTube and Twitter, the culturalgroundedness of pop popularity is demonstrated, as well as the re-negotiation of the barrier betweenpop artist and fan.

Introduction

I cry because I love Justin Bieber!!! 27 Feb 2010(Joe Jonas, Twitter)

Rap and blues musicians are black; pop is for teenagedgirls; country music only uses three chords;

autotune is destroying the concept of the good singer: these are just a few of the stereotypes

plaguing popular music. This paper is concerned with the orthodoxies surrounding the academic

study of popular music, and what that means for what, who, and howpopular music is studied. A

number of orthodoxies have emerged in popular music studies rock is authentic, while pop is

fluff, confusion over the definition of popular, and there is a troubled sense of interdisciplinaryresearch all leading to the most pertinent question: where is the pop in popular music studies?

This paper will exploreissues surroundingmainstream, Top-40 pop music, before providing

a brief overviewof one of the most popular contemporary artists: Justin Bieber. It should be noted

that this is not an attempt to disregard, or negate, almost 40 years of popular music studies as

irrelevant, but merely to suggest ways in which to move the field forward, by considering new

methodologiesand taking inspiration from discoursesoutside of cultural studies and musicology.

Finding the Pop In Popular

got lovefor everybody today. #MUCHLOVE 28 Aug 2011(Justin Bieber, Twitter)

The most prevailing and, arguably problematic orthodoxy in popular music studies is the pop/rock

dichotomy, as viewed through a commercial versus authentic lens, or low/high binary, wherepop is

perceivedas low art, not worthy of study, and even musically inferior. The problems surrounding


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the term authentic are not new, and challenging its use in popular music studies has been long

documented. Whileattempts have been used to abolish the term(Fornas 1995; Shuker 1994; Frith

1989), they have been counteredby those who argue for its relevancy (Moore, 2002; Taylor 1997).

In 2002, Allan Moore argued against the prematurity of any dismissal of the notion of

authenticity as meaningful within popular music discourse (ibid., Abstract). As an alternative,

Mooreoffers threeways todefineauthenticity, which can be applied to any genre (although for the

sake of his argument, he applies themto rock music and contemporary folk music.) For Moore,

authenticity is ascribed to a performance, rather than inscribed in it. In this way, authenticity can

either be identified as, the performer herself, the performers audience, or an (absent) other (ibid.,

p.220). What Moore describes as second person authenticity, or authenticity of experience, is

where he argues one can ascribe authenticity to pop music. In his own words, authenticity of

experience occurs when a performance succeeds in conveying the impression to a listener that the

listeners experience of live is being validated, that the music is tellingit like it is for them (ibid.,

p.220).

Applying notions of authenticity to pop music has always seemed like a veiled attempt to

uplift pop music to the status of the perceived inherent authenticity of rock music. Notably,

Elizabeth Leachs examination of the Spice Girls attempted to collapse notions of value, by

applying a framework for authenticity to the pop act (2001, p.143). As a way to combat the

negative value judgments associated with pop music, Leach concludes that the Spice Girls represent

an authentically ordinary experience(ibid., p.149). While I find it hard to believe that Spice Girls

could represent anything in the realm of on ordinary experience, I suppose if we take culture to be

ordinary, they represent an authentic cultural experience. Though, in those terms, everything

becomesauthentic, as it is what it is.

Recently, Victor Corona published an article about Lady Gaga, one of the most popular

contemporaryartists, current to his publication in 2011. Focusing on the aesthetics and subcultural

allure of Lady Gaga, as crafted by the Haus of Gaga, Corona succeeds in placing Gagas artistry

within a cultural framework, focusing on the aesthetics of her performance as an artist and as a

brand. The concept of authenticity remains too ingrained, however, and Corona also discusses

Lady Gagas position within authenticity. In discussing how the authenticity of other pop stars has

been discredited in academic research by their separation between on- and off-stage personas, he

feels that the question of authenticity is rendered almost meaninglessgiven that the stars day-to-

day life is thoroughly consumed by the mechanics of performing (Corona2011, p.10). For Gaga,

however, her insistence that she is the person that is on-stage as much as she is off-stage, has helped

her avoid the authenticity debate. Locating Lady Gaga above authenticity does not render her


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outside of the dichotomy, but createsa new dichotomy within pop music: those who are subject to

the rules of authenticity versusthosewhose art is beyondjudgement.

By placing certain artists outside the realm of authenticity, the concept still retains its

validity within rock music. However, applying notions of authenticity to pop music only

perpetuatesthe dichotomy and subsequent value judgments on what is worth studying, and perhaps,

what is worthy of the listeners ears. It is essentially akin to applying score-based analysis to rock

music; pop/rock is not art music, so comparing the two within the same ideology remains

problematic. As popular music studies develop, it would be beneficial to haveless of a distinction

between art and popular music, as well as between pop and rock, or any other genre. Defining

popular music is difficult enough, without having to be concerned with what it is not, or how to

keep genres on the Outside.

This leads us to the question of where the pop is in popular music studies. Not to say that

mainstream pop music is never studied, but there has been a rockist focus (Grossberg 1993;

Keightley 2001; Butler 2003) in the field, which has more recently been challenged by a subcultural

lean (Thornton 1996; Kruse 1993). At the 2011 IASPM International conference in South Africa,

Bruce Johnson commented on the fact that popular music studies tends to focus on music from the

1950s onwards, with 3% of the papers dealing with the 300years of popular music history leading

up to 1950, 32% dealingwith 1950 to 2000, and 65% lookingat music of the last decade(Johnson

2011). Johnsons point is that we do not know our own history, as we are too concerned with

studying music that we like, and not the archives. I would take this a step further by asking where

is the mainstream Top-40 pop music? While the majority of papers may have dealt with music

from the past decade, I would estimate that approximately 1% examined an artist who had

mainstream chart successin that decade(Till 2011; Hammond 2011).

In no way am I saying that we should not study the history of popular music, rock genres, or

various subgenres, but I am calling for an inclusion of what society deems the most popular. In

regards to Johnsons call for more focus on history, I wonder how popular music histories would

differ if popularity was the defining factor in what musicswere studied, or in other words, which

musics entered into the academic canon? The interdisciplinary nature of popular music studies, and

the fact that it is often taught within a more conservative music musicology, media studies, or

cultural studies department translates into a lack of course space devoted to its history and even the

theoretical development of surrounding discourses. Inevitably, songs, artists and ideologies have to

be bared down to fit into a one-semester history of popular music surveycourse.

In my own experience, lack of time translates into a focus on the development of popular

music from the 1950s, ending in the 1980s, arguably where the start of a modern pop culture

begins. Where are the boy bands of the 90s and beyond, the Idol/X Factor winners of the 2000s,


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and the white rappers? Popular music history without the inclusion of Justin Timberlake is

synonymousto teaching the history of Western Art Music without Handel. This changewill take

time, effort course development, and university support to remedy, not merely including Top-40

artistsin the current course curriculums.

How, then, should popular music be situated?With a number of interdisciplinary approaches

possible, and very few devoted popular music departments, should a common methodology be

supported? As music is a social activity, it easily lends itself to sociological methodologies

(DeNora 2000; Frith 1978), especially when focused on the fan experience. Andy Bennett makes a

good argument for the inclusion of popular music studies within cultural studies (2008), while

Philip Tagg has offered new suggestions for the study of popular music within musicology, by

developing new discoursesabout music completely removed from traditional musicology(Tagg and

Clarida 2003). As a fan of interdisciplinary approaches, I find that a combination of sociological

and cultural studies methods and theories would prove effective for a culturally-based grounded

theory of music. There is no questionthat music is cultural in nature, but it is not enough to adopt a

deterministic approach to culture. To renew an old saying: art may imitate life, but life is equally

dependent on art.

Popular culture is neither deterministic nor constructivist, it operates symbiotically in

culture. Music is included in a description of culture, as culture is ordinary. But has pop music

become ordinary? It may be omnipresent, but it is by no means ordinary, especially from the

perspective of the artist or fan. One of the appeals of pop music is its ability to simultaneously

engage fans, through common expressions and emotions, while providing anextraordinary arena for

self expression, escape, desire, and bodily movement. Even though there is the stereotype that pop

music is fluff, the fan experience tells an entirely different story. One cannot place value

judgements on peoples experiences. Just because emotional connections with pop music can be as

ephemeral of the changing of the Top-40 charts, it does not translate that these connections are of

any less value than long-term investments in artists; an emotional connection is emotionally-based,

not temporally-based. A cursory glance at social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook or

YouTube will confirmthe intense connection people, especially youth, have with artists and songs.

J ustin Bieber: New Negotiations of Popularity and Fandom

I'm at ihop about to mow down some pancakes :p10 Jun 2009(Justin Bieber, Twitter)

While there is no consensus on what the term popular music entails (Popular Music 2005), and a

measure of popularity does not necessarily mean record sales in the age of digitality, for the sake of

this paper, popularity in regards to mainstream pop will be defined as a triangulation between


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charts, YouTube views and Twitter followers. It should also be noted that this method of defining

popularity is a temporary option, as it is inevitable that these forms of digital communication will

become obsoletein the near(ish) future.

Twitter has become one of the primary sources of contact between artists and fans. It has

become almost expected that an artist have a Twitter account in order to communicate directly with

fans. It is frowned upon when it is clear that the artist is not posting their own Tweets, as the fans

expect full disclosure from the artists that they support. As of August 2011, Twitter has over 200

million registered users, with 100 million active users logging in once a month, and 50 million once

a day (Taylor 2011). Although Lady Gaga is the most followed person on Twitter, with almost 13.5

million followers, Justin Bieber, with just over 12.5 million followers, and consistently in the top-

10 Twitter trends each month,, remains one of the most influential people online, according to

Mashable. In 2010, Justin Bieber was the only musician in the top-10 Twitter trends, at number

eight, following: (1) The Gulf Oil Spill, (2) FIFA World Cup, (3) Inception (4) Haiti Earthquake,

(5) Vuvuzela, (6) Apple iPad and (7) Google Android (Schroeder 2010). There is no doubt that

Justin Bieber is firmly planted in contemporary culture, influencing and influenced by technology,

media and music. Klout, using a complicated series of algorithmsadds up a persons tweets,

likes, pings, LinkedIn connections, Google mentions, status updates and other social media

musings, measured how much influence a person has online(Rushe 2011). Justin Bieber takes top

spot,with a score of 100, followed by the Dalai Lama (90), Lady Gaga (89) and Barack Obama (88)

(ibid.).

On YouTube, where the majority of youth listen to new music (Avdeeff 2011), J ustin

Biebers fanbase is just as extensive. With the dematerialization of music, due to digital

downloading, YouTube seems a viable avenueto rate popularity, but this does not discount charts,

as they are still influential in what youths listen to, and search for on YouTube. YouTube

viewcounts are in constant flux, but as of J uly 2011, all the Top-10 most viewed videos of all time

were music videos, leading one to believe that it has become the MTV of the digital generation.

Dominated by the culture of the clip, contemporary pop fans look to YouTube and Twitter as their

musical gatekeepers. Justin Bieber, in particular, claims three of the top-10 spots, as well as number

one with his video for Baby ft. Ludacris, which has reachedover 588 million views(Muncy 2011).

YouTube is credited for much of Justin Biebers success. In 2008, Scooter Braun

discovered Bieber singingcovers of R&B songs, whichhis mother posted on YouTube, in order

for his family to see. Braun made the important decision to retain Biebers online following, as

opposed to a more traditional music-career projection, which solidified his relationship with a

fanbase deeply connected to digital technologies, i.e. youths. Biebers own decision, in 2009, to


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begin documenting his day-to-day life on Twitter further secured his online presence and cultural

position. By breaking down the barrier between fan and artist, his fans felt they had a deeper

emotional connection to the artist, who they could reach out to and communicate with.

Known as the Beliebers, a group of Justin Biebers fans are devoted followers of both his

online and offline presence. They often send Tweets to Biebers Twitter account and post

congratulatory and supportive comments on his YouTube videos. Beliebers feel an emotional

connection, not only with Biebers songs, but with him. The loss of barrier between fan and artist

has solidified the belief, for these fans, that Bieber cares about each of them. Bieber promotes this,

by often Tweeting to fans that he loves each of them, and wishes he could re-tweet all their

comments.

Fans, such as the Beliebers, demonstrate a new exchange-value(Adorno 1991) relevant to

Top-40 pop music, in that it becomes less about what you pay for records, and more about your

personal involvement with the band and/or artist. Artist personality and openness are rewarded

with fan appreciation and YouTube views, which ultimately translate into profits within the live

music sector, as fans expand their online relationship offline. This loss of barrier is not new, but

has been significantly reconfigured with the success of Justin Bieber. We can situate the

development of this phenomenon as a progression and merging of reality-based singing

competitions, such as X Factor and the Idol franchise, with music-focused social networking sites,

such as MySpace. The former illuminated the importance of theartistsbackstory and personality,

in regards to popularity, while MySpace was one of the first large-scale venues in which artists

could interact personally with their fans in a mainstream platform. One could argue that music

magazines previously filled the role of bringing artist and fan together, but because they are still

mediated through a series of writers and gatekeepers; why read an interview with an artist when you

can read their own thoughts in real time?

Conclusion

The above discussion of Justin Bieber provides a brief consideration of his popularity within

contemporary culture. Although it is concerned with popular music, the discussion does not deal

with the music of Bieber. This is not an attempt to downplay the importance of music in the pop

genre, but merely a new reflection in the academic study of pop music. Looking at Bieber as a

culturally grounded artist, we are able to incorporate technological aspects of popular music

dissemination. The role of social mediums cannot be ignored if we are to further the field of

popular music studies, as it has become integral to the success of pop artists. While I hesitate to say

that the music has become secondary to image, the music, itself, is definitely only one pieceof the


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