Whenever an artist I like makes it big, I get kinda upset about it.
The experience feels so much more private when only you and a few people know about it. It's clear that people who listen to it do so because they went out of their way to find it. You could argue they were drawn to it because it resonated with something in them. Which makes everybody else who enjoys it sort of a kindred spirit...I mean at least you know they have good taste in one thing right?
I don't think that popularity is necessarily the issue here. If it was true that everyone else liking something was considered a negative in the human psyche then I don't think we could explain religion very well. What I really think the problem here is, has to do with the current accepted distribution model of music as a whole.
There's a book I recently got for Xmas called The Power of Persuasion and it really has had me thinking about why I have the subconscious distaste for any artist that gain popularity after I have liked them before hand. It's how music is currently promoted and sold.
Take for example Regina Spektor. When I first tripped across the song Us I was captivated at how unique her music was. It was off beat and refreshing. Now...a year later I saw a commercial for an upcoming special she was in on VH1. Now...did her music change? Did the songs suddenly go flat?
For me, without realizing it, I was bothered by how music as a product is sold. It is quite literally shoved down our throats and we are told that we will like it. Let me say that again to emphasize; we are told what to buy and what to like. Clear Channel Communications for the most part owns all the "popular" radio stations in all major markets, Live Nation (a spin off of clear channel) owns most of the big name arena's, and Viacom own's MTV and VH1 (not that they play music anymore).
All of these companies are in business to do one thing, make profit while spending as little as possible. So let's say they have a warehouse full of Gwen Stephani CD's (because of lucrative contracts with the artist). Well for the next month or so your gonna see Gwen Stephani this and Gwen Stephani that.....She'll be on TRL, you'll see her on MTV's website, on Yahoo's Launch, magazine interviews, basically everywhere. The same goes true for all other media streams, forget Radio, Television is the method of choice for reaching the dramality loving kids of today. How exactly does a tv show get it's own CD? The OC, Grey's Anatomy, the list isn't very long yet, but trust me that they're starting to notice the profitability of it. Heck even cell phon commercials are getting into it. I still can't get that Lady Sovereign song out of my head yet.
My point is this, next time you hear a song try and think of the reason. Somebody somewhere want's you to hear that music, like it, and buy it. We're all being baby fed music by coprorations.
