A Music Generation

Over break I was helping my mom sync her Itunes. The playlist was made up of predominantly “oldies” with a splash of a few modern hits. I asked her if she liked all the songs from her young adulthood. Surprisingly, she said at the time she hadn’t. She went on to tell me that now the songs over the years had grown on her and even though at the time she wasn’t fond of them, they connected her to her past. She then noted how different my music was, so many different genres, beats, and even words she had never heard of. She often commented on how she couldn't understand what the the man on the radio was rapping about and how the music of this generation lacks the depth hers did. I argued that she was wrong, but at the same time I knew to an extent she was right even though my pride wouldn't let me say it aloud. Music is my life and commonly in our generation its what characterizes us. I know personally that I can't go anywhere without my ipod, music is on when I do homework, music is on when im in the car, and music is even on when I sleep. Its become a buffer to take us away from our stressful thoughts and instead mirror what our mood is. When I go out with my friends I blast self-praising songs, optimistic songs, when I break up with my boyfriend, sad songs occupy my mind. Experts say that this generation has a difficult time expressing their emotions but I beg to differ. I think we express our emotions differently. And even the songs that are degrading with no meaning are songs that are fun and we enjoy with friends. Take "crank that" by Soulja Boy. This song was a huge hit and even I knew the dance that went along. However, ask me about the meaning and I'd be almost clueless. But its not songs like these that our generation should be condemned for but songs like these remind us of the fun silly times we had. It just a different generation of music.