3 Bands Giving Me Hope for the "Music" Industry

As much as I love artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, who will undoubtedly be the pop king and queen of my generation, at some point, these celebrity singers just run out of originality. The lyrics literally fall flat – “Focus,” for example, is one of the WORST singles put out by a talented person… ever. (Source: me)

Ariana Grande proved her talent on SNL, and Bieber has to remind the world time and time again of his musical ability on countless instruments and of his surprisingly classic voice by stripping down his techno-laden hits to acoustic versions. But are either of them doing anything that challenges modern music?

I’m going with no.

And for that reason, neither of them will ever be my favorite artist. Sure, I will enjoy seeing them live – they are talented, as I said before. But will their albums be timeless because the lyrics relate so strongly that I set them on repeat years later? Still no.

But I think there’s hope for the music industry. And three artists are giving ME that hope.

3. The 1975

Photo Credit: thecurrent.com

The 1975 hit American radio with “Chocolate,” which ironically became the song of the summer in 2014. The British band is known for their eclectic style and satirical songs that criticize American culture in a way that only Americans could glamorize. The band’s first big hit in the states even boasted the words, “We’ve got guns hidden under our petticoats. No we’re never gonna quit it, no we’re never gonna quit it no. Well I think we better go, seriously better go. Said the feds are here you know.”

It’s a mocking of youth, and it’s brilliant because it was such a hit. We’re violent, criminals, lusters, and yet – we love chocolate, and we’re adorable, and we don’t care what we’re singing about anyways. It was my ringtone. Point proven.

“She’s American” is by far the best track of the band’s second album, I Like it When You Sleep, for You are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It.

“If she likes it ‘cause we just don’t eat, and we’re socially relevant, she’s American/ If she says I’ve got to fix my teeth, then she’s so American.”

In just a few lines, the four Brits call out our eating disorders, desire for relevance and vanity. And the best part about it is that I agree with every bit. I absolutely do appreciate the English for their social consciousness and I’ve always wondered what their vendetta is with braces. Which makes another great point about me/Americans – we live by stereotypes. If you want some even cooler epiphanies that I didn’t think of, check this out.

Not only am I questioning my social identity when listening to The 1975, I’m truly inspired by their insane talent to merge electronic dance music with absolutely beautiful lyrics, an alternative and somehow edgy vibe, and a pop-punk look.

The 1975 are a singing and white-boy dancing satire, but that’s not why you should love them. You can love them because they make damn good music – that’s a perfectly good (and accurate) reason.

2. Halsey

Photo Credit: Me and my slightly less crummy iPhone

If you think you haven’t heard of Halsey, you’re probably wrong without knowing. “New Americana” hit most big radio stations late 2015, but Halsey has been on the festival circuit for a while. And if you’ve been a fan since then like me, you know that she hasn’t changed a bit. If you want to hear a goosebump-evoking voice with absolutely haunting lyrics, listen to the “Hold Me Down” Vivo Lift session she did. Her raw talent is ridiculous – in a way that I just haven’t seen or heard in my lifetime (albeit short).

But what sets her apart from other “sexy feminists” in her realm like Haley Williams or the lesser known Niykee Heaton? Halsey has so embraced her sins, her mistakes, her extremely flawed youth, that she has a way of mocking herself and this generation in a way that many mistake for glorification – which is exactly the point she is trying to make.

“Survival of the richest, the city’s ours until the fall. They’re Monaco and Hamptons-bound, but we don’t feel like outsiders at all. We are the New Americana, high on legal marijuana.”

I don’t even have to explain the greatness of that lyric. How sad it is to live in a culture damaged because of something we legalized? The rich rise, and we all fall. It’s all good, and she sounds out-of-this-world singing it. Not to mention, her style is so mysterious, so haunting, unlike anything outside of the punk industry. She’s breaking through genres and breaking down walls of conversations we are all afraid to have.

How abouta little politics too? She makes a statement about self-esteem, social media and capitalism in my personal favorite – Gasoline.

“You can’t wake up, this is not a dream,/ You’re part of a machine, you are not a human being,/ With your face all made up, living on a screen,/ Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline.”

Can I just say – BOOM? (For more BOOM, click here.)

This girl is riding a wave that won’t be crashing anytime soon. And if you appreciate good artistry, great singers, and even better songwriters – you need to get on this Halsey bandwagon. Just let me sit front row. Because there’s a line.

1. Twenty One Pilots

I’ve known about this band for years. “Car Radio” was my jam in college, but I had never gone face-first into the fandom. In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about Tyler and Josh – the two men who make up the entire band – until last weekend when I saw them VIP at the NCAA Coca Cola Music Festival. And I have never been more amazed. (And that’s saying a lot. My concert-count is nearing 100.)

Photo Credit: Me and My iPhone finally getting glory

Houston’s heat was overwhelming as usual, and these two guys came out in full jumpsuits and masks, banging on the drums and piano to “Heavydirtysoul,” in a way I was not expecting. The skeleton images, gas masks, jump suits, ski hats, blankets covering their heads, microphones dangling from the ceiling – they all made a statement – a statement I wasn’t sure of at first. The conservative Christian in me felt apprehensive initially, but knowing the songs – I knew I was missing a piece.

“Guns for Hands” and “Lane Boy” are the two songs you need to understand this band, and it completely opened my eyes to the glorious irony these two guys are displaying to make a point. All of the show – the outfits, the masks, the production – serve both as a “disguise” from modern fame (think of it as Sia before Sia was cool) and a protest against everything the music industry is about. Tyler Joseph, who sings, raps and screams for the band, didn’t want to “stay in his lane” and just do one thing. Music isn’t a “highway,” so he and Josh did what they wanted –and they created a band that has no genre. The talent the two of them have is astounding. Tyler can rap with the best of them, jam on a ukulele like he belongs in Mumford and Sons, mix a ridiculous techno beat, and he even screams now and then. The kid has pipes, and his thoughts run deep.

Their latest album -- Blurryface -- gives flesh to a metaphorical character of the record's name, illustrating Joseph's insecurities with himself and the spotlight he has found himself in. Blurryface appears in almost every song, in one way or another as fear, as doubt, as an alter-ego that might even suggest fighting bipolar disease. Regardless, it's a concept so compelling and relatable, Joseph creates an undeniably poetic piece of work, and actually points to a Creator the entire time. 

The best part of this band is that they don’t shove their religion down the throats of their fans. Both are professing Christians, and their lyrics have a darkness that points to a belief in a Savior. But that’s not why Twenty One Pilots makes number 1 on my list.

Twenty One Pilots is changing the face of music because they have established a fan base so dedicated – a fan base that doesn’t love them because they’re cute or because they’re country or because they’re “popular.”

This band sells out arenas in seconds because they blend everything good in music to create brilliant pieces of art, both in sound and in lyrics. They constantly point to something more – something more creative – something more important – something bigger than just music. And that, is what makes their music the BEST music.

“And I will try with every rhyme/To come across like I am dying/To let you know you need to try to think” - Car Radio

For more insanely inspiring word vomit, check out some of the best Twenty One Pilots lyrics here. 

From one Katelyn to Another

As an avid and unashamed fan of the entire Kardashian empire (let the hate begin), many of my friends texted me the Vanity Fair cover of Bruce Jenner’s new identity, Caitlyn. They probably knew I had already seen it, but they wanted to hear my reaction to the controversial news – not to mention that I will now have to live in the shadow of sharing my name with her. Not cool, Caitlyn.

Before I begin, let’s just establish that I have no authority to claim that what I’m about to say it “right.” This is merely my opinion about the topic based on what I believe about the world and the people in it. Feel free to comment with your viewpoint – I’d love to start a conversation, but not a hate thread.

Here we go.

Bruce Jenner was brave.

Though most conservative Christians would disagree, I think it took a lot of courage for Bruce to abandon the Olympian the world loves for “her,” someone he wasn’t sure America would approve of, and someone his own family had a difficult time accepting. I'm not writing this to argue whether or not his decision to become "her" was a right or wrong choice, or even if it was based on money, because given my background, you probably already know where I stand on that issue. But I think that's irrelevant because I can't do anything to change her mind or yours. 

But I do want to pose the question: 

When does courage stop being courage because the result is something you disagree with?

I’m going to go even further with a more controversial analogy, and I hope that if you’re reading this, you understand my heart is not hateful nor supportive in this next sentence. Having an abortion takes a tremendous amount of courage – overcoming the fear of being in pain, the fear of having a stranger place cold, metal instruments inside of you, the fear of judgmental looks—that takes courage. It doesn’t mean what you’re doing is right though, on whatever moral scale rules your decisions. Am I justified to compare Bruce’s transition to what I consider murder? Absolutely not. What I am doing is making a statement about bravery.

You can run from something because you're afraid to deal with it, then display courage in that running. It's just a different form; some would argue it's an easier form. But I don't think this scale of bravery should matter.  When does courage stop being courage because the result is something you disagree with? I don’t think it ever does. Bravery is bravery, albeit misplaced.

 Bruce Jenner is a hero

The headlines, blogs, and comments all suggest Caitlyn is a hero. To me, they got it wrong, though. Bruce is the hero.

Bruce Jenner is an American hero for his accomplishments in the Olympic Games. He’s a hero to the Kardashian girls who lost their father as young children. He’s a hero to all of the people around him because he’s just an all-around good guy. But Caitlyn hasn’t done anything heroic. She posed for some photos. And while it was probably scary for her, we’ve already talked about how that doesn’t entitle you to a pat on the back, unless you live in a culture that hands out trophies to everyone … oh wait, we do.

Remember Samson? He was gifted with so many great things: a loving family, a hot bod, supernatural strength. The guy was a legend.

But not necessarily a good legend.

Samson lost sight of his calling, abandoning all of his strengths in pursuit of what he wanted: Delilah. He lost everything to gain what he thought was everything. And we don’t consider him a hero because of it. Sure, he ultimately realized his mistake and took down a house full of Philistines. But his status of hero was short-lived because of the choices he made, the path he veered from. He was made to be a hero, but his courage in taking down those Philistines was not heroism.

Misplaced bravery doesn’t equate to heroism. It’s just misused bravery.  

Disagreement is not hate

The primary problem I have with this whole issue is: When I disagree with something, I am being intolerant of it. I am not throwing shade at someone because I don’t see things the way they do. Our society is so bent on agreeing and harvesting peace that we’ve forgotten how to have constructive conversations with differing opinions. Our country is founded on the idea that people WILL have other opinions. Those ideas are not hate, though. Because I disagree with Bruce’s decision to become Caitlyn, I immediately become intolerant and unloving. That’s unfair to me and to anyone else who expresses disagreement or even confusion on this issue. Disagreement is not hate.

When Drake Bell tweeted, “I’m still calling you Bruce,” the entire world jumped on a tomato-throwing bandwagon. Why? I bet the Kardashians and Jenners have had that same thought. If Caitlyn is still Bruce and still wants to have the emotional and spiritual qualities of Bruce – why can’t his kids still call him by the name they have always known?

I think we are bashing people who don’t agree with us because we don’t know how to react ourselves. Society says you should just let people be people, so that’s what we’re going with. Because this has never happened to such magnitude, we are confused about what’s okay and what’s not. We don’t know how to be politically correct because we don’t know how to handle this situation at all. And should we try to be politically correct in the first place?

That being said, I don’t think it’s fair for the Twitter world to give Drake Bell death threats. If you’re claiming intolerance and hate on his part, where is your love? We’re supposed to let people be people, right? (So much sarcasm.)

And that’s exactly what we should be asking ourselves in the Drake Bell situation, and this #CaitlynJenner culture. Where is your love? Where is my love?

I’m not asking where your ACCEPTANCE is because I think that’s irrelevant. God has never accepted me. In fact, he probably thinks I’m a pretty crummy person and really disproves of the majority of the things I do. But he loves me. And I think we should love people in that mentality too.

Because if I had to choose between acceptance and love, I would definitely want love.