Performance Related to Popular Music

Performance Related to Popular Music

Popular music refers to music with broad appeal that normally reaches large audiences via the music industry. It can also be defined as any music that is commercially oriented and normally intended to be appreciated and received by a wide audience. Studies related to music performances in the academic discipline are limited. The journals in the field rarely publish articles about musicians as performers or music as performance. Nevertheless, scholars reveal that it is only through performance dynamics and the interaction between performance and audience that the musical change patterns and innovation can be recognized. Notably, only a few papers about these topics are presented at conferences, yet musical performances dates back in the dawn of time. For instance, excavated objects and rock paintings include some of the earliest visual manifestations of musical performances. Evidently, music was performed through dancing in several work activities and games as well. Therefore, It is significant to note that musicians are performers and therefore important to discuss them as such. In the same vein, it is essential to do a performance analysis to popular music.

The word “popular music” is also shortened to “pop music” and can be associated to distinct musical styles such as the jazzy piano melodies, a musical genre of the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, a new music type emerged known as rock and roll whose attributes included fast rhythms, soulful lyrics and strong beats (Foss, n.d.). Since the emergence of rock n roll, there have been several live musical performances that did not only create good memories, but became influential to a great extent and shaped the way for popular music. Live performance is a core of popular music and a vital guide to some of the critical moments in its history. The rock and roll genre introduced new styles, became pacesetters for others to follow their styles and shifted accepted definitions. Elvis Presley was one of the pioneers of this genre and also one of the pioneer musicians to popularize this genre (Foss, n.d.). The Beatles band also matched the popularity of Presley as they invaded this music genre with a lot of zeal (Foss, n.d.). Other music genres that can be classified as popular music are: Jazz music, rhythm and blues music, rock and roll music, country music, dance music, country music and soul music.

Musical performances is a very important step in the musical process. In this step, ideas are transmitted and realized to a listener. Every performance is located within its professional and social context, and their short and long-term musical consequences also considered. Particularly, in the Western world, performance is perceived as an interpretive part, although not in all cases. In most cases, performers to some extent dictate the music aspects they perform. Some aspects such as phrasing, tempo, instrumentation and pitches are determined by the performer. Importantly, music origin cannot be overlooked in music performance. In this case, origin does not imply history but rather what makes music performance lively and relevant. In most cases, people derive pleasure from sounds and especially the sounds they make themselves. Some aspects such as rhythm establishment can be found in breathing and heartbeat, speech inflections, desire and pleasure and are found as the origin of what translates into a song.

One of the most popular artists of pop music is Michael Jackson, whose music performance is thrilling. Michael Jackson achieved a lot through his performances; he was inducted into The Hall of Fame in 1995, The Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, World Music Awards Best-Selling Artist of the Millennium in 2000, Guinness Book of Records Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and the World’s Best Pop Male Artist in 2008  (Golash-Boza & Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2013). He is referred to as “MJ” or “The King of Pop” and his performances exhibited various themes such as masculinity. For instance his 1987 music video, “Bad” demonstrates masculinity (Golash-Boza & Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2013). This performance demonstrated hyper-masculinity (black-masculinity) and was supported by most men. Through this performance, Jackson communicated various issues affecting black men. He showed how a black man in a racist society can develop an alternate masculinity that is appreciated by the members of the dominant culture. This was revealed by the video’s lyrics, dressing code and behaviors. Michael Jackson can be described as most influential and successful entertainer of all time (Golash-Boza & Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2013). Jackson made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, the masculinity exhibited by Michael Jackson instigated amusement and intrigue.

Jackson demonstrated black masculinity in the video and lyrics of the song Bad (1987) (Golash-Boza & Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2013). This song focused on black masculinity and hyper-masculine identity that was embraced by a large group of men. Research shows that black masculinity shows how black men perceives themselves and ways in which they relate with their social and familial worlds. It is therefore important to bridge sociological, masculinity and pop culture in a special way (Golash-Boza & Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2013). Michael Jackson made a national and international appeal through his music- black men in a racist society. Jackson also assumed a masculine-feminine dominant figure by demonstrating both male and female traits, making him able to transcend gender, racial and socioeconomic boundaries. His form of masculinity was attractive to both heterosexual and homosexual men and women. All this attributes are exhibited in the behaviors and lyrics of his Bad video (Campbell, 2009). Words like “Be the man” said by Darryl (Michael Jackson) in the video depicts masculinity extent in the video. The behavioral analysis of the video shows that lyrics correlated to masculinity were associated with themes of condemnation, aggression and optimism. The lyrics denotes that men can work together to solve their problems. Aggression is show by phrases like “Your Butt is mine.”

References

Campbell, M. (2009). Saying the unsayable: The non-verbal vocalisations of Michael Jackson. Meanjin, 68(4), 112–120.

Foss, L. (n.d.). Musical performance. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/musical-performance.

Golash-Boza, T., & Hondagneu-Sotelo, P. (2013). Latino immigrant men and the deportation crisis: A gendered racial removal program. Latino Studies, 11(3), 271–292. https://doi.org/10.1057/lst.2013.14