Stop the Party

Hello, all. Ray here.

2014 wasn’t memorable, friends, particularly in the barrage of bubblegum pop hits that have flooded the airways. There wasn’t even been a platinum album for most of 2014 until Taylor Swift released 1989. I expected radio music at the dawn of 2014 to erupt with more synth/pop/electronic music and less inane lyrics. But, like my group members in my social studies project in fifth grade, they let me down miserably.

The mashup of the week, is one of those end-of-the-year extravaganza mashups that features everything on the radio from the past twelve or so months. It was when I listened to DJ Earworm’s “Do What You Wanna Do” that I realized, wow. This year sucked. I actually have to applaud these talented folks for splicing very disparate songs and funneling them into a 4:10  hit. My aversion isn’t with the quality of the mashup, but rather with the songs used that have graced our airways and burrowed into our brains. I’m looking at you, “Rude” and “Turn Down For What.” 

Aside from Lorde’s “Team” and maybe Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”, I didn’t really find any of these songs memorable in the good way. Most of 2014’s songs instead inspired me, not to pump up the volume or reach for my Shazam app, but rather change the radio station at breakneck speed—only to be welcomed by another unwanted bass drop. Maybe our favorite artists have diluted the quality of their music for a quick buck. Katy Perry released, like, 374 songs this year, and apparently “Unconditionally” had radio time? Do you remember that? Me neither. But if you are part of the populace that could tolerate “Rude”, “Happy”, “Don’t Tell ‘Em”, “Black Widow”, “Really Don’t Care”, or “Story of My Life”, then props to you. I will excise my car radio, and give it to you. Take it.

Maybe I’ll change my mind in 2016, when nostalgia gets the better of me, and I suddenly need to prescribe myself with 40 listening hours of Martin Garrix’s “Animals” or something. Has 2014 been such a cesspool of music that radio stations are straining the sludge desperately trying to find good hits? I’ll leave that answer to you.

How did you feel about the music of 2014? Comment below!