The reason kids crank up the radio to Ke$ha or belt out Lil Wayne is positively puzzling to Laurie Seibel, librarian and parent. The appeal of computerized voices is a mystery, and the obsession with lyrics advocating drinking, sex and violence elicits both disapproval and confusion.
“If teenagers hear things in songs it becomes part of the culture,” Seibel said. “They can become desensitized to it. I do not like the use of non standardized English and some of the messages are wrong.”
Carrie Medelman, psychology teacher, said one reason why teenagers load their iPods with Lady GaGa is simply because peculiar sounds serve as stimulants to the human mind.
“The brain thrives on beats and rhythms,” Medelman said. “The more strange the music is, the more we are biologically drawn to it.”
Ben Kothe, junior and member of the band Robiee K and The Gentleman, believes coating music with electronic voices and synthesized sounds charms the mind and creates an inevitably popular song.
“[Electronic effects] add a cool element to music,” Kothe said. “This kind of music is easy to make, easy to sell and can all be done on a computer.”
This upbeat style of music captivates many fans, including Liz Vatterott, sophomore.
“Popular music is catchy and hits home,” Vatterott said. “ It is fun to party to.”
Medelman believes the fundamental desire to conform plays a role in the popularity of a certain song or artist as well.
“If a song is being played by your friends, you are going to listen to it too,” Medelman said. “Usually people do not like the music as much as they let on.”
The most frequently played songs also tend to be about letting loose and shaking off the stress of life, an enticing concept to kids and adults alike.
“Today’s music captures a spirit of fun, lightheartedness, joy and energy,” Mike Gavin, sophomore class principal, said. “Many songs are about the lives we want to have and the lives we have when we are not working. It is fun to be reminded of that.”
Some students believe the negative messages many artists send to their audiences are not worth the sense of release or the inspiration to head out and party.
“[Artists] talk about drugs, sex and alcohol, and that is not a good influence on people,” Chelsea McCoy, junior, said. “You should not shove things like that in kids’ faces.”
Medelman agrees many artists give teenagers the wrong idea about what is considered acceptable in society.
“I would not want my kids listening to this music without a serious conversation about limits and boundaries,” Medelman said. “Civility is important, and some of today’s music crosses the line.”
Kothe believes people are not necessarily motivated to lead the lives advertised by artists accused of endorsing inappropriate behavior.
“I do not think kids are going to drink alcohol and steal things just because rappers say so,” Kothe said.
Regardless of how their music is interpreted, the lyrics of artists like Kid Cudi, Usher and Katy Perry seem to share a common link.
“[Each song] pushes the envelope and questions existing notions and beliefs,” Gavin said. “They get people to think about life. You can either be a mindless consumer of music or a mind full of music.”
Exposed to stations specializing in popular teenage tunes from her parking spot at KHS all the way to her home, Seibel believes songs advocating alcohol, sex and crime are not worth turning an ear towards.
“I think people can rise above this music,” Seibel said.
