Recordings vs. Performances
Nowadays, popular music is delivered to audiences in two main formats: recordings and performances. In this essay, the aesthetics of these elements will be examined to see what audiences and performers enjoy.
Aesthetics in Recording
A common feature of modern pop music is enhanced vocals through technology, such as Auto-Tune. The proliferation of Auto-Tune in pop music has forced artists to use the technology even if they have the talent to not do so. For example, Ke$ha claims that she, “…really can sing. It’s one of the few things I can do” (Anderson). Yet, this might not be true, as shown by this video:
Perhaps, artists use correcting software because they are insecure about their voice. Music editor Larry Crane believes that, “…lots of artists are basically insecure about their voices, and use Auto-Tune as a kind of protective shield” (Anderson). Not only could it be artists’ security blanket, but it could also be a tool to make singers more appealing to audiences. With so many artists using Auto-Tune, artists could feel “peer pressure” to use the tool themselves. For example, the acapella group Pentatonix has recently released an album full of original songs. Previously, they focused on covers of other popular songs. Their goal is to be featured on the radio, so they are trying to appeal to a broader audience. Listen to this song from their new album. Notice how they use digital effects to enhance their voices, straying from the normal aesthetics of live acapella singing:
For comparison, here is a video of Pentatonix singing live. Notice how they have a pleasing sound without using digital effects:
Groups like Pentatonix now crave the sound that digital effects create on their recordings. Yet in performance, aesthetics are vastly different from their recordings.
Aesthetics in Performance
Live performances have been the only source of entertainment for hundreds of years, until around the late 19th century. Live performances were the only way people could listen to music and avidly enjoy it. Over the last hundred years live performances have changed drastically. For example here is Frank Sinatra singing “Come Fly with Me” live:
This performance is genuine, still possesses Sinatra’s style, and great vocals. In the 1950s musicians could stand on stage and sing, there was no need for big light shows and loud noises. However, 30 years later in the 1980s performance aesthetics already were beginning to change. In this video Queen is signing “Bohemian Rhapsody” live:
In Queen’s performance the values of amazing vocals is still held in high regard, concerning the instrumentalists they all contributed by mastering their craft.The guitar playing in this performance has a flawless ease to it, that we know is truly not an easy task. And yet, their performance still has amazing flare and is highly entertaining. This performance was in 1986 which was almost 20 years from when the band originally was formed and they're still rocking, literally. Now another 30 years later the music industry has changed even more, such as how people entertain, and possibly what they sacrifice to do that. Many times while watching videos of live performances, or when one goes to a live performance there is sometimes a big lack in the vocal department. While a loud, big entertaining show is happening all around, the vocals usually suffer because of it. Such as when watching the Video Music Awards put on by MTV or the American Music Awards many artists will fall flat usually or be extremely breathy. However, some artists kill it on stage and give all that they have, such as Pink, who can do crazy acrobatics and yet still sing in tune and with enough breath support to still sing well:
Pink says in an interview that she takes her craft very seriously and believes you have to give it your all as a performer:
Pink has remained highly respected in her field for so long because of this, she is an artist who has crossed the many decades. Maybe, more upcoming artists should take a look at performance ethic and nurture this secret of entertaining.
Logan Kropp wrote about recordings. Sierra Marsh wrote about performances.
Works Cited
Anderson, Lessley. "Seduced by 'perfect' Pitch: How Auto-Tune Conquered Pop Music." The Verge. Vox Media, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.
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