The end of the decade is near and so Billboard.com has compiled a list of the 100 Artists of the Decade. For your viewing pleasure I have once again used One True Media to compile a montage of the top 20 artists of the decade. They are (in order of their rank): Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Nickleback, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, The Black Eyed Peas, P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Kanye West, Linkin Park, Ludacris, Rihanna, Creed, and Christina Aguilera.
Music: The Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling"
Showing posts with label Spotlight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spotlight. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Spotlight: Artists and Self Expresion
Self Expression is the expression of one's individuality usually through creative activities. Many artists use self expression in their work. Whether it's in their songs or in their music videos or concerts, many performers use their career as a means of expressing themselves. My favorite singer, Britney Spears, (Yay!) said in her 2008 documentary Britney: For The Record that art is her therapy. Many singers who also dance on stage during concerts get to express themselves and their music through their choreography .But what happens when artists' self expression goes too far? Britney Spears has be
en criticized for going too far during her concerts and live performances, like at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards when she debuted her single "I'm A Slave 4 U" and performed with a snake. She received much criticism for her so-called raunchy and suggestive performance. Many think Britney goes to far in her performances and songs because of what she expresses. My personal opinion? Artists have the right to express themselves how ever they feel as long as it isn't causing anyone harm. When an artist is expressing themselves and someone is harmed, then self expression has gone too far.
en criticized for going too far during her concerts and live performances, like at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards when she debuted her single "I'm A Slave 4 U" and performed with a snake. She received much criticism for her so-called raunchy and suggestive performance. Many think Britney goes to far in her performances and songs because of what she expresses. My personal opinion? Artists have the right to express themselves how ever they feel as long as it isn't causing anyone harm. When an artist is expressing themselves and someone is harmed, then self expression has gone too far.Picture credit: britney.com, killthelights.org
Monday, October 19, 2009
Spotlight: Country Music & Suicide
According to an article published back in 2007, a study shows a link between listening to country music and committing suicide. The article asserts, "Country music is hypothesized to nurture a suicidal mood through its concerns with problems common in the suicidal population, such as marital discord, alcohol abuse, and alienation from work." I don't know about you, but while country music of today still talks about these issues, that sounds like the country music of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The report goes on to say that "the greater the airtime devoted to country music, the greater the white suicide rate." So basically if you listen to country music while on a road trip from Georgia to Florida, you'll probably want to commit suicide by the time you get down there? Or will it take a while to sink in, and by the time you get back home to Georgia, you'll want to commit suicide?What I don't understand are the terms under which the study was conducted under. What kind of country music did the people in the metropolitan areas listen to? And for exactly hoe long? By which artists? Were they male or female? Does it matter if the particular song or songs were up tempo songs or ballads? I first started truly listening to country music when I was in the 4th grade. I listened to LeAnn Rimes, (I used to have her song "How Do I Live" on repeat while my sister on my way to gymnastics! I've always listened to her.) Rascal Flatts, Terri Clark, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and other artists. While the thought of my immortality does cross my mind sometimes (who doesn't think about their dying day--presumably when they're old and gray? ) but I never thought about seriously ending my life prematurely. I still listen to country music, but not as much as I did back then. I do indulge in the sounds of LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, and Carrie Underwood more than other artists, and while their songs may deal with serious topics, they don't push me to think about ending my own life. Maybe it's because I listen to other genres of music as too. Who knows?
You can read the rest of the article here, although the entire report is unavailable because it seems to be out of date.
Source: The Monkey Cage
