“All pop music is soulless!”

I heard this bold take recently from some who were mocking Taylor Swift while streaming indie artists.

Apparently, pop music is repetitive, has meaningless lyrics, and sounds annoying and horrible.

While I agree that pop music may not be the most original, meaningful, and “artistic” at times, I’m still proud that Taylor Swift was somehow my #3 artist on Spotify this year.

I think we’re all trying too hard to be nonchalant about our music taste to the point that it gets performative.

When we share music with each other, we seem to frame what we listen to as unique but not too weird, cool without trying too hard—having a nonchalant music taste. If you listen to the Billboard Hot 100? Generic.

Playing music in the car? Get ready for everyone to silently judge what you listen to, unless you introduce some resonating, unique tone.

Once, I was asked to suggest “car vibe” songs and was condemned for “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction.

What’s wrong with plain old pop, man? It literally stands for “popular music,” and things are popular for a reason. At this point, we’re hating just to hate. You can’t tell me everyone I meet never listens to or hates pop.

Funnily enough, the widespread commitment to liking other genres has seemed to erase the very individuality we seek. It’s almost as though alternative music has become “pop” instead.

We try to act like we aren’t a huge part of the demographics that sponsor pop music’s success. Perhaps we’re afraid of being called basic while we call others exactly that.

In fact, we’re quite proud of standing out as individuals, so much so that I’m not sure if some people even genuinely enjoy or listen to the music they claim to like.

You’d think there’d be more music taste overlap, given our same age range and region, right?

Let’s dial down this rise of nonchalance and how it seems to be worshipped and desired.

When everyone tries too hard to be unique, we can actually become inauthentic. What even is your music taste if not
your own?

There may be times to be nonchalant, but someone too indifferent and unconcerned can be a buzzkill. I frankly don’t see a point in trying to seem cool to appeal to others: Music preferences have always been heavily debated, and trying to attract everyone with your own is futile.

Instead, we need to work on being “chalant.”

We can like the artists we like for no reason, and we can like songs that are extremely overplayed on social media.

Perhaps being unapologetically controversial with your music taste is actually cool, compared to thinking you’re cool with this new “pop.”

So what if the songs are basic or repetitive? They’re effective: They get stuck in your head whether you like them or not. And what if it’s meaningless? I’d argue that we should let songs be silly and fun without having to constantly be deep and profound.

Again, a lot of viral songs are good at being entertaining background music.

I’m saying all this because I’m also aware of my own reflexive attempts at nonchalance.

I’m usually pretty intentional with the songs I share, and I try to avoid suggesting mainstream music. (Wow, my apologies; I re-
ally sound like a “pick me” here, but I swear I’m not.)

Hopefully, with more awareness of our subconscious tryhard behaviors, we can begin to embrace some chalantness.

Personally, my dad always says to be like Taylor Swift: “Shake it off” and “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.”

Anyway, if you think you’re above this article and I’m just overthinking, feel free to laugh at me for listening to generic teenage girl music.
But that’s what a lot us are at heart, no?