In Defense of One Direction

NB: I wrote this on a very grey, cold and rainy motorway at 11:38pm on a sunday night, it may not make entirely make sense.

It seems that everything is about acceptance these days, the spontaneity and do it yourself features of subcultures and genres from the past were intrinsic to their development. Although it could be argued that acceptance has always played a key part in the role that youth play in popular culture – when looking at movements like punk, the form of acceptance they adopted was about a sense of comfort, about finding a group of similar people and having a good time. Now, however, acceptance is treated more as a security blanket, a cloak to hide under, a way to avoid persecution by anyone as you have no unique qualities to be criticised. Whether you fit into the godforsaken “generic” tag (by which it means you buy your clothes first hand and you didn’t inherit your dad’s music collection) or you are the opposite, living the wildly individual lifestyle, spending any and all money you obtain on only vinyl, buying “merch” and scrutinizing people for listening to music only released in the past 3 years. Regardless of what anybody tells you, your music taste does not make you inferior or superior in any way, the charts play as much a role in the progression of music as any of your obscure bands signed to a totally funky and hip east London record label. The main issue with the self importance seen in some music fans is the assumption that because a song includes a repetitive bassline produced from a laptop, and lyrics set in a club, then it has no emotional impact and does not succeed as a song. The very notion that said song is not available on a 7inch record and is possibly heard from the back of a bus blaring through tinny mobile phone speakers is enough to drive these music fans into a sense of franticness, adopting such phrases as “real music” and “not a proper band”. To these people I say GET OVER YOURSELF.
On a slightly annoying note i’m going to quote my religious studies a level textbook, in Abrahamic religion there is a concept called “epistemic distance", basically that the gap of knowledge between ourselves and god is only a good thing as it strengthens our faith. (Sorry) in other words, having a connection with god is an entirely subjective experience. Subjective. Sound familiar? This idea, that there’s no such thing as a wrong opinion is exhausted in primary school, topping endless lists on how to be a good friend.
Here is where I’d insert the Google definition of “musician”  except 1) i’m currently in the un-beautifully  not at all scenic or multicultural countryside of Luton and so have no internet access, but more significantly, 2) I think I’ve already proven facetious enough in my inclusion of the words “Abrahamic religion” on the internet.
How many times have your parents commented on how your favourite musicians have lifted certain sound from musicians of their heyday? Music provides an escape for many people, a chance to ignore their surroundings and immerse themselves in their own mind. Whether this sense of isolated euphoria is gained through listening to your favourite Smiths vinyl, or through a One Direction YouTube video, no one can and nobody should dictate the emotive impact that their music has. One direction are not particularly to my taste (get me started on “What Makes You Beautiful” and I will drive you into a coma), but the demonised role that they have had thrust upon them by endless over-sized denim jacket clad teenagers is enough to jump to the boys' defence. Singing songs about dancing is not a worthy reason to despise a person, wearing chinos and deep V t-shirts is not a worthy reason to despise someone and using a platform like the X Factor, although not as lengthy a process as one might deem to be the correct way (like gigging and busking) it is still a creative platform to gain exposure and potentially produce as competent musicians as any indie label underground enough to sell their own tote bags donning their logo. Either that or you could just not listen to the radio.



My not at all guilty pleasures:
- Miley Cyrus_Wrecking Ball
- Kanye West_Bound 2
- Frank Ocean_Thinkin Bout You
- JLS_Everybody in Love
- Iggy Azalea_Murda Bizness
- Drake_Hold On We’re Going Home
- Pharell Williams_Happy
-Jason Derulo_Talk Dirty