Does ANYONE do pop???

I'm gonna admit- I've noticed since I've been at this forum that there are very few yungin's, like me (at a feeble 15yrs)... And that Cakewalk seems to be a driver for everything except 2000's pop music!!! That's not to say people don't do pop around here, nor that Cakewalk is only good for everything but; just that no one seems entirely interested in the late-generation music.
Don't get me wrong on this; I totally do enjoy classic rock, hard, LOVE folk music, LOVE punk, still coming to terms with 50's rock and roll. But then I would LOVE to hear some up-n-coming synthpop artist, maybe do some collabs and stuff, just like the many of you rockers, ya know??

I only bring it up because I produce electro, synth, and standard pop music, and there seems to be quite a bit of a lack of it around here.

What do you guys think about pop and its various cousins? And does anyone do any around here?



also, what's a decent place to meet other people who produce pop?

Unfortunately I think the demographic here is more suited to an old git like myself who come from an era when music was actually a real frontier as far as having a cultural identity goes.
 
Even then having more of a pop sensibility myself I feel like an outsider here at times too when there is so much more representation from the rockers and to some extent those with a country orientation.
 
Having said that, there's all sorts of stuff that appears in the Songs forum and it's really refreshing to hear different takes from different people, for me at least.  The thing we all have in common here of course is the choice of production software we use so it can be an invaluable resource for learning the tools sharing your songs in there even if they aren't everyones cup of tea artistically it tends to be that everyone there appreciates good work regardless of genre preferences.
 
Creatively, I do look elsewhere and find people with similar music making interests to collaborate and share stuff with. so I'd say the best thing to do is to surf around a bit and check out what floats your boat.
 
I might be a pop fan but I'm probably more of the Sandie Shaw era, rather than a Jessie J officianado so I dare say somewhere that I like to visit would be different to your tastes but theres plenty of places out there that would enable you to find a perfect fit without too much trouble. 
 
Pop is a big banner to fall under but for me it is the art of producing that elusive 3 minute song that can speak to many people, for me that is the ultimate challenge for producing recorded works rather than sticking a microphone in front of a virtuoso for 10 minutes.  I like virtuosity and more involved music but I tend to prefer it on the concert stage rather than it being what I like to hear on the radio.
 
So to sum up stick around here to get the lowdown on using the gear and generally fire off topics like this one, but find other places where you share the music sensibility with other folk too.
 
I certainly ain't 15 no more (sadly) but I swear if I hear another low-down on how X Beatles album was produced again, or whether I prefer Peter Green's version of a song over Santana's I think I'll just give up and start drawing my pension now and be done with it, I mean I come from that era myself and it even makes me cringe being here sometimes.
 
I don't mind hanging out with old folk as long as it doesn't become compulsory to be one quite yet...

Judging by the general nature of the free stuff that Cakewalk gives away in the Producer Club, I would say that they're definitely marketing toward a younger audience than the average age on this forum. If you look at the content of the songs forum, I would say most of it is tracks consisting of (or dominated by) recorded audio with EDM and other forms of electronica being in a minority. That being said, the electronic music that gets posted there does generally receive positive feedback, and I get the feeling that many of the "oldies" here appreciate it more than they let on. Especially those who have been working with synths since the 60's and 70's. 

The stuff I dabble with is leans toward the EDM/electronica/trip hop/beats genre, but I wouldn't say it was "up to date" particularly. I keep forgetting that those of us who lived through the original rave/house scene of the late 80's/early 90's are now considered "old" too! So my tastes lean toward some of the "vintage" stuff like Aphex Twin, Nightmares on Wax, Boards of Canada etc. 

I consider what I do "dark pop".

I should say that I consider Marilyn Manson "pop". 

20 different people worked on this song!!   I love this track!!   I am aiming to do this stuff...   hahaha I am so not there yet...  but I am not 20 different people either...

actually, last week, and this week, I am actually just resting and not producing music at all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEValZuFYRU

focusing on my meditation all week...

The great thing about home recording is you can toss genres out the window if you want to. Make music you like and forget about which bin it would go into at the record store - if there were still any record stores.

I often don't even know what genre a song will be when I start it. It takes on a life of its own. If it starts out as a folk song and turns out to be a heavy metal polka with Mantovani undertones, then so be it. That's what came out of my head, and I'm going with it.

Regarding pop music, I have to make this honest admission: I don't have the self-discipline to do it. Pop has to have a core direction and a focused, simple groove. I could start to do a pop tune but it would quickly fall apart as soon as I threw in a diminished chord or a bongo break. 

bapu


LP,

20 people? That's some Shlitzy split on the songwriting royalties even if the song sold 20 million copies.

I imagine the same song could have been made with 10 or even as low as 6 people. Maybe not 5 since it's such stellar writing and production.

I read this article on gearslutz, that described the production behind a Rihanna Track, and it went laid out the scenerio of, "an all star team, of writers, mixers, and beat makers," collected into the studio to create the beat, harmony, lyrics and possibly vocal demo, and then after all that, another specialist vocal producer would come and do the parts with Rihanna herself.

Basically the article described the production of modern pop, being a team sport of about 20 different people.

Now.. For this particular Clarkson track, "we don't know."  wikipedia  says, "3 producers."

Gearslutz changed their forums, and removed the old music bizz forum, and replaced it with something else...  All this due to trolling, arguments, stuff like that...  I can't find a link to the article I read...   ( edit - link found, in my post below )

Yes, its a shlitzy split..

Amazing article..! I had no idea it cost soooo much per-song!!! From me, I'm the kind who like to work is small, thight-knit groups where everyone has their responsibility, and that's that. I couldn't work with the pressure of 19 other people making sure I don't screw up.

I'm also wondering now- how much do albums make? Like that Rhianna one specifically- how much has it made so far? Cuz for whatever reason, perhaps I'm small-minded, I just can't see how they would pull back enough to pay EVERYONE. Especially with the stories I hear about badly paid artists.


But theeen... They do sell millions of copies at $10 or more per album, and then there's royalties and touring... Such a big world is music!

That Kelly Clarkson song leaves me cold unfortunately. It's just a bleh melody with bleh chords and doesn't have any character. I was sitting in Starbucks the other day underneath this one mono speaker and they were playing bleh chart music like this and it just sounded like a continuous wall of compressed plastic. Then all of a sudden Sly & The Family Stone's It's A Family Affair came on and I was completely blow away by the contrast - the presence in Sly Stone's voice was incredible, he sounded like he was in the room singing directly above me. And the rest of the mix just sounded so well defined on that mono speaker, you could make out every note as clear as a bell, the Pianet, the bass, the wah-wah guitar, the drums, everything sounded so balanced and warm. And looking around I saw that everyone had stopped talking and had started nodding their heads. Compare it to that Kelly Clarkson mix, which just sounds like a bunch of shiny overexcited audio trinkets melted together and then covered in saran wrap. 

I don't "do" pop I Am the pop.

Pop rots your teeth.

I'm not saying this is typical for all Pop music.  Your mileage may vary. 

Several years ago, I was talking with my niece about bands she liked.  She loved Smashing Pumpkins.  I asked her what she liked about their music.  She said something along these lines.  (I can't remember the actual comments.)

"In this one video, this guy wore this really cool shirt that was black with this cool design across the front.  This other guy wore these cool jeans and his hair was spikey and he had a nose ring I liked.  Oh!  There was this other video where Billy wore..."

After about 15 minutes of descriptions of every single article of clothing, makeup, hairstyle, nasal hair styling, etc., I asked, "What do you like about their music?"  She looked confused, since she had already answered that question.

My kid's friends say you know a song is good when they're are lots of dancers on the stage.  (I've always found the opposite to be true.)

I don't know.  This isn't unique to today's youth by any means.  For those who remember such things, the common answer when asked about a new song on American Bandstand was, "It's got a great beat. I can dance to it!  I give it a 10!"  Shameful, isn't it?

I'm too old to be of any value, but I like music that takes some measure of skill to play.  I like songs that evoke a feeling or a mood.  I like lyrics that say something.  I like singers who know that passion is not about your dance moves, but about your soul.  I want real Artistry.  I want creativity.  I like a song that resonates with me, where I can't stop thinking about it, where I personally identify with it. 

That's what I want to hear, regardless of the label that is placed on it.  Rock, pop, funk, metal, electronica, dubstep, etc. - I want something that blows me away. 

davdud101


I'm gonna admit- I've noticed since I've been at this forum that there are very few yungin's, like me (at a feeble 15yrs)... And that Cakewalk seems to be a driver for everything except 2000's pop music!!! That's not to say people don't do pop around here, nor that Cakewalk is only good for everything but; just that no one seems entirely interested in the late-generation music.
Don't get me wrong on this; I totally do enjoy classic rock, hard, LOVE folk music, LOVE punk, still coming to terms with 50's rock and roll. But then I would LOVE to hear some up-n-coming synthpop artist, maybe do some collabs and stuff, just like the many of you rockers, ya know??

I only bring it up because I produce electro, synth, and standard pop music, and there seems to be quite a bit of a lack of it around here.

What do you guys think about pop and its various cousins? And does anyone do any around here?



also, what's a decent place to meet other people who produce pop?

I think its GREAT seeing young people get involved at the level you are.  

Ive listened to a few projects on here that were really good that I would consider new and upcoming styles.

Its exciting to me to watch/listen to the recording world change with time.

I'm too old to be of any value, but I like music that takes some measure of skill to play.  I like songs that evoke a feeling or a mood.  I like lyrics that say something.  I like singers who know that passion is not about your dance moves, but about your soul.  I want real Artistry.  I want creativity.  I like a song that resonates with me, where I can't stop thinking about it, where I personally identify with it.   That's what I want to hear, regardless of the label that is placed on it.  Rock, pop, funk, metal, electronica, dubstep, etc. - I want something that blows me away. 

U- Bubba


That pretty much sums it up for me.....especially the "to old" part.  I still smile every time one of my kids hears a remake of an old song with a new beat added to it and thinks that it is something new.

davdud101


I'm gonna admit- I've noticed since I've been at this forum that there are very few yungin's, like me (at a feeble 15yrs)... And that Cakewalk seems to be a driver for everything except 2000's pop music!!! That's not to say people don't do pop around here, nor that Cakewalk is only good for everything but; just that no one seems entirely interested in the late-generation music.
Don't get me wrong on this; I totally do enjoy classic rock, hard, LOVE folk music, LOVE punk, still coming to terms with 50's rock and roll. But then I would LOVE to hear some up-n-coming synthpop artist, maybe do some collabs and stuff, just like the many of you rockers, ya know??

I only bring it up because I produce electro, synth, and standard pop music, and there seems to be quite a bit of a lack of it around here.

What do you guys think about pop and its various cousins? And does anyone do any around here?



also, what's a decent place to meet other people who produce pop?

I write pop songs but they have an 80's feel to it.  Pop music can have very many styles/fusions added/blended to it for example; Rock, RnB, Hip Hop, Folk, Country, Reggae, but the primary focus is on strong catchy melodies (Hooks.)  All easier said than done.   The first thing major labels focus on are the hooks and for dance, it's the beat.   The song needs to catch their (Record Label, A&R, Producers, Managers) attention in the first 10 to 20 seconds otherwise they probably hit the stop and move on to someone else.  That's the harsh reality, because the music scene is fiercely competitive and overly saturated, there are literally thousands of new song uploads every day. 

(1) Keep writing, never give up and always strive to do better than your last effort. (2) Record cover songs that will challenge your skills. Do these at home for personal 'educational' use. You can learn a lot from doing cover songs. (3) Find your weaknesses and strive to do better. Everyone has weaknesses.... No matter how talented and knowledgeable a person is there will always be something new to learn.

also, what's a decent place to meet other people who produce pop? 

Searched: "Pop Music Forum" and got a few that "might'' be cool for example, TeenSpot > Music Forum  - There's also a Sub-Forum for musicians.  Anyway, it be best trying out several different sites (forums) for yourself and decide. 

YouTube is one of the most popular ways to discover new music, you might get lucky; someone from a major record label might hear your music but you better make your first impression count. A really good quality still-image will do (a lot of bands signed to major labels do this) it's the 'music' that's got to be awesome in regards to music videos on YouTube, but if you can do 'seriously top-notch video production'? Then do it.  Always maximize every opportunity when presenting your music publicly by doing your absolute best, do better than 100%. 

Had a listen to your Pop Music.
Your styles/direction is cool, you're definitely on the right track for example; Goodbye is a nice song.  Overall the music does need a little more refinement for example, filters and dynamic processing.  Audio Mastering is an art in itself and a lot of bands usually get it done professionally. 

Wish you great success!