Monday, July 22, 2019

Britney Spears + Pop Culture

In the United States, the First Amendment declares freedom of speech.  On the Internet, there is a strong gray area.  Set List is U.S. based, so I have something to say.

Britney Spears is a defining icon in pop culture for her generation and younger.  She is a defining icon in fresh music that teenagers and young adults gravitated toward.  Britney Spears and I are relatively the same age (by two years).  I am not one for her music - albums and individual tracks.

Britney's album list includes -
...Baby One More Time (1999)
Oops!...I Did It Again (2000)
Britney (2001)
In the Zone (2003)
Blackout (2007)
Circus (2008)
Femme Fatale (2011)
Britney Jean (2013)
Glory (2016)

Britney Spears is forever known for her "...Baby One More Time" music video to which I will not feature here.  In my opinion, the video showcases what young men wanted to see and what young women aspired to look like.  Sexy and popular are words I would use.

The question is - true talent or an audience by generation?

...Baby One More Time and Oops!...I Did It Again are both certified Diamond.

Talent then.

Yet, this angers me because the "...Baby One More Time" music video attracted a very impressionable audience in a very seductive way.

Diamond certification is honorable of course, but keep in mind the music video.  Why?

Johnny Cash does not have Diamond certification.

Bob Dylan does not have Diamond certification.

The Grateful Dead does not have Diamond certification.

Jimi Hendrix does not have Diamond certification.

Queen does not have Diamond certification.

Rush does not have Diamond certification.

The Who does not have Diamond certification.

Barbara Streisand does not have Diamond certification.

The list does continue on.  (Wikipedia)


My point is - Such names listed above are historically valuable in the music industry and all received Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum status...but not Diamond.  But the video to the song to the album of the same name is Diamond certified.  I am at a loss for words.

This is my opinion alone.

No comments:

Post a Comment