What makes pop music so popular? 

By John Tan 

Growing up, I spent the majority of my time listening to famous pop tunes. I noticed the more I listened to them, the more I liked it. Something about it just kept me hooked on because somehow, it kept hitting on the right chords. Hence, I spent most of my days indulging in it and eventually, pop music became the soundtrack to my life. As I got older, I became intrigued in finding the geniuses behind these crafts. This led me to discover the genius that is Max Martin, the guy behind the works of my favorite artists.

Max Martin is no stranger to pop music. In fact, he is responsible for many of the hits that were produced in the last decade. From working with musical acts like Britney Spears to Taylor Swift, Martin has cemented his place in the music industry. To date, Martin has scored 22^nd number ones on the Hot 100 charts. Besides that, he was even awarded the Polar Music Prize 2016 for being a veteran in the music business. Since pop music is a broad subject and considering Martin’s impact on the industry, it would be easier to solely focus on Martin’s work to identify the structures in pop music, in order to truly understand its popularity.

In 1876, German philosopher, Gustav Fechner discovered a psychological notion, known as the mere exposure effect. It suggests that people have a tendency of gravitating towards objects or individuals that are familiar to them. Also, repeated exposure increases familiarity. Years later, this concept was expanded by Robert Zajonc and it was revealed that familiarity enhances one’s liking towards an object or an individual. For pop music, music scholars argue that familiarity decides the listener’s response to the piece. The more they are familiar with the song, the higher the chances are for them to like it.

John Seabrook, New Yorker journalist, echoed similar remarks in his 2015 book ‘The Song Machine’, noting “the more I heard the songs, the more I liked them. How could that be? if you dislike the song the first time, surely you should loathe in the tenth. But apparently, that’s not how it works. Familiarity with the song increases one’s emotional investment in it, even if you don’t like it.  This happens gradually, in stages, the initially annoying bits become the very parts you look forward to most in the song.

Why?

Well, the rationale behind this formula can be explained with the perceptual fluency theory: how information is processed by the human brain. Repetitive songs are easier to recognize and process. This is because it takes less effort to do so and the less we effort we take to think about something, the higher the chances are for us to like it. When a song goes according to our expectations, it makes us feel better because it gives us confidence. Thus, repetition is an important ingredient in pop music.

Looking at Martin's discography, a lot of his songs are about simplicity. For example, when it comes to his songwriting, Martin has a tendency of using simple words that rhyme and he repeats them throughout a section of a song. 

Take for instance, CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!  By Justin Timberlake, the word ‘dance’ is repeated throughout the chorus and the post-chorus.

      Music video for Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling" uploaded on 16th May 2016.

Chorus

So just imagine, just imagine, just imagine, just imagine

Nothing I can see but you when you dance, dance, dance

Feeling good, good, creeping up on you

So just dance, dance, dance, come on                

All those things I shouldn’t do

But you dance, dance, dance

Post chorus

I can’t stop the feeling

So just dance, dance, dance

I can’t stop the feeling

So just dance, dance, dance, come on

               Music video for Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" uploaded on 25th  Aug 2010.

Whereas in DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love by Usher, words like now, down and eyes are repeated in the second verse.

Second verse

Keep downing drinks like there’s no tomorrow there’s just right now, now, now, now, now, now

Gonna set the roof on fire

Gonna burn this motherfucker down, down, down, down, down

Hands up, when the music drops

We both put our hands up

Put your hands on my body

Swear I seen you before

I think I remember those eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes

                    Music video for Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" single released August 18th, 2014.

And finally, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, where words like play, hate, shake and break are repeated in the chorus

Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate

Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off

Heart- breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break

And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake

Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off

In terms of his production, a lot of his materials are structured in the same instrumental arrangement. They have the same song structure, repetitive chords progression, and melodic structure. For instance, his songs usually consist of the verse, the chorus, the bridge and occasionally pre-chorus or post-chorus. Also, they often remain in the same three or four chords.

Once again, this is all works to create a sense of familiarity for the listener. In an interview with DiWEEKEND, Martin mentioned that;

“If the chords change a lot over the course of a song, it’s better to stay within the same melodic structure. Once again, it’s all about the balance. Another theory is that you can also sing the chorus melody as a verse. For instance, take “I Wanna Be Your Lover” with Prince. The verse and chorus of that song are exactly the same. But as a listener, you don’t really notice since the energy of the chorus is completely different compared to the verse. Once the chorus comes, you feel like you’ve heard it before. And you have! You’ve heard it in the verse. It automatically creates a sense of familiarity. Prince does this a lot. “Let’s Go Crazy,” same thing. I’ve used this trick a few times myself. In “Do You Know (What It Takes)” with Robyn, for instance.” 

The next aspect that is used in pop music is relatability. Since pop music primarily targets youths, the majority of its lyrical content revolves around topics that are relatable to them. Studies have shown that youths consume pop music because it assists them in the process of “finding themselves” and acts as an outlet for self-expression.

The reason being pop music exhibits ‘emotional realism’; youths are able to identify and relate to the collective representations and use them as guiding fictions. With that, they are able to create their personal mental perception of the world.

Following a report by Nielsen, the top 5 pop hits in 2017 were focused on relatable themes such as love (romantic relationships) and having a good time. Hence, it’s proven that the criteria for a good pop song would include making the listener feel a certain emotion. Quoting Martin;

 “A great pop song should be felt when you hear it,” Martin told Gradvall. “You can hear songs that are technically great, songs that tick all the boxes. But for a song to be felt, you need something else. Something that sticks to you, something that makes you feel: ‘I need to hear that song again’.

Going back to Martin’s catalog, the majority of his lyrics are relatable to youths, whether it’s a fast tempo piece or a slow emotional ballad. The lyrical content often focuses on simple themes such as love (heartbreak to falling in love), sex, self-discovery or having a good time- although there are some exceptions.

In conclusion, it’s no mystery that the pop music industry adheres to a certain formula when it comes to making a song. After all, it’s safe to stick to the same formula since it has been working in their favor, gaining commercial success after each hit song that is produced and released out to the general public.

By John Tan 

Leaving your teenage years behind and entering your twenties is no doubt difficult because this is the time where you have to decide what you want to do with your life. For some, it’s a piece of cake, they know their passion in the back of their mind. They know what they want to do and they are already on their way pursuing it but for people like you and me, we are still in the midst of searching. The process can be frustrating when we don’t get any answers.

We are lost and confused. We don’t know who we are, let alone what we are passionate about. And it doesn’t help when we are bombarded with questions like “What do you want to pursue?” and  “Where do you see yourself in few year time?”. We may even rub people the wrong way when we are answering all these questions because they may assume that we are mad at them for asking. But in reality, we are actually mad at ourselves for being clueless about what we want. As a result, we can get envious of those who have already have things figured out.

Like for me, I am almost done with my Diploma course but I am still in the midst of figuring things out. I am still not sure what I should major in for my degree and where I should further my studies. Besides that, I am also still clueless about what I want to pursue in the future. But after months and months of reflection, I finally realized that I don’t have to always know what is down the road for me.

We don’t have to always have things figured out. We can take one step at a time by choosing one passion at a time to pursue. As an example, since we have a tendency of longing that intense passion, we can let it guide us somewhere. If that intense passion urges you to take up photography, go ahead and see where it takes you. However, if you are too focused on the results, then be prepared to fail because there is a high possibility that your journey will fail due to the fact that your creative inspiration will slam the door on you.

If your attempt doesn’t go according to plan, at least you tried. At least you gave yourself a chance to find out your capability. You then, can go ahead with satisfaction and pursue other new passion. You are not limited to only one passion, In fact, you are allowed to pursue as many passions you want. Personally, I think the beautiful thing about being in our twenties is that we can afford to take all the time we need to figure things out, to pursue the things we want even if it includes failures, rejections, heartbreaks, and the list goes on. Why? Well, it is simply because we can still afford to experience all this.

So, it is okay if you are experiencing some difficulties in finding your passion. Take all the time you need. Please don’t think your twenties are supposed to be an indication for you to have your life figured out. In fact, I firmly believe that nothing will ruin anyone’s twenties more than thinking they should have their life figured out. 

So, go out there and explore your options.

Photo source
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Here's my excuse for my absence :)

https://leaderonomics.com/tag/john-tan 

   By John Tan 

 After reading The Brand Called You by Tom Peters, I realized that brands play a very crucial role in this modern era because of brands equal to impressions. In this era, even our outfits are able to determine people’s impressions of us. For instance, it’s mentioned by Tom Peters in the article “That cross-trainer you're wearing — one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying — ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ... You're branded, branded, branded, branded”. We are our own brand and we are as valuable as Nike, Converse or Adidas. Back then, I thought the concept ‘branding’ only applies to prominent people but after reading this article, I have a different view on branding because I intend to be a writer in the future and so are thousands of other people. I have to determine what makes me stand out from the rest? What makes people interested in reading my writing? What makes people want to bookmark my blog? So, in order to achieve this, I have to earn the trust of my audience by building my brand through ensuring my writing is worth reading.

   Besides that, Tom Peters encourages us (the readers) to stop thinking like ourselves and start thinking like our favorite brand manager. “Start right now: as of this moment you're going to think of yourself differently! You're not an "employee" of General Motors, you're not a "staffer" at General Mills, you're not a "worker" at General Electric or a "human resource" at General Dynamics (oops, it's gone!). Forget the Generals! You don't "belong to" any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn't to any particular "function." You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description. Starting today, you are a brand. You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times”. I think this mindset will really help one to go far in life because it teaches one to step out from their comfort zones and only by stepping out from the comfort zones we are able to achieve extraordinary things. This mindset works and it is proven by several successful people out there like Golden Globe winner actress Amy Poehler who said “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that. That is what life is. You might be really good. You might find something about yourself that is really special and if you’re not good enough, who cares? You tried something, now you know something about yourself. Obviously, it is easier said than done but if we don’t try we will never know our full potential.

  In addition to that, Tom Peters states that there are no limits to enhancing one’s resume which I believe it’s true because every new job will bring us a new experience which will make us more adequate. This is helpful especially in this competitive world we live in so the more work experiences we have, the higher our chance is to obtain our dream job. Through working, we are also able to build our connections with people like mentioned in the article “If you can carve out the time, take on a freelance project that gets you in touch with a totally novel group of people. If you can get them singing your praises, they'll help spread the word about what a remarkable contributor you are.” Since I intend to write for a future I can start by providing more articles for my college writing club Inksight because by doing it I will be able to snatch more chance in the future because I have a track record.

   Moreover, Tom Peters encourages us to receive criticism on our performance, growth, and value. I personally believe it is the right thing to do even though at times it may be difficult it is the only way we can improve our performance on things and as long as the criticism is constructive then it’s healthy.

  Finally, it is stated in the book that having goals is important especially if you intend to be successful.  I agree because it is solely for motivational purpose because goals inspire us to be better. Goals inspire us to achieve new things.  Without goals, we would not be interested to pursue anything. In order to accomplish our goals, we are required to be disciplined. “No matter what you're doing today, there are four things you've got to measure yourself against. First, you've got to be a great teammate and a supportive colleague. Second, you've got to be an exceptional expert at something that has real value. Third, you've got to be a broad-gauged visionary — a leader, a teacher, a farsighted "imagineer." Fourth, you've got to be a businessperson — you've got to be obsessed with pragmatic outcomes. It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else.”

Reference

     1.   Peters, Tom. "The Brand Called You". Fast Company. N.p., 1997. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.

1. image was taken from

1.       

https://www.google.com/search?q=successful+people+quotes&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiC2teR4cLKAhWRC44KHYBJCccQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=famous+successful+people+quotes+on+stepping+out+from+comfort+zone&imgrc=8HtHOKvTNegoeM%3A               

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By John Tan 

Taylor Swift, a name that has been talked, searched and tweeted about, is taking a break from the music industry after selling 40 million albums and 130 million single downloads worldwide.  “I think I should take some time off. I think people might need a break from me. I’m going to..I don’t know. Hang out with my friends. Write new music. Maybe not write new music. I don’t know” Taylor quoted saying in her interview with NME. This comes as a shocker especially to ‘Swifties’ like me especially since we have watched her every move and listened to her every song on the radio ever since she came into the scene after Love Story was released in 2008.

Although it’s not fun for me, I fully support her decision. Not only this break is well deserved, but she also needs the time off for herself to avoid having a public meltdown. This is no strange topic in the music industry as it is not the first time it has happened. Iconic singers like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, have had a public meltdown due to the huge amount of pressure they had on their shoulders. It is observed that the stars are treated more like products than as humans.  They constantly face destructive public criticisms just because people feel like it and worse, to make money out of it. Taylor Swift is no exception to this. Many cruel rumors were made about her testing her limits. Keyboard warriors are merciless with their hateful comments about her online. Although, she is able to shake it off with songs her songwriting can only do so much. Therefore, taking a break from the scene will definitely lift some pressure off her shoulders.

Besides that with the time off,  she is able to spend time with her loved ones especially with her mother. Her mother (Andrea Swift) was diagnosed with cancer recently and it is important for her to be there for her mother. Taylor can help her mother to fight this disease. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer patients are able to fight cancer with love and moral support. Yes, positivity may not be able to cure cancer but it is capable to make a difference.

                                    Taylor Swift at Rolling Stone photo shoot

Good things take time. Since she released ‘1989’ in 2014, she has broke records worldwide and successfully made her transition from a country singer into a pop superstar. Her album ‘1989’ scored three No.1 hits on the Hot 100 in Billboard and sold 1.2 million within its first week making her the only artist to have sold three albums more than a million within its first week. So with the time off, she will be able to come up with not just new music but good music to make an amazing breaking album.

More importantly, I support her decision because she needs a break from the media’s spotlight. The media focuses more on her personal life rather than her music. For instance, when she released ‘1989’ and instead of appreciating the art in her music, the media chose to immediately speculate on who the subjects of the songs which leads to me to my next point. The media has this unhealthy tendency to compare one female artist with another successful female artist hoping to spark a feud between them. For example, when Adele released her album ‘25’ that broke Taylor’s record sales, the media immediately started pitching her against Taylor Swift by comparing their album sales. It is not fair to compare them both and in fact, it’s not fair to compare any singers because they are all different and unique in their ways.

With all that said, Taylor go get your break. You certainly deserve it.

Pictures taken from http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/2014/media/167601/_original/1035x703-20140908_taylor2_x548.jpg

References

1.  1.    Cancer.org,. 'Attitudes And Cancer'. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

2.    2.  Ifpi.org,. 'Taylor Swift Named IFPI Global Recording Artist Of 2014'. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

3.    3.  Stutz, Colin. 'Taylor Swift Says She's Taking Time Off After 1989 Tour: 'I Think People Might Need A Break From Me''. Billboard. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

By John Tan 

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we had to stop dreaming and grow up to meet the standards expected of us. We get bombarded with questions like “When are you getting your own property?”, “When are you buying a car?”, “When are you getting married?”, “Why aren’t you earning big salaries?”. These questions keep replaying like a broken record player and don’t seem to stop.

In this 21^st century, we have become enslaved to our works despite not loving what we do. Most of the times, people work just because they have to make a living. So it’s not uncommon to find that many are not satisfied and content with their own lives. But why is this so? Are we really merely existing and not living our lives?

Business studies students will be familiar with Maslow’s theory when they study about motivation. His theory suggested that should these deficiencies– self-actualization, esteem, love, safety, and physiological needs if not met, individuals will feel anxious and tensed which then leads to unhappiness. In short, if people are not inspired then they are not able to reach their full potentials in life. It makes sense.

Thomas Edison was an American inventor who became successful through his invention of the electrical light bulb. It wasn’t until the 1000^th time that he managed to get it to work. Mother Teresa was the recipient of the Noble Peace Prize award and her charity was world-wide recognized. She had the privilege of meeting with Princess Diana and Ronald Reagan. Late Premier Lee Kuan Yew who successfully lead the 3^rd world country to become the 1^st world Singapore we know today and Mark Zuckerberg who became the first world youngest billionaire with his Facebook page.

Although the figures mentioned are in different fields, they are each successful in what they do. They showed us what it’s like to be inspired and to do great things. They had dreams and worked their ways towards them. While inspiration can come from different sources – love, faith, or desire to connect the people, as long as one is inspired, he will be able to reach his full potential.

There is a saying that goes “just because you are an adult, it does not mean that your whole life should revolve around your work, life is more than that’”. While making a living is important, we do not have to give up on our dreams. We can still do the things we love. Happiness is different for everyone. You can make a child happy by giving him ice cream, make a hungry man happy by cooking his meals and make a girl’s day by giving her a flower.

Even if you have not to figure out what you want, you can always start simply by having a bucket list. The satisfaction that you get accomplishing something is what makes life worth the challenges. It’s never too late to start looking for special things in life that makes us who we are. As for me, I think I better start practicing on my guitar before my memory fails me.

            

Image taken from http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/work-life-featured.jpeg

By John Tan 

  From modeling to acting, she can do it all. Cara Delevingne was born in England and started off modeling at a tender age of 10. She was discovered by an agent at her school (the same who discovered Kate Moss). Even though her height did not reach the minimum requirement of the modeling industry, she was still accepted. Since then, she became the face of various magazines and appeared on ad commercials like Chanel, H&M, and Burberry. Besides that, she also won the award for Model of the Year twice at the British Fashion Award which is a rare accomplishment for many. However, modeling was never her first choice as she always been passionate about acting. “I basically gave up on acting because trying to get an agent was impossible. Everyone said, "You are just a model..I really wanted to beat it, if that makes sense. Win it.”

   Recently, Cara officially quit the modeling industry seeing how badly it affected her self esteem. “If you hate yourself and your body and the way you look, it just gets worse and worse”. She further explained by saying "It's horrible living in a world where I'll get a call from someone saying, 'So-and-so says you were partying a lot and you were looking this way and you need to lose weight.' It makes me so angry. If you don't want to hire me, don't hire me." She also stated that she felt empty while pursuing modeling. “I ended up feeling a bit empty. Fashion is about what’s on the outside, and that’s it. There is no searching, it’s just creating pretty things.” 

Cara Delevingne at the MTV Movie Awards 

In addition to that, the modeling industry also made her develop the skin condition psoriasis due to her heavy schedule (53 runaway shows per week). Despite this, the modeling crew was just painting her whole body with foundation. "People would put on gloves and not want to touch me because they thought it was, like, leprosy or something," she said.

Cara also spoke on how she could not refuse to pose sexually for the camera since she was a teenager because she was a newbie in the industry. "I am a bit of a feminist and it makes me feel sick," she said. "It's horrible and it's disgusting. [We're talking about] young girls. You start when you are really young and you do, you get subjected to … not great stuff." 

Things are pretty good for her now because she finally got the opportunity to pursue acting. With a very slim acting resume, she managed to land on movies like Anna Karenina, The Face of An Angel and of course Paper Towns (who can forget her in the movie). Nearly 200 actresses auditioned for the role of Margo in Paper Towns but Cara managed to ace the audition just by having amazing chemistry with the lead actor, Nat Wolff. She has a very free spirit which is identical to the character Margo in the film. Moreover, Cara is also going to be in hit movies like Suicide Squad and Pan. Nevertheless, working in the movie industry has its fall. Cara still experiences sexual harassment in the acting industry which is worse than the modeling industry. But Cara never let this stop her. "I am very good at standing up for myself now, and for other people," "If there is injustice I will flip out. If someone is crossing a line, they will know about it and so will everyone else."  

"I am a lot harder than I was and I feel like all of that modeling, life, rejection, everything, was preparation for this, and now that I am doing this I am the happiest person in the whole world." It’s good to hear she is in a happier place in her life now. :) 

References

 1.   Ailbhe Malone . (2013). 21 Things You Didnt Know About Cara Delevingne. Available: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/things-you-didnt-know-about-cara-delevingne#.mbLNg3gAm4. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

2.   Char Adams. (2015). Cara Delevingne Says the Modeling Industry Made Her 'Hate' Her Body. Available: http://www.people.com/article/cara-delevingne-model-acting-hate-her-body. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

3.   Emily Yahr. (2015). Cara Delevingne explainer: Who is she and how did she get the lead in ‘Paper Towns’?. Available: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style-blog/wp/2015/07/27/cara-delevingne-explainer-who-is-she-and-how-did-she-get-the-lead-in-paper-towns/. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

4.   Ellie Krupnick. (2015). Cara Delevingne's Reason for Leaving Modeling Shows How Toxic Beauty Standards Have Become. Available: http://mic.com/articles/124126/cara-delevingne-s-reason-for-leaving-modeling-shows-how-toxic-beauty-standards-have-become. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

5.   Lauren Alexis Fisher. (2015). CARA DELEVINGNE SAYS SHE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A SUPERMODEL IN THE '90S. Available: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/models/news/a10962/cara-delevingne-wsj-magazine/. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

6.   Char Adams. (2015). Cara Delevingne Says the Modeling Industry Made Her 'Hate' Her Body. Available: http://www.people.com/article/cara-delevingne-model-acting-hate-her-body. Last accessed 29th September 2015.

7.   Valerie Siebert . (2015). Cara Delevingne Opens Up About Struggle With Psoriasis, Saying It Made Her "Hate" Her Body. Available: http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/cara-delevingne-opens-up-about-struggle-with-psoriasis-saying-it-made-her-hate-her-body-67085. Last accessed 29th September 2015.