This is less of a trance discussion and more of a music discussion in general, but I'd like to hear your opinions.
When I listen to (most) music, it falls into two categories:
1. Music that is okay on a first or second listen, but I wouldn't actively hear it again or put it on a playlist.
2. Music that I hear again, and again, and again, and I put it on playlists and actively seek more music like it because I've gotten obsessed and... you get the idea. The kind of music you could put on repeat all day the day you discover it because it's a damn masterpiece (to you).
For me, a lot of post-2000 USA/British pop falls in bucket 1. Heck, I'd go as far to say that some really big tracks from recent times like Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Luis Fonsi's Despacito also fall under bucket 1. They might try to be different or use different genres (ex. a reggaeton backbone for Despacito), but in the end they are cut from the same cloth and feel just like regular USA/British pop with the 4 chords and all. To put it simply, this stuff feels heavily manufactured.
Meanwhile, I can listen to some R&B or hip hop and feel like there's something else, like a "soul." (R&B and hip hop are just example genres, but they could happen in other genres, too). I can hear Black Beatles (the mannequin challenge song) and feel like these guys probably had a lot of fun making their track. They're experimenting, putting a few good ideas out there, and are obviously passionate about this one track. Sicko Mode from Travis Scott, one of the most popular melodic rap songs from this generation, oozes with innovation and feels like it's pushing the boundaries of its genre. The first half of this is fine melodic rap, but the second half feels oddly experimental. Sicko Mode currently has 855 million views on Youtube.
But what is that something else? There's no clear definition, other than it's an "it" factor. Further, the current articles about the "it" factor, from pulsemusic [1], r/popheads [2], and a sask article [3] define the "it" factor for the artists themselves - not for the music!
Based on my experience listening to BTS (Korean boyband)'s discography, I could tell that their earlier work had something drawing me in, but their recent work feels cold and manufactured. I would argue that the "it" factor is related to the exciting creativity from an artist's early career, and that is prone to get lost as the artist matures. Once your music starts sounding professional-enough to debut, yet you are still early enough that your sound is not diluted by 100% professional/commercial influences, that is when an artist can have the "it" factor. We've seen this in trance, too, where some of the biggest names' best productions occurred when they were still experimenting and developing their sounds. You could say that early Armin and early Ferry Corsten's productions totally have the "it" factor.
So, what is the "it" factor for you? What is that special something that draws you in and has you listen repeatedly to a track that you like? Feel free to comment - I'd love to hear what you think!
[1] Pulse Music boards thread with the same topic
[2] reddit popheads thread
[3] saskmusic article
Examples of "no it factor"
Doja Cat - Say So
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
BTS - Dynamite
Luis Fonsi - Despacito
Examples of "it factor"
Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Kali Uchis - Telepatia
Saint Jhn - Roses (Imanbek remix)
BTS - What Am I to You?
When I listen to (most) music, it falls into two categories:
1. Music that is okay on a first or second listen, but I wouldn't actively hear it again or put it on a playlist.
2. Music that I hear again, and again, and again, and I put it on playlists and actively seek more music like it because I've gotten obsessed and... you get the idea. The kind of music you could put on repeat all day the day you discover it because it's a damn masterpiece (to you).
For me, a lot of post-2000 USA/British pop falls in bucket 1. Heck, I'd go as far to say that some really big tracks from recent times like Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Luis Fonsi's Despacito also fall under bucket 1. They might try to be different or use different genres (ex. a reggaeton backbone for Despacito), but in the end they are cut from the same cloth and feel just like regular USA/British pop with the 4 chords and all. To put it simply, this stuff feels heavily manufactured.
Meanwhile, I can listen to some R&B or hip hop and feel like there's something else, like a "soul." (R&B and hip hop are just example genres, but they could happen in other genres, too). I can hear Black Beatles (the mannequin challenge song) and feel like these guys probably had a lot of fun making their track. They're experimenting, putting a few good ideas out there, and are obviously passionate about this one track. Sicko Mode from Travis Scott, one of the most popular melodic rap songs from this generation, oozes with innovation and feels like it's pushing the boundaries of its genre. The first half of this is fine melodic rap, but the second half feels oddly experimental. Sicko Mode currently has 855 million views on Youtube.
But what is that something else? There's no clear definition, other than it's an "it" factor. Further, the current articles about the "it" factor, from pulsemusic [1], r/popheads [2], and a sask article [3] define the "it" factor for the artists themselves - not for the music!
Based on my experience listening to BTS (Korean boyband)'s discography, I could tell that their earlier work had something drawing me in, but their recent work feels cold and manufactured. I would argue that the "it" factor is related to the exciting creativity from an artist's early career, and that is prone to get lost as the artist matures. Once your music starts sounding professional-enough to debut, yet you are still early enough that your sound is not diluted by 100% professional/commercial influences, that is when an artist can have the "it" factor. We've seen this in trance, too, where some of the biggest names' best productions occurred when they were still experimenting and developing their sounds. You could say that early Armin and early Ferry Corsten's productions totally have the "it" factor.
So, what is the "it" factor for you? What is that special something that draws you in and has you listen repeatedly to a track that you like? Feel free to comment - I'd love to hear what you think!
[1] Pulse Music boards thread with the same topic
[2] reddit popheads thread
[3] saskmusic article
Examples of "no it factor"
Doja Cat - Say So
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
BTS - Dynamite
Luis Fonsi - Despacito
Examples of "it factor"
Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Kali Uchis - Telepatia
Saint Jhn - Roses (Imanbek remix)
BTS - What Am I to You?
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