Every year since I’ve been involved in social media, I see music lovers everywhere make “end of year lists” of their favorite music released in the last 12 months. I’ve always enjoyed reading these lists and making my own. But the older I get, and the more I get to know myself (yes, I’m still trying to figure out who I am), the more I realize that these lists are only important to the people who make them. It’s as if we’re saying, “Hey there, I have really awesome taste in music, and you should check out my list so that you know how much cooler I am than you.” Okay, that might be pushing it a little, but …you know what I mean. It gives us something to show off a little, and maybe someone will agree with some of our list items and think we are cool.
These are the things that go through my head when I read the lists because, more often than not, I haven’t heard of most of the artists. It’s only when I recognize one or two band names that I feel as if I’m doing something right! Why is that? No worries, though. I’m aware that I listen to a wider variety of music than most people I know, so I am content with my taste in music. I understand that no one will ever agree with my lists because I can be pretty random and “out there”. My love of pop and R&B music automatically gets me shunned by the indie crowd, and my love of indie and R&B alienates my pop loving friends. I can’t help it, it’s part of me. It’s my personality. I’m a chameleon in many ways, from my taste in friends to my taste in music. It confuses some, but the ones close to me understand.
Today, the R&B and pop music fan in me rejoiced when I happened to catch the end of the Gorilla vs. Bear “end of year” song countdown on Sirius XMU (satellite radio’s indie station). I didn’t recognize most songs on the list, but like the station, I listened anyway because sometimes I discover new songs that otherwise I’d never have been exposed to. Some of them have become my absolute favorite jams of the year! Can you imagine my surprise, though, when I tuned in for the #1 song and heard the sweet sounds of Usher coming out of my car’s speakers? The number one song on Gorilla vs. Bear for 2012 was “Climax”??? I triple-checked my Sirius XM display to make sure I was still on XMU. Yep, sure enough, I was. I didn’t understand it, but I loved it! “Climax” was released this past summer and I never tired of it. After the song played, the host stated that that was indeed the #1 song, and that they’d gotten A LOT of shit for it on Facebook. I laughed out loud. Hard. I laughed because of course they got shit for it on Facebook. Anyone who ever hates anything goes straight to the internet to spout their opinion and to engage in pointless arguments with strangers. And I rejoiced because, “yeah, man” it was USHER. Hahahahaha! Take that, hipsters. Take that sultry black voice crooning in your ear about the death of love. Take that smooth dancing, Grammy winning, Bieber loving man and listen. Take in the whole song from beginning to end as if it were on some super secret underground mix-tape that accidentally got leaked. Love it, play it over and over, and then immediately toss it aside because it got played on the radio and now everyone’s heard it. It’s no longer cool to like it, so it must be shit. I felt as if this choice for #1 song of 2012 was just for me somehow, because I don’t care how popular or unpopular something is. If I love it, I love it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to have decent taste in music. I can be somewhat of a music snob myself, but then again I have dated an audiophile whom I’m sure thought my taste was pure shit. But I will say this: if the music moves you in any way, makes you happy, makes you feel something, anything, then it’s your music. Love it, cherish it, and to hell with everyone else.
And with that, I’m off to make my year-end music list!
Uptown Girl 