Why don't young people like "slow" music?

[bobbbing-wire]

The typical youngster complains about how "lame" and "too slow" a ballad is. I find it odd that the youth don't even consider the emotions that emanate from the instruments or the importance of lyrics. They just seem to often be into poppy junk that doesn't have any meaning and that is most likely devoid of any creativity.

Why do you think this is?

Updates

+1 y

Just for the record, I also listen to rock and metal, not just "slow" stuff :P


Just a thought: maybe hormone levels can partly explain this, since it would cause stimulation in teenagers. But I also think there are other psychological reasons.

[sammyangel9991]

I used to be like that when I was younger. I didn't actually start to like the slower songs until I was in high school (I am going to be a junior). I didn't have the patience to listen to them. I never actually paid any attention to the lyrics of songs, but now I listen to a lot of slow ballads and its some of my favorite music. I actually listen to the lyrics of the songs I listen to and I appreciate ballads most out of any other kind of music. Admitedly I do still like some of the faster, pop "junk" just because they are fun to listen to, but I really do like ballads now.

I think that once you begin to actually experience things in life, you turn to music to help you get through difficult times, but until you actually have tough experiences you can't really appreciate the slower, more thoughtful songs. Until a person turns to music to help them get through something, they cannot fully appreciate it or understand the true beauty and power of music.

[bobbbing-wire]

I don't think I started listening to "slow" stuff because I turned to it in hard times, though I see where you're going with this. The opposite could also happen; turning to faster rhythm out of anger.

[sammyangel9991]

I think more than dealing with hard times, our taste in music changes with our emotions. As really young kids like 13 and under, we don't really have any crazy turbulent emotions so we just listen to music that's not that deep. Then when we get older, we actually start to have emotions and then depending on whatever emotions we are experiencing, our taste in music changes. Maybe we like someone, so we listen to songs about love or we lose a family member so we listen to slow songs about loss etc..

[bobbbing-wire]

You make a good point. I just thought about this: since emotions are hard to identify in adolescence, then maybe teenagers turn to the more easily perceptible sounds, most likely poppy junk, since it's easier to listen to and follow.

[sammyangel9991]

Yeah maybe

[Anonymous]

I agree witih you on this one. I love ballads, and even some rock songs have some meaning in their words, so I don't want to isolate it to just the slow music.

I enjoy even the poppy junk too though, not for its meaning but as a way to bring up my energy when I'm feeling down or feeling like dancing. It doesn't mean anything to me other than that though. I think younger people also enjoy this type of music because it's used at school dances and maybe it brings back happy memories with them and their friends.

[bobbbing-wire]

Well, I was referring to how their taste usually goes towards those kinds, while they diss the "slow" stuff. But yeah, without poppy junk, the atmosphere in specific social events would be awkward.

[Lindbergnd]

I'm 16. & I enjoy slow music. It's basically the only kind of music I listen to. I love the beats it makes. I know where yur coming from and sometimes I think they only think upbeat music is cool and wants to listen to things everyone else listens to, or maybe they enjoy a faster beat they can dance to unlike a slow on that yu can just easy-listen.

[Dragonblood21]

I am personally someone who loves music a lot, and not just the genre of music that I listen to, I mean music in general. The sound of the drums, the guitar, the sax, the bass, or even classical instruments I all take in some sort of interest in. I enjoy music that I feel was well written with emotion and creativity, as well as devotion. So usually I will enjoy a slower paced song if it has some nice instrumental work, however if it's a song just filled with "pretty words" with not much instrumental work thrown in there, I will normally not like it. There are of course exceptions, as I don't like a lot of country however some country ha good instrumental music, I'm just not into it.

I am a big metal person, so the majority of the time you will not hear me listening to slow or soft music, as metal/thrash/hardcore are generally my more favorite areas. However I do enjoy a few things like well played Spanish acoustics, or some jazz.

[Kindawiseguy]

Uuuuuuh, your kinda young too man? But I get what your getting at. Its because its old and all young people "know" that newer is better. Plus that's the kinda music mtv plays. Television has captured the minds of the young. Disney has tuned most little girls into its b*tches. But I seriously can't stand hip hop. I'm a classic rock man plus I like some music that goes even more old shool like Sugar Sugar, by the Artchies and abracadabra by the steve miller band.

[bobbbing-wire]

Oh, I'm pretty sure artists still write the "slow" stuff ;) But yeah, the media have a lot to do with it. But at the same time, if kids watch Disney, and their soundtracks are typically orchestral-oriented, then shouldn't...?

[Kindawiseguy]

Yeah, but you know disney has its own popstars now. Ever since that cheetah girls movie. my sisters would would watch it for hours, mimicking the choreagraphy and singing that hip hop stuff. I didn't really hate hip hop before, I just didn't like it much. It changed after thos long long months.

[sachin007]

I live the music.

I am working in creation and editing of music too.

I too love country songs but they should have proper medium or high music like rascal flatts.

Its not that we don't consider the lyrics.

But youth have more warmth blood and activeness and less maturity to listen only for lyrics.

And this is not bad.

Sometimes environmental conditions helps them to listen a categorial music.

Thnx

[NMMan]

A lot of it has to do with the fact that not as many ballads are written anymore, especially in the most popular genres that the young demographic listens to.

[bobbbing-wire]

That's odd, I seem to encounter ballads all the time. But yeah, the young tend to avoid genres with "slow" stuff, so they turn to music that typically has more rhythm.

[Anonymous]

im 17 and a guy..who smokes weed everyday, drinks occasionally, and I love oldies..grew up with my mom in my grandparents house while I was little and they listened to it, and I like it..and neil young too and old school rap, big l, biggie eazy and METAL like opeth, gojira, behemoth..im a weird one huh

[Anonymous]

I'm young and I like slow music.

[Anonymous]

Im young and I happen to love slow songs.