Generational disconnect
…is the moment when you find yourself completely unable to relate to ‘kids these days’ and start sounding like your grandma or pop. I’m utterly devasted to report that it happened to me today, thanks to an album by the English chav chic called Lily Allen. She’s the new hot thing apparently; the story goes she did a promotional tour in Australia, one performance in Sydney, one in Melbourne only, and thousands of people queued for hours to get in an see her.
Well my interest is piqued, so I have a listen to the album. And I’m completely unable to understand what’s so darned special. Try as I may, I’m unable to relate to it on any level, not musical, not lyrical, nothing. I’ve completely missed it.
My husband has smugly informed me that I’ve just experienced generational disconnect and that I should get used to it. He’s taking far too much glee in the whole situation, if you ask me. I don’t want to be generationally disconnected! I *want* to get it…I just don’t. Notice the graphic below…there’s no naughties pop influences listed.
Bugger. It’s all downhill from here. Next thing I know I’ll be complaining that music isn’t what it once was because I can’t understand what people are singing. And I don’t want to be that person.
4 Comments so far
Leave a reply
I listened to the album the other day. I didn’t really get that feeling.
Its more that she’s just a total chavette who’s never lived outside of her council estate in London. Music’s average, content is well …. limited. I think the sheer novelty of it counts for a lot of popularity in Australia. Living in London for several years has immunised me somewhat.
First thing I though was she’s the female equivalent of “The Streets”. Another overrated artist.
Gnarls Barkely, on the other hand, are the shizz.
My mobile ringtone at the moment is GB’s cover of Gone Daddy Gone. Loving it!
Aaah, it’s tough when you first realise the past is actually THE PAST - and it sounds so much better than THE PRESENT (with notable exceptions, of course … Gnarls being one, Sleepy Jackson being another, Sarah Blasko being a third, and Keane a fourth … okay so quite a few exceptions!).However, there is no doubt that, in general, modern pop sucks. And so does Lily. People, it is okay to hate her and her ilk.Inanity doesn’t deserve plaudits.
I haven’t listened to her music so can’t comment on whether I’d “get” the musical side. I did read an article about her in Time Out London last week though. She was talking about the Notting Hill Carnival. Did she grow up on a council estate? She grew up in Notting Hill / Ladbroke Grove area - hardly the most deprived area of London. I guess there are council estates there as much as any other place but she came across as very middle class to me so I’m not sure about that.
I wouldn’t worry. I don’t think it’s generational disconnect so much as that you can’t expect to “get” everything within a generation. I didn’t like all music produced in 1993 either.