What's the deal with this pop life?

And when's it gonna fade out?

Ok, well, actually, that's a lyric from N*Sync's song "Pop". Remember them? Anyone young in the late 1990's/early 2000's does, I'm sure. But it seemed like an appropriate opening since I want to talk about pop music today. Specifically, boy bands and their music.

I grew up in the era of pop machine boy bands. As formulaic in composition as their catchy songs, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing one of them on the radio: The Backstreet Boys (ironic because they were a bunch of suburban white boys), N*sync, 98 degrees, etc etc. Even though I was never a big fan of the boy band gimmick, I could not help but become familiar with their music.

Each of the bands was the same, had the same ingredients. They had the young and cute front man (ala Nick Lachey and Justin Timberlake). They had the bad boy with the heart of gold. The goofball. And their music was all catchy pop tunes and ballads. This was the mold that made millions and no one broke it. Hell, I can respect it because it’s more money than I’ve ever made!

Now we have more pop princes following the same molds but now mostly solo (thanks American Idol). My problem is the music. In every “Give me a chance/Come back to me” song I’ve ever heard, the main singer (the supposed hero) sounds so damned entitled as if he deserves this woman he wants without any merit, work, or understanding.

Case in point "I'll never break your heart" by none other than the Backstreet Boys.
Lyrics in question:

"Baby I know your hurting
Right now you feel like you could never love again
Now all I ask is for a chance
To prove that I love you"

"Ooh when I asked you out
You said no but I found out
Darling that you'd been hurt
You felt that you'd never love again
I deserve a try honey just once
Give me a chance and I'll prove this all wrong
You walked in you were so quick to judge
But honey he's nothing like me"

To me this screams of a woman fresh out of a bad relationship that's scared to get back into the game. All I see is some guy she doesn't even know that well convinced he's in love with her and demanding she set her own feelings aside to concede to his. Not only is it selfish but it just sounds so damn entitled that I think I switched the radio off every time this song came on. Perhaps the "hero" has good intentions. Perhaps he really loves her. Whatever. If he respected her and loved her, he'd deal with the fact that she needs space and time and wait to be on her schedule and not the other way around.

Newer case in point: Elliot Yamin "Wait for you."
Lyrics in Question:
"Girl you could have stayed
but you wouldn't give me a chance"

"So why does your pride make you run and hide?
Are you that afraid of me?
But I know it's a lie what you keep inside
This is not how you want it to be"

Not even sure where to begin with this one. It's condescending and mean at the same time. Pride is defined as "unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem (personified as one of the deadly sins)" so basically he's saying she left him, didn't give him a chance because she's too full of herself and is somehow threatened by him or his presence? Like, really? Hell, if he talked like that around me or to me I'd leave his ass, too, and try to resist the urge to kick it first. Again with the feeling of entitlement. It's not about the place the woman is at in her life and in her heart, it's about their wounded ego and their desires.

Day 17 - 348 To Go