Does it bother you when the media calls a pop artist a "genius" ?

[orlandopiano]

I was reading a music column in a magazine the other day and it referred to Alicia Keys as a "musical genius".  This kind of thing always makes me giggle. Why is she a genius? Because she can play the piano and write her own pop songs?

I've also seen the genius term thrown around for people like Brian Wilson, and even Chrs Martin from Coldplay. This probably shouldn't bother me, but it does. When there are true musical geniuses out there, the word should only be reserved for those who truly deserve it.  I am not saying there can't be geniuses in the pop music industry, but the names mentioned above are not in that category.

[nanabush]

I think ppl who 'write their own music' unlike lotsa ppl today and compose or create music along with it, not sure if Alicia Keys does don't listen to her music, but I guess they're considered geniuses in the 'pop world', but compared to all other music I don't think so.

[ludwig]

I like Alicia Keys I think they meant genius in their own industry, like nanabush said. They are good at entertaining and have their skills in involving and communicating with the audience. Their music reach out to alot of people and I guess thats what they're referring to. Alicia Keys also improvises and is influenced by some of great jazz classics and pop and can refer to them on the spot with a little tribute on stage...I like her concerts and generally I listen to all sorts of music, yes, even pop/rock... I don't understand this rivalry between music in the entertainment industry and classical or art music, because they are to be taken differently, I don't want to analyse pop music because it is true that the musical elements within are not that complex and interesting, and yes there are a lot of crap pop rock packaged and manufactured music out there, but some tunes are catchy, some beats are groovy So I listen to it =) the enjoyment of classical music should be on a different level and not compared to music in the entertainment industry...I love both forms of musical expression, just differently

/end of rant

[jas]

It even bothers me when half of them are referred to as "artists" or "musicians." I realise some of them are really talented but I don't think the word "genius" even applies. How they can compare Alicia Keys to the likes of Mozart or Einstein is beyond me.
The word loses its meaning when it's tossed around so indiscriminately.

Jas

[ako]

I tend to agree with Ludwig. It doesn't bother me if they call her an artist or a genius. I think Alicia Keys definitely has talent. What bothers me is if the person really has no talent (i.e. sings totally off-key) and they're regarded as the greatest thing out there! One example is the 2nd runner-up of American Idol - Vonzell. She is off every single performance and yet most audience thought she's so great. BTW, I'm a classical singer.

[ted]

I tend to think it is simply one more sign of deteriorating English usage. Words such as "genius", "awesome" and "fantastic" are bandied about as mere intensifiers. Many people use the word "genius" synonymously with "talent".  Genius, it seems to me, implies much more than even great talent. The word once meant the possession of something, in addition perhaps (though not always) to strength of intellect - something  uniquely original, uniquely special, and recognisable as such by significant numbers of people, maybe not immediately, but certainly over time.

It is probably safer in most cases to use the word "talent". However, "genius" has aquired such an emotive hold in general parlance that it seems unlikely the process will be reversed.

[musik_man]

"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read"

-Frank Zappa

I really couldn't care less if they call them geniuses(or whatever the plural of genius is).  Those 'geniuses' will be forgotten in a decade

[Eusebius_dk]

It even bothers me when half of them are referred to as "artists" or "musicians." I realise some of them are really talented but I don't think the word "genius" even applies. How they can compare Alicia Keys to the likes of Mozart or Einstein is beyond me.
The word loses its meaning when it's tossed around so indiscriminately.

Jas

I think you're completely right? When was the last time you heard pop singers create art? To be an artist, you have to make art, that obvious. But still, when you watch the Grammy awards, they always rewards "best male/female artist" etc.

Most pop music (is it music at all?) may kill your time, you might even be entertained. But art is not entertainment.

[ludwig]

I think you're completely right? When was the last time you heard pop singers create art? To be an artist, you have to make art, that obvious. But still, when you watch the Grammy awards, they always rewards "best male/female artist" etc.

Most pop music (is it music at all?) may kill your time, you might even be entertained. But art is not entertainment.

what is art? if its not entertainment do we still enjoy it? If entertainmnet, like the dictionary says, paying/holding attention to something amusing then there are similar properties to the enjoyment of listening to all sorts of music? Been entertained and enjoying something can be applied to different kinds of music repectively, and what do you mean by creating art? Are we creating art when we play Chopin or Beethoven? To be honest, I think there are many talented "pop" musicians out there who write great songs and can communicate emotions and express feelings through them... I agree though that maybe we should use the terms "talent" rather than genius, perhaps we could use the terms"talented" and "gifted" for different types of musicians?? Just a thought, because these terms do mean very different things...

[goansongo]

It's silly to be bothered by something like that.  If they are called "genius" it means they've done something right.  Yeah, Chopin, Liszt, and whoever else might be considered musical "geniuses" to us, but that's for people who are involved in that kind of music.  When you ask a question like the one in this topic, it seems like you're trying to say that you're not a genius unless you compose classical music and that pop music, rap music, or whatever else can never have "geniuses."

[orlandopiano]

...it seems like you're trying to say that you're not a genius unless you compose classical music and that pop music, rap music, or whatever else can never have "geniuses."...

Uh, did you read my entire post? The last sentence in particular?

[thalberg]

Orlando, no one ever reads posts, they just make a snap judgment and reply to your subject heading with the utmost self-righteous tone.  It's happened to me many times.  I've probably even done it myself since I don't read posts either.

Anyway, people think EVERYONE is a genius now days.  People who play the piano are geniusies, people who improvise, people who write *anything* at all are geniuses, as are people who give good massages and people who make tasty sandwiches.  They're  all geniuses.  Get with the program.  You're a genius, too! (I even got called a genius for playing Ravel's Jeaux d'Eau--like no one has ever done that before!!!)

[mikeyg]

IF THEY'RE SO DUMB, THEN WHY DO THEY ALL MAKE MORE MONEY THAN ALL OF US [SIZE=8PT]combined[/size]

[orlandopiano]

IF THEY'RE SO DUMB, THEN WHY DO THEY ALL MAKE MORE MONEY THAN ALL OF US [SIZE=8PT]combined[/size]

mikey, you must have learned how to read from goansongo. *Where* in my post did I call them dumb?

[mikeyg]

NO.  I LEARNED TO READ FROM THE MISSIONARIES WHO CAME O MY VILLAGE IN AFRICA 8 YEARS AGO.

[goansongo]

Uh, did you read my entire post? The last sentence in particular?

Yeah, I did read everything. 

[ako]

Just my own observation (can be right or wrong) after reading all the posts. The word "genius" has indeed been thrown around too much and even though we say that there can be geniuses in pop, rap, jazz and other non-classical arenas, most of us (including myself sometimes) are still biased towards non-classical music either consiously or unconsiously (I suddenly blanked out on how to spell this word, is it correct?)

[rlefebvr]

IF THEY'RE SO DUMB, THEN WHY DO THEY ALL MAKE MORE MONEY THAN ALL OF US [SIZE=8PT]combined[/size]

"Money for nothing and chicks for free"- Dire Straight

That's genius enough for me....

[goansongo]

You know what kind of people I consider real geniuses?  Savants.... especially prodigious ones.