The dreaded question: “What is your music taste?” Okay, so maybe we don’t dread it. Let me rephrase: we are stumped by it. Most of the time, we either feel the compelling need to dive head first into the explanation as to why we like the music we do or we have trouble even coming up with a way to describe it at all. There is so much to pack into what is, in theory, very simple to sum up. A lot of us start stuttering out answer about how we listen to a little bit of everything to avoid getting specific.
Then, that common fear creeps up in the back of our minds. The worst case scenario hanging
over you is the possibility of the person posing the question judging your answer. It’s time to address the elephant in the room and admit that there is no “right” answer. No matter what, you are going to run into people who make immediate assumptions about you based on your most listened to list. To be asked such a seeming mundane, yet crisis-inducing question happens way more often than some of us would like. Especially when judgement is always a lurking worry.
Music is meant to be a creative outlet of expression for artists and listeners alike. However,
freebases and genre purists have made discussions about it borderline impossible to get through
without condescending comments or defensive arguments. There should be an all encompassing consensus that our taste doesn’t need justifying.
There are reasons behind an individual’s favorite song, artist, album, etc. It isn’t our place as
fellow enjoyers, whether we have similar tastes or not, to share our opinion about how “good”
something is. Music is a subjective art form and is meant to be appreciated as well as critiqued,
but there shouldn’t be a pressure to stick to what is socially acceptable in your environment.
Setting should never dictate something as personal as the music you listen to.
The amount of times we hear about boy bands and pop music being primarily consumed by
mindless, hive-mind teenage girls is a constant theme in modern media. Even the silly labels of
“sad girl music”, “male manipulator music”, or the common “everything but country” have been
exhausted. These are the snide remarks that build into a mountain of stereotypes that affect
musicians and their fans.
Music is a constantly evolving industry, rules aren’t mandatory for something that is meant to
shift and adjust as we grow. No song, artist, or genre is embarrassing. Honestly, it is more
humiliating to have preconceived judgment for something that doesn’t immediately fulfill the
requirement of what you personally believe to be “good”. Be confident about what you listen to,
whether or not you think the world around you is in agreement.Hesitation to respond to such a loaded question is expected in a world where archetypal listening is the standard. There is a desire to be accepted and approved of for what we choose to save to playlists or decide are our favorites. It takes away from the entire point of music, which is to discover, share, and enjoy.
Listen unapologetically
