Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

Blackness and whiteness are useful concepts when seperating artists and music genres into categories however that's as far as it goes. You cannot seperate blackness and whiteness simply as its based on a lot more and involves looking deeper into class and economic environment.Eminem is an artist who's music could be described as sounding like and fitting into the genre of black music, he is white yet the background and upbringing he has had has effected the type of music he chooses to produce.

 

Pop music has always depended upon the interaction between white and black traditions - David Hatch & Stephen Milward

To seperate music is to stereotype music and it would mean saying that typical genre's like rap or rnb could only be produced by black people, and that classical music or indie music is only produced by white people, these stereotypes are wrong. White artists have covered black music, like Elvis and The Beatles especially when Rock and Roll came about. Alot of the time Black artists produced rock songs just for white artists to cover it and then have their version released on the radio instead.

 

In my opinion there is a fine and blurry line between seperating blackness and whiteness in studying popular music, i don't think it is useful because everyone is going to have thier own idea's on what it means to them.

Does the emergence of the digital download signal the end for the music industry?

When the MP3 was created a flurry of people took to the internet in order to file share for free, some unaware that infact this was illegal, systems such as Bearshare and Limewire were popular. Music downloads now take up 10% of the total global music market.

 

Lawrence Lessig suggests four types of digital downloading: a substitute for purchasing, a way of purchasing old music that is copyrighted but is no longer in circulation, sampling and later purchasing which is popluar among students or to access material that has not been copyrighted. There has been an uproar about illegal downloading and systems such as iTunes have ensured that people can still digitally download but legally.

 

Media is everchanging and i do not believe that the emergences of digital downloads signals the end for the music industry. I believe that the music industry will work with the change and ensure that they benefit from this emergence, ofcorse with the improvements in portable music and the internet the Music Industry will understand why there is a need for digital downloads.

Can popular music achieve genuine political change?

Music is able to touch us in a unique way, it can send a message out.  Music in films or in television shows can touch us depending on what context it is shown in. Ofcourse some songs can be commercial and meaningless, but many seen as popular music have had the ability to effect political change.

As John Street said we need to address not only the context of its lyrics but also its sound & reception, many bands such as U2 and Pink Floyd have wrote songs based on the idea of sending a political message and bringing on political change.

Band Aid and Live Aid have also both had massive effects on society and change, touching the hearts of people worldwide.
I believe that popular music is able to achieve genuine political change, it is a hard force against politics, as it can touch people so much that they can change their views and open their eyes to certain things. Popular music hasnt always effected political change for a good reason, it has also brought up issues of drugs and sex and violence which has confronted some political issues.