Musical Cosmos

A few days ago it was announced on E! Online that Paris Hilton is working on a new album, to follow last year’s only moderately successful debut ‘Paris’. This news has been met with a predictably negative reaction from many.

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Now I like most kinds of music, and don’t feel the need to have polarised opinions about any genre. I also have a liking for pure pop, and don’t see anything wrong with being ‘mainstream’, in itself. So even though I’m not a Paris fan, I don’t feel the antagonism to Ms Hilton’s musical efforts that some seem to have. Yet at the same time I can understand why she attracts the reactions that she does. Some people haven’t even heard the music, but just fire off a barrage of reflexive criticism because they don’t like how she comes across personality-wise, or because she’s a rich girl who has had a head start in the business. But really, that’s irrelevant - it’s the music that counts most, not the person delivering it. But maybe they’d be happier if she’d spend a few years starving in a grotty garret first, struggling to ‘pay her dues’? (god, I hate that expression - I’ll explain why in a future post! )

Still, I’m happy to admit I liked some of the songs on her previous album - to me it was no better or worse than most of the other mainstram pop stuff out there, and she’s not trying to be anything other than that. She’s not attempting to position herself as a musical genius, creating for posterity. I can enjoy her music for what it is (to me - I appreciate that others may see it differently): a pleasant diversion, when I’m in the mood for that type of thing. And why should it be anything more? To be honest, isn’t that what a lot other, more ’serious’ and critically respected music is too? Snobby critics aside, most people listen to music (and most musicans create music) in large part because it makes them feel good (or at least better).

And that’s not a trivial thing - it’s the whole point of life, as far as I’m concerned! So who cares if it’s a Paris record or the outpourings of an extremely-respected-but-really-rather-dull-and-up-ourselves classic rock band that leads to that feeling good place? I’ll be happy to give her new album a whirl, when/if it sees the light of day.