Why don't we have good music?

There is a popular content creator on Bilibili who creates an annual "Best Songs" playlist. The songs he selects are not the mainstream ones, but they are innovative and unique. However, the style of the comments on his videos is usually like this:

This article mainly discusses the music environment in China and the reasons behind it.

First of all, many people think that the artistic level in China is low. However, in terms of literature, Chinese has always been one of the three core subjects in our education system. I recently reread the Chinese textbooks from my middle school days and had a completely different feeling. Each text is worth reading multiple times. At that time, I couldn't fully understand phrases like "a grain of sand in the vast sea" or "a fleeting moment in the universe".

If you look at the various essays on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform), you will find that many people still have the ability to appreciate art. Although their expressions may be formulaic, at least they have the ability. However, in terms of "art", China has always been in a strange situation. We have talented individuals, but they usually stay within their own circles and are not well-known to the general public. Even those who have some knowledge of these individuals may see their lack of recognition as an advantage. This leads to a mutual abandonment between the artists and the general public. When it comes to writers, many people can name famous Chinese authors such as Lu Xun, Yu Qiuyu, Zhu Ziqing, and Yu Hua. However, if you ask about talented symphony conductors, violinists, or electronic music producers in China, many people may be unfamiliar with them. In the Chinese music industry, the artists who are well-known to the public are not necessarily the ones who have talent and create quality works, but rather those who become popular through memes and controversies. We lack a universal appreciation for art.

Therefore, for the general public, it is true that they feel there is a lack of good music.

I used to have the idea that "everyone is already busy, isn't music just for enjoyment?" Most people are already tired from work, so why bother learning music theory or searching for obscure songs? Isn't it enough to listen to simple catchy songs? At that time, I thought that if everyone had a little more money and didn't have to struggle for a living, they would naturally pursue spiritual fulfillment and discover good music.

If we look at countries like Vietnam, which we consider to be less developed, we can see that the general public has a good appreciation for music. In a highly developed country, cultural activities are usually driven by two factors. One is that the region has a single industry and relies on a certain thing for spiritual support, such as football in Argentina, where children playing football is recognized as a social value. The other is that the region itself is already developed enough, and people's material needs are satisfied, so they naturally pursue spiritual fulfillment. Examples include traditional music powerhouses like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan, as well as the strong electronic music scene in Northern Europe. The current popular genre of city pop originated in Japan during the economic bubble era. However, China's historical stage does not match either of these two situations. We are not so poor that we can only rely on music to support our national spirit, nor are we developed enough that everyone's material needs are fully met. Currently, China is in a turbulent stage of "developing hard power," and art occasionally serves as a tool. In this environment, music education is not valued, and the aesthetic level lags behind. It is normal for the general public to lack the ability to appreciate high-quality works.

At the same time, it should be noted that a civilization cannot have only one historical stage. Generally, as long as a civilization goes through the two stages I mentioned earlier, there is a high probability of nurturing good art forms. However, whether these art forms can be continuously inherited and evolved is equally important. For example, the people of Jamaica were once enslaved and needed their own music to express themselves after their liberation. This led to the birth of reggae, which has been continuously improved and developed. China has experienced many periods of cultural prosperity, but due to frequent changes in dynasties and social instability, the inheritance of various cultural arts has been severely damaged. The Book of Songs, for example, can be sung, but the actual melodies have been lost because they were passed down orally.

When I was a child, I often watched music variety shows like "China's X Voice" with my parents. When the contestants cried and talked about how they dedicated their lives to music, I found it strange because I thought it was just singing a song. In elementary school, my art teacher played "Spirited Away" for us, but I didn't find it particularly moving or impressive. However, it had an indescribable attraction, and I often think back to the scene of Yubaba's bathhouse, which felt like a small world.

As one of the most popular forms of art, music is in a better position compared to abstract paintings or installation art. At least there are still many people who listen to music and comment that "the Chinese music scene is dead." In contrast, the comments on the exhibitions of major art schools are often disappointing. Recently, the "Inverted Desk" exhibit at the Central Academy of Fine Arts received positive reviews from the public. I believe this is the power of art, which can transcend social barriers and resonate with people through appropriate abstraction and guidance, allowing them to interpret and resonate from different perspectives without deviating from the original intention of the creator.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier, there is currently a strong disconnect between high-quality works and the general public in China. If we look at the popularity rankings in neighboring Japan, we can see that artists like Fujii Kaze, Vaundy, and Official Hige Dandism, who are relatively new and have complex compositions, are at the top. In comparison, the songs on the mainstream charts in China are often more simplistic. Since the era of Zhou Jielun and Wang Feng, there hasn't been a new generation of outstanding artists who can consistently dominate the mainstream charts with their unique and high-quality works. The reason why Zhou Jielun is highly regarded in mainland China is because his songs are still considered excellent in terms of quality, and he has the ability to create music that is both popular and unique. This is a strong artistic ability, or what I mentioned earlier as "artistic conveyance." The conveyance of art directly determines the consumer experience of art. The conveyance must consider the demographic structure of the current consumers. The top musicians in China are very talented in their respective fields, but the general public is unable to fully understand their content. We clearly lack intermediate content that can bridge this gap. The general public has a low acceptance of advanced composition (such as strange notes, chords, or rhythms in a song), but they have a higher acceptance of advanced arrangement (such as adding samples, using traditional instruments, or lo-fi effects). The artists who are widely accepted and praised by the general public are usually those who focus on the latter.

Most of the time, when people listen to a piece of music, they can only grasp about 10% of the effort and creativity that the artist put into the lyrics, arrangement, and composition. Their evaluation often stops at "this melody is catchy" or other abstract comments.

In the music industry, various activities mostly cater to insiders. Today, there may be an exhibition, tomorrow a competition, and the day after tomorrow a music project. If only a small group of people's skills are improved, it will be like the "barrel effect," and the general public will still be unable to understand. If we start from the outside and provide the general public with more knowledge and methods to appreciate music, if everyone can appreciate slightly more complex music and uncover the deeper structure behind the "catchy" surface, then the general public's understanding of a piece of music may increase from 10% to 30%. Whether it is new or existing works, everyone will benefit from this.

So, what is the value of "good music"? Why do people often mock "art" but still invest so much in it? It is important to note that cultivating a good artist is not cheap. If the general public is satisfied with simple and catchy songs that bring them happiness, isn't that good enough? However, for us, there is a difference between "shining" happiness and "artificially flavored" happiness. It is like the difference between endorphin-induced happiness and dopamine-induced happiness. Moreover, from a historical perspective, it is usually the former that drives society forward. People often say that "music is subjective, art is subjective," but just like TikTok and documentaries, people can find happiness in both, but there is no debate that one is more nourishing. When you appreciate good art, you will feel that your time is filled with meaning and even extended. It is an accumulative life experience.

At the same time, whether it is in literature or technological inventions, good things bring "possibilities." I used to not understand why The Beatles held such a high position in the history of music, but considering their historical background, they pioneered new recording and distribution methods, bringing albums into the mainstream and pushing popular music forward for a generation. These new possibilities allowed future generations to have more freedom in their creative pursuits. We currently have many unanswered questions, but we can try to ask more and better questions. Perhaps when a new question arises, the current difficulties will be replaced. It's like when we were in elementary school, we thought we would die if we couldn't finish a homework assignment, but as we grew up, we realized that those problems were not important at all.

I have seen many people around me get through difficult times with one or two songs. I also know someone who chose a career in aerospace engineering because they watched "Interstellar." I follow a Bilibili content creator who has an avatar of Rei Ayanami and conducts experiments in a biological laboratory. The guidance and attraction of excellent artistic works to serious technology cannot be ignored.

Art is not everything in life, just like the lyrics of Oasis' song:

Please don't put your life in the hands
Of a Rock n Roll band

But I mentioned my childhood memories at the beginning of this article. Now, after finishing middle school, high school, university, and entering society for almost two years, I have realized that people need a basic compass in life. Whether it is the pursuit of freedom, the pursuit of universal harmony, or the pursuit of making the world's best pancakes, we all need something to anchor our lives. No matter how much we achieve in our careers, if we just move from one enclosed space to another, it is meaningless. When "Spirited Away" was re-released, I took my parents to watch it. When Chihiro told Haku his name and descended from the sky, Joe Hisaishi's "Reprise" played, and my mom said she didn't know why tears started flowing. Last year, during Chinese New Year, I listened to "Ying Shan Hong" with the older generation. On countless anxious nights, I took notes while listening to "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence." I exchanged letters with strangers who share the same love for a band, traveling 2000 kilometers back and forth. The meaning of life lies in experiences and helping others to experience. These moments, these experiences, are the meaning of art in my life. I also hope that more people can have the ability to experience and create a more positive atmosphere with the help of music and other art forms.

Art is the spiritual anchor of civilization, and it is difficult to change the course of history. However, I hope that those who have the ability can shine and contribute to the transition and progress of the Chinese music market. It is arrogant for those who are lucky enough to have the ability to appreciate art to label others as having "low taste" without considering their education and resource allocation. In the music market, we need more musicians who can set aside their egos and create transitional high-quality music that is easy to understand. Those with excellent appreciation skills should also abandon the illusion of being superior and recommend and explain music to those around them with a humble attitude. The media should have more conscience and create better content, fulfilling their role as a social platform for discussion. The major platforms hope that one day, someone with both the ability and ideals will take the helm, or that they can maintain their original intentions and strive forward. Those with experience and knowledge can also contribute by creating supporting knowledge content (such as the liberal music theory we are building), allowing the public to cross the low-quality industrialized cocoon at a lower cost and have more experiences with music, and allowing high-quality works to be more fully interpreted and consumed.

Art is not the entirety of life, as the lyrics of Oasis' song suggest. But as I mentioned earlier, I have memories from my childhood, and now I understand the emotions of the musicians on "China's X Voice" who dedicated their lives to music. After finishing middle school, high school, university, and entering society for almost two years, I realized that people need a basic compass in life. Whether it is the pursuit of freedom, the pursuit of universal harmony, or the pursuit of making the world's best pancakes, we all need something to anchor our lives. When "Spirited Away" was re-released, I took my parents to watch it, and when Chihiro told Haku his name and descended from the sky, Joe Hisaishi's "Reprise" played, and my mom said she didn't know why tears started flowing. Last year, during Chinese New Year, I listened to "Ying Shan Hong" with the older generation. On countless anxious nights, I took notes while listening to "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence." I exchanged letters with strangers who share the same love for a band, traveling 2000 kilometers back and forth. The meaning of life lies in experiences and helping others to experience. I hope that everyone can gain more precious experiences in their 70-80 years of life with the help of music and other art forms.