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I posted early this morning on pop star Mika's new song "We are golden." Mostly, it was a negative view of the lyrics.
[Click here to listen to Mika's "We are golden"].
I like the song a lot. There is a fullness about it. As I say in the post: "This particular song is big, orchestral, cosmic even."
There are many talents around in the arts. Pop music generates its own brand of talents, however much the highbrow elites deride them. Like I said in my last post, pop culture is an extension (or a modern version) of folk culture. We have to take it seriously, and even nurture it. This is the same with "Hollywood" films, where there are many directors who are using long-earned and learned skills and techniques in filmmaking, which if we totally dismiss, will result in a completely barren artistic world.
I think part of the problem is that people don't know how to do beautiful art anymore. And if they do it, they have to infuse it with repelling decadence. A little like the rose scene in Chéri, where Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Léa, bends down to smell a beautiful pale pink rose, only to find it disintegrating in her hands.
So, the question is: how do we get to do beautiful art once more? And not only that, meaningful art as well, which is equally important, since Mika's problem is his profound nihilism.
I would venture to say that we, older veterans (and our mentors too), owe these younger artists an explanation (which will force us to search our own intentions as well) as to why art has turned this corner and is staring into the abyss. We also need the courage of our convictions, and return to beauty once again.
Mika and his ilk are only following what they see. They are, after all, being true to themselves and their surroundings.
