By Ashleigh Heaton
Entertainment Editor
Sometimes, I wonder why people only listen to American music.
I know, I know, you’re probably asking yourself, “What does she mean? Is there any other kind of music?” The answer would be that, yes, outside of our society, there is a rich mosaic of culture and entertainment that people often don’t acknowledge.
Don’t believe me? Witness:
In Korea, the Backstreet Boys and Justin Timberlake are replaced by Super Junior, Rain and 2 PM. In France and Latin America, it’s the raw, guitar-strumming Anaїs instead of Regina Spektor who sings to the off-beat rhythm of our hearts. In Japan, Britney Spears and her dance moves are easily overthrown by BoA or Lee Hyori.
Don’t recognize any of these performers? It is probably because you won’t find them on Billboard’s Top 100…in America. It’s also because we, as a generation, are unaware of the true vibe of the cultures sharing this world with us and rarely get to experience it. At this point, we are so used to stereotyping these countries – the French are snotty and hate Americans, the Chinese dance around with paper dragons, the Russians wear furry hats – that we never really step back and look at what the people are actually like: how they really are not that different from us.
I am sure other countries have their own prejudices and judgments about America. Someone told me that, to other countries, our language sounds like German does to us – harsh and rude. But our music isn’t the only part of the entertainment portion of a society – pop culture includes fashion, movies, nightlife, among other elements. Thanks to the wonderful invention of the Internet, it’s easier for us to experience non-American music and shows on YouTube or iTunes. So why don’t we? Is it because we don’t live there, or are we just close-minded?
Language barriers are usually the problem – we relate more closely with the Brits, Irish and Australians because they speak English with slight dialect differences (and truly, how much more do we even know about Great Britain other than Monty Python?) But because of this, we miss out on the awesomeness of India’s Bollywood industry (the movie Kal Ho Na Ho will change your life, I guarantee) or the vibrant fashion explosion of the Harajuku district in Japan.
As a big fan of Korean pop music (or, as the nerdy fans like to refer to it, K-Pop), I get a lot of backtalk for my interesting taste in music. I mean, heavens, I cannot even understand what the lyrics are saying. But, for some reason, these same people feel that it is okay for the Koreans to be listening to American music. Do they understand all the words? No, probably not. Music is not all about the words – it is about the pulse and emotion it draws from you. And those feelings connect us despite the language barrier.
We may be separated by oceans, borderlines or languages, but each society has something to offer the other. If we just stick to what we knew, the world would be an incredibly boring place to be. It’s time to look beyond our boundaries and to embrace our world – every part of that world.
