pdoggy85 wrote:
R&B will never die out. It just follows the path of evolution. What you consider R&B is a far cry from what the original R&B singers and musicians used to produce. Look up what constituted R&B in the 1920's-50's. By your definition, you could say they don't produce that same type of music these days and that it has "died out."
The reason R&B won't die is because it is generally relatable music. Disco was a bunch of dumb +!% party music that usually didn't make no damn sense. I understand some disco songs might have had underlying meaning and whatnot, but really, who can actually relate to a song like YMCA or Dancing Queen? To me, it's just random words that were strung together with a catchy beat and made for dancing(although I do see your point that alot of current R&B seems to be following this trend, T-Pain/Akon/etc).
But this is just the evolution of music. Tastes change, needs change. If we go through a major depression or world changing devastation, I guarantee that you will see a huge shift in the type of music that gets produced, and that poppy T-Pain crap will become "extinct." The past couple decades have seen alot of party music because to be honest, there isn't a whole lot to be depressed about.
So no, I don't think R&B will be going anywhere. It might assume a different form or style, but like I said, the form that you're hoping to keep is already something different than what it used to be.
Cliffnotes for stupid NTer's that can't read: R&B is not going anywhere.
I feel ya on that but the 20's thru late 50's rnb was a label to replace the term race/black music. So regardless what an african american artist id it was deemed as rnb. The genre was nitched, or for better words labed to a specific music in the late 50's/early 60's. So that would be like the isleys, the temptations,sam cooke etc... Babyface,Boyz II Men,Brian McKnight etc arent much of a stretch from the generations of the past. But artist like jerimih(or however you spell it) is a far far cry from those previous artist.
Plus with sales as bad as they are, true you have the robin thickes' etc that do exceptionally well in both sales and in tours, that success as of late has been at best mediocre. I mean look at an artist like musiq who had a top selling album/tour just a few yrs ago. Now couldnt even go halfway gold and may at best, sellout a local bar/club. Plus the majority of there sales etc are from a targeted audience. The 30 $+% and up crowd. These ppl arent gonna buy music nor live forever.
So who will be purchasing these artist then? The kid who only exposer to rnb is chris brown, a lil trey songz, and they older sis/bro r.kelly albums? with them growing up with 95% of there ipod filled with gucci,waka,jay z, etc. It just doesnt seem feasible that they will become an avid listener to the genre, and if so will be free.
