Pop Culture Savvy: A Natural Woman

Sawyer
Sawyer

In today’s music industry, many artists have gone under fire for their use of certain recording methods to create a song and make it sound the best it possibly can.

The following quote was brought to my attention by my mom just last week and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share it with all of you.

“Technology is not necessarily helpful in my hands. Trying to record and manipulate audio takes me away from the emotional trajectory of a song. Some might argue that it’s the most important instrument because it records and enhances all the others. Others believe technology is making music less musical.

Which brings me to a question I’m asked consistently in interviews and discussions: “Has today’s technology lowered the quality of music from that of previous generations?”

I believe that as long as people have hearts and minds and the capacity to laugh, cry, dance, feel and fall in and out of love, a good song will always find an audience because it connects us to our humanity. If technology can help people make that connection, I’m a fan.”

The quote is an excerpt from the Carole King biography, “A Natural Woman: A Memoir,” in which she expresses how she feels about the music industry today.

It never really occurred to me that auto-tune, along with other technologies that are commonly used today by many artists, could actually be a good thing.

Of course, I still stand strong by my belief that the music industry is not what it used to be, but maybe these new additions can be for the better.

King said she never wanted to be a performer; she only wanted to write music. It was James Taylor who asked her to perform onstage for the first time.

If anyone is wondering who exactly is Carole King and what songs did she write, check out her second studio album, “Tapestry,” which she won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1972.

The album features hits such as “I Feel the Earth Move,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Where You Lead,” which later went on to become the theme song for “Gilmore Girls.”

King makes a good point. Before you are quick to judge others for their tastes in music, really take a second and try to understand what meaning they take away from the song.

Music means different things to different people. That’s the great thing about it. You can take a song and make it relatable to something you’re going through. And if that makes your life just the slightest bit easier, then who are we to judge?

Column by Savannah Sawyer, Assistant Features Editor.

1 thought on “Pop Culture Savvy: A Natural Woman”

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top