well i was just about to post something about all these pop people calling themselves artists when they are merely performers. All you have described is so very true and i fully understand and concur with what you have said.
I think it is extremely to make this distinction of artists and performers. Artists create something, which requires thoughts, ideas, concepts etc while performers act something out, rather mindlessly, at times. There are is generally a conception of artists being creative, clever, thought provoking, challenging etc while performers merely act something out.
another important idea is that music is not a product, but an art. Please keep this in mind at all times. That said, pop music is manufactured like a product (like a can of coke) while other music is created. Again, manufacturing has connations of being factory made and a mindless clear cut process, which is the process of creating pop music. Creating, again, like artist has ideas/concepts etc.
another thing about pop music is the way they measure it. The music is measured by the number of sales, number of hits (ie singles) and like the place on the top 100 chart or whatever. Music is an art and can't be measured. i hate how pop music is justified by sales and thats how they rate an album, not for its own merits.
pop music and other popular brand names (clothes, shoes etc) are in some cases a bit like george orwells ideas in 1984, in that they are reducing your ability to think or express anything for yourself and you are being assimilated into one kind of culture. They limit your thoughts and ideas and you turn into a sheep.
War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
i might have more to add later. great thread tho
