While my previous music tastes consisted exclusively of indie, folk and alternative rock, I’ve always had a secret soft spot for a well-constructed pop song with a pretty vocal. When I first heard Closer by the Chainsmokers, featuring Halsey, I tried really hard not to like it. Primarily because some stubborn and judgmental part of me makes me overly critical of anything that falls into the category of “bangers”. And secondly because of the wholeheartedly generic formula the song seems to follow. However, on the second or third listen, I realised I was hooked, and there was quite simply nothing to be done about that. My conclusion is that there may just be a correct way to execute a so called, “banger”. Perhaps my reservations have sprung from all of the noise of artists who don’t quite get it right. But there are certain songs out there that I really can’t fault. The production, execution, vocal and lyrics of Closer combine to make a song that is feel-good in a melancholy kind of way. The content evokes a feeling that we’re all familiar with, the feeling of nostalgia. If I think of my guilty pleasures playlist, nostalgia seems to be the common thread that runs through each of the songs that I secretly listen to in the shower. Maroon 5’s latest hit takes me back to a time in my early teens where Songs About Jane played on repeat on the tiny CD player in my bedroom. The tracks by an Afrikaans rapper who shall remain unnamed remind me of my search for an identity apart from the private girls school where I spent most of my teenage life. Perhaps there’s a subliminal element of nostalgia in more music than we think. Whether it’s Twenty One Pilots including universal childhood imagery in their lyrics or Adam Levine’s smooth-ass voice reminding me of what it felt like to be a fourteen year old girl, nostalgia draws us in with and without us noticing.
In conclusion, I’ve enjoyed my life a lot more since I’ve decided to be open to different genres of music, and I’m not ashamed to say that there are a number of bangers playing in my home at least twice a week. But don’t get me wrong, I stand by my thesis that there’s a right and a wrong way to execute a pop song, but I’d like to add, that it feels undeniably good when it’s done right.
