When Kanye mounted the stage and took the mic from a shell-shocked Taylor Swift, a nation wept for her embarrassment and heartbreak.
Revenge, best served cold, is Taylor’s.
Five years after Kanye questioned her winning over Queen B, Swift has solidified her name as Pop music’s Queen Dujour, ruling in the kingdom of pop with her princes from One Direction. No bows down to Beyonce, no calls of hip hop hooray. Even Pharrell’s ubiquitous “Happy” lost out to Katy Perry.
Given the list of the AMA’s winners yesterday, I wonder if pop music will continue its trend of decreasing diversity. Last years biggest records sported a roster of mostly white performers. Makes sense in a country that is majority white, right? Well , given the history of music and the massive popularity of hip Hop and rap, the last decade provided a more diverse cast of artists than recent years. America itself is increasingly diverse, with nearly 30% of Americans belonging to a minority group. When it comes to the young ‘uns–kids under 1–over half of them are minorities. So the future of music looks diverse but…..
If this year’s AMA’s are any indication, this years top selling songsters this year may again check the same box off on the census. Is the audience shifting, are results skewed by sophomore social media voters, or are the times a-changing? Weigh in below!
Susan X Jane 