Can Music Be Universal?
One of the big discussions that we often see swirling around the music industry and its various communities is whether or not music can be universal. Though two people can play the same instrument, they might produce very different melodies when playing after all. Let’s explore this concept a little deeper and take a look at some of the discussions being had.
Cultural Motifs
Nearly every country in the world has music that is wholly its own. Though there may be genres that stretch across multiple nations and peoples, there are still patterns that emerge. For example, British pop music can sound very different both musically and lyrically from American pop, though both can obviously influence each other and other makers of this type of music.
You can also see vast changes within the musical scenes of just a single country. In the UK for example, grime music which emerged out of London sounds completely different from trad music we see in Scotland and Northern Ireland as the heritage and experiences of the musicians is completely different. It is possible to label both as “British music”, but they could not be more different.
Evoking Emotion
It is, however, possible to use music in certain ways to evoke an emotional response that can reach beyond the barriers created by cultural experience. This can often be seen in the reverie with which some of the most classic songs of all time can be held.
Such a response is often capitalised on by different brands to help their own work appeal to a wider demographic of people. For example, if you head to comeon.com, you should be able to find your way to an online casino with games that use classics from the likes of Guns N’ Roses and Ozzy Osbourne. These are songs that are loved by individuals from all backgrounds all over the world. The shared love of such songs despite any cultural differences proves that there is a certain universality to music.
Globalisation
In part thanks to the internet, we are seeing the globalisation of music like never before. People are able to easily browse for new music from countries that they would never have thought about visiting, and it is allowing for the spread of culture and experience like never before.
This can be seen clearest in the rise of the Korean Wave. Though many put the starting point at Psy’s 2012 hit Gangnam Style, the rise in popularity of bands in the past few years such as BTS and BLACKPINK to name but two has helped to show that there is a universality in music that can speak to all of us. Though many of these bands keep their lyrics in their native Korean, international fans still find something in them worth listening to.
Through the worldwide spread of music like this, it is clear that there is a universality to music that allows it to be appreciated by many regardless of where they might come from. We should hopefully only see more of this universality in music emerge both in the charts and beyond in the future.
