Mainstream music was always meant to appeal to everyone. This idea of authenticity in pop music is almost like an oxymoron. Universality is the name of the game at the end of the day. In its most ideal form, the genre attempts to capture relatability and occasionally euphoria through catchiness. At its worst, it's a means to an end, striving towards the lowest common denominator. Consequently, it's a conflict of interests when you're an artist like Charley Crockett.
Videos by Wide Open Country
He can't help but be unabashedly himself at the end of the day. Trying to please everybody is pleasing nobody at the end of the day. He would rather express himself in the truest sense. That can't be attained by AI or trying to be somebody else for mass appeal. Recently, Crockett expressed this sentiment to Joe Rogan on his podcast, where they dish on why pop music lacks authenticity and how people want reality from artists.
Charley Crockett and Joe Rogan Talk The Value of Authenticity in Music
"It's gotta be real. There's something, just like I was talking about with comedy, like, they have to know that you're really thinking that. It's something in music too. They like when you write your own s*** too. They know it's coming from someone's mind, and their soul, it's coming from their life experience. It's who they are as a human being, this is their art. This is a true expression of their being. That's what makes people loyal," Rogan tells Charley Crockett.
It's something that's clearly aspiration for a lot of artists. It's to the point where Crockett knows artists that "just wanna take a picture standing next to authenticity." Rogan goes full throttle on the measure of authenticity, telling Charley that AI could never replace the truth of real people. It might create catchy music but there has to be something true and personable.
"I love looking at something that somebody made. It came from their soul. It came from whoever they are as a human, they laid it down. Whether it's music, or whether it's art, comedy. Whatever it is, it's like, that that's coming from a human. and we're always gonna want to be connected to that," Rogan tells Charley.
