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Smaller World

You know you are person of certain vintage when you don't recognize a single song or band that makes the top 12 list for the summer. I take that back - did know a few names there.  I am very impressed by people of my age and older who keep up with trending music and are able to discover new things they like apart from the music they grew up with. My theory is that their brain and hearing is more nimble, receptive to unfamiliar stimulus and most importantly then minds are still young. 

There is no glory in becoming unable and unwilling to stay in touch with the times, it only makes your world shrink and get crowded out by the newness that you cannot be part of or relate to. I listened (or attempted to) to all the tracks in the list and nothing except one stuck. 

Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” is a bit of a Rorschach test for music lovers. Depending on whom you ask, the Philly soul-inspired collaboration from Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak is an obscene exercise in retro-fetishism or an immaculate homage; a been-there, done-that cash grab or a serendipitous meeting of two pop-R&B figureheads. When the song arrived out of nowhere earlier this spring, the jokes about its overwhelming palatability flowed like water—and the hammy singers were right there waiting with their Lacoste brand deal, eager to lap it all up.

Given my challenges with new music  - inability to wrap my head around things that lack "overwhelming palatability", I make extra effort with movies and books - it seems a lot easier to find things to like and relate to. I would love to keep my world from shrinking and turning inward as I grow older but that is much easier said that done. 


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