Music criticism is dead. Long live music criticism.
Musical analysis is alive and well in videoland
In 2021, Malcolm Gladwell was busy publicizing his Paul Simon audiobook, Miracle and Wonder. His long conversations with the great songwriter sounded promising enough to me. Then Gladwell’s enthusiasm for his new project carried him off the rails:
"I hope I don’t sound too self-regarding when I say I think it’s really, really good. Stories about musicians, to my mind, should only be told in audio form—which is why Miracle and Wonder was imagined and created as an audiobook alone. Why would anyone read a book about a musician? It would be like following the ballet on the radio. I would totally encourage you to preorder it here."
I understood the advantages of audio storytelling about music. For nearly two decades I found great satisfaction in producing National Public Radio essays and stories, mostly about music. Playing musical examples to illustrate or underscore ideas is a huge advantage. I mean, even album liner notes are multimedia, intended to be read while listening. With audio, show and tell is possible.
Yet it was absurd for Gladwell to dismiss music writing’s considerable contribution of history, storytelling, and perspective to the culture-at-large. Musicians are compelling characters for narrative writing; music-making can be the stuff of great scenes. Gladwell was seemingly unencumbered by the thought process here: If all writing about music is pointless, then so is attempting to communicate anything about food beyond the act of eating.
So don’t worry. I won’t tell you that all music writing is now dead or worthless.
However, I am now convinced that Gladwell was right in one area: musical analysis and criticism. Writing can’t beat audio for musical analysis.
And if audio is good, video is even better.
As a late adopter, I’m an unlikely advocate for video musical analysis. My orientation was print. I started writing about music at the close of the 20th century during the last gasp of daily music reviews. After attending a show, I’d study Ben Ratliff’s overnight review in The New York Times the next day, comparing his observations to mine, acquiring language to express my impressions and ideas.
When legacy media began slashing resources for written content, writers were advised to “pivot to video.” Writers tend to resent being told what’s good for us. I remained stuck in the 20th century, lamenting the contraction of the music writing landscape while music criticism was migrating to video—and in some cases, thriving there. YouTube. Later, TikTok.
So video is nothing new, of course. Still, I bet I’m not the only Gen Xer or even Millennial who needs a little nudging to see video’s desirability for music criticism. Video involves multiple ways to show and tell how music works and what it means. Video can do more with musical analysis.
Most of us know and appreciate Rick Beato’s work. Beato’s YouTube videos are full seminars, like taking a class with your favorite instructor. Likewise for popular YouTuber Adam Neely. You’re in school; he’s the lecturing expert.
But much of today’s video music criticism comes out of the music reaction video tradition. If tradition is too much, we can just call it a trend. You probably remember when they emerged. Kids listen to golden oldies, ostensibly for the first time, and show us their responses onscreen.
At first, I hated music reaction videos. My issue wasn’t with the kids. I’d always loved those moments in real life when an older song came on and a young smartass said something like, “Wait, does ‘rollin’ like thunder under the covers’ mean what I think it does? The 80s were so dirty.” I was annoyed that the cultural preference for familiar music was so pronounced that people would rather watch a babyface mug reactions to well-known tracks than discover new music.
Eventually, I relaxed and found appreciation for music reaction videos, especially the racial dynamic of cross-cultural responses. They could be big fun. Here’s a favorite:
A few months ago, I walked downstairs to find my 12yo son glued to YouTube. A telegenic face yapped in a corner of the screen while music played. I told my son to stop watching reaction videos and do something more enriching.
“I actually learn about music from this guy,” the 12yo protested.
“These videos are just diversions,” I said. “Go read or play guitar or something.”
As I turned to leave, though, I heard the video guy say something that sounded like “pentatonic scale.”
“Wait, did he just say pentatonic scale?” I asked my son. “He talks about music theory? Who is this?”
I sat down and was introduced to RoomieOfficial, a musician and producer with 7.5 million YouTube subscribers.
Some of RoomieOfficial’s hallmarks are flashy quick cuts and zany sound effects. He’ll sometimes use only a sprinkling of terms like vibrato and tone in his videos. I don’t mind. RoomieOfficial knows a little something about music and chooses to share it in Gen Alpha’s lingua franca. He’ll turn to his keyboard to explore a musical concept, throw up a written musical example onscreen, and keep it light all the while. His motto: “Music should be more fun.”
My favorite video critic of late is singer-songwriter, comedian, and actor Charlene Kaye, who does brilliant parodies of pop songwriting styles. She’s done them for Lana Del Rey, Vampire Weekend, Charli XCX, and Dua Lipa. Charlene’s breakthrough parody was Taylor Swift.
Charlene’s accurate and hilarious parodies are music theory lessons unto themselves. See how she also flashes chords onscreen for some added edification? An element of mockery is at play, but her parodies don’t feel mean-spirited so much as true. Most songwriters craft songs according to patterns or formulas. The Taylor Swift pattern exposed by Charlene happens to be a phenomenally effective one, a formula of unprecedented success. In a video comment, a music professor said Charlene had inspired her to assign stylistic parodies to her students. What better way to learn?
RoomieOfficial and Charlene Kaye are among scores of artists making music criticism videos today. Tom Moon recently wrote a strong post about respected YouTuber Wings of Pegasus’s analysis of pitch correction. You may have favorites of your own.
Legacy media still publishes far too much written musical analysis without audio examples, even online. However compelling the writing may be, how many readers have the attention spans to leave a publication’s site, search for relevant music, listen, then return to the piece and continue reading? A few, maybe. Even fewer can summon musical examples in their minds. Long gone are the days when general music literacy meant a writer could name a rhythm, for example, and most readers would hear it in their heads. If those days ever existed at all.
When it comes to music criticism, even augmenting text with audio examples may not be enough anymore. My Substack review of a Maria Schneider concert found a wide and appreciative readership. Still, adding a quick criticism video to the text wouldn’t have hurt the review. Both/and. Text and video analysis.
Exceptions exist, as always. When I read Jimmy Webb’s Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, I was happy to dart over to the piano and sound out concepts he discussed. Some of us still enjoy written music criticism.
Plenty don’t, though.
Here’s the good news: Unlike the crowded podcast terrain, the video music criticism market is not yet saturated. Especially for music beyond pop.
A warning. Anyone older than Gen Z who attempts video musical analysis needs to be patient with themselves. We tend to do videos badly at first. We look and sound too careful, like we’re weighing every word. It takes a lot of practice to let ourselves become more natural onscreen. But we can.
When I see SexMob in Denver tonight, I’ll record a few quick videos during the show, then produce a reaction/review video with my son. Maybe I’ll find the courage to share it here at Call & Response. It will be mercifully short, I promise.
Which video music critics do you like? Comment below with any of your favorites.
Watching Beato is like taking a masterclass in whatever it is he's talking about. I also enjoy Fantano, though I almost never agree with anything he says. I'm surprised no one has mentioned him yet.
Polyphonic and Sideways are some of the only music analysis channels on Youtube I've found educational. Really great stuff from them.