Taste in music is like taste in food. Different people like different things, some people are more used to certain types of music than others. Some people pick favorite genres of music because they grew up hearing it or people around them listen to it or they feel it’s ‘trendy’ to listen to or they just like it. Either way you would never automatically put someone into a specific category because of the kind of food they prefer so why is it okay to automatically stereotype people according to their taste in music?

Why is it that if you are a 15 year old girl you would be expected to know, like and be able to sing along to whatever latest pop culture that’s top in the charts? Why is it that if you describe someone to be a big fan of heavy metal rock bands with names like ‘black Sabbath’ and ‘rage against the machine’ its expected for them to dress in black and act in a certain way and be a certain age?

People’s ideas and opinions have been influenced by the way the music genres promote themselves through their ‘image’. For example young skinny ladies Wearing short skimpy outfits and dancing suggestively to record music videos for RnB, rap and most pop culture songs is commonly known as the ‘must do’ for all the ladies in that industry. As a result this image, having been accepted by todays age as ‘what’s done’ is then bound to rub off on the audience of this kind of music hence the perception that if you listen to this kind of music, you dress a certain way, you act a certain way and you are a certain age. And its not only RnB, its rock, pop, culture, urban, religious music…. People have been manipulated by media to categories people based on the music they listen to.

My recommendation? Country music artists should dress in all black and wear chains and put on a little too much eye liner. Artists like Rihanna and lady gaga should wear a turtle neck and trousers, sit down and just sing. Rap artists should pull up their trousers to waist level and wear their hats the right way round. Get rid of the image stereotypes. Break the status quo and make music once more about the music and not the image of the musicians.