A REFLECTION OF POPULAR CULTURE

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES

1. Understand how music shaped Philippine popular culture.

2. Recognize some ways in which music and culture connect.
3. Determine the influences of music to one’s self.

LEARNING
EXPERIENCES

The relationship between music and culture can be simplified

somewhat. Culture works to ensure people’s survival, and music
contributes to that function by bringing people together.

Here in the Philippines, music has greatly impacted our culture.

It is a means of communicating. For example, when patriotic
songs are sung, they pass a message of patriotism, when
mourning songs are sung; they pass a message of
condolences, when sacred songs are sung, they are meant to
worship and so on. Music is also used to advertise and
persuade and reflects what is happening worldwide, it is an
acting mirror between people and lyrics. All ages from
children to the old, find music as away of sharing their
opinions and emotions.

Music is the one field in which Filipinos can't help but succeed.
We send a singer to an international competition and he or she
will almost certainly come home with a prize, if not the top prize.
Let a homegrown show band play at a cruise ship or the bar of a
chain hotel and it's sure to give guests a good time. Still, winning
international singing competitions or entertaining hotel guests
doesn't begin to speak of how much music means to Filipinos. To
be Filipino is to have a soundtrack album built into your life⁠—
there's music for every occasion or emotion. Nothing is too
mundane to be unworthy of music.

Filipinos are known to be music lover. We are passionate when it

comes to this art. We listen to music in our car, in the mall while
we are shopping, in the shower, on television and at parties, etc.
Expression in music comes in every emotion you can think of sad,
happy, mellow, anger, peaceful and many others. Music,
somehow comforts one's feeling. It makes people feel relaxed
and happy. Most of us love music and may even find solace as
we listen to our preferred musical genres. With the likes of
Ben&Ben, Moira, Sarah G. and many Filipino even foreign artists
who captivated us through their music. Their spring to fame can
be credited largely in their emotionally captivating lyrics and
vocals, which make us hooked. Think about the last time you said
something smooth or cool to your girlfriend or guy friend you
probably heard it in a song. How often do songs “ take us to a
memory lane?

Today, pop music takes a center stage. It is the genre of popular

music that produces the most hits. Songs that become hits
almost always share certain features that are sometimes called
the pop-music formula. They have a good rhythm,
a catchy melody, and are easy to remember and sing along to.
They usually have a chorus that's repeated several times and two
or more verses and the lyrics are usually about the joys and
problems of love and relationships.

DIVERSITY AND HERITAGE

Because music is valuable, our cultural heritage has become rich,

colourful, and vibrant⁠—just like the people who create it. But
few of us can truly claim to having a fine understanding and
appreciation of our cultural heritage. Felipe de Leon Jr., professor
of art studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman, says
that being unaware of the beauty of our culture is a liability. The
lack of cultural awareness muddles our sense of identity. Getting
in touch with our musical roots⁠—and understanding that music
says as much about us as history and the other arts⁠—can have
the grandeur of looking deep into our souls, as well as the
simplicity of knowing our name.

The diversity in musical styles, subjects and traditions reflects the

many facets of our musical heritage. It also speaks of the
vibrancy of our culture—some music taste remain the same,
others adapt to the changing times, still others are created to
respond to emerging needs.

Sadly, the Filipino capacity to adapt can be far more dynamic

than our need to preserve our own old music taste. Because of
this, many of the things that make us truly Filipino are
disappearing. But there are efforts at preserving our musical
heritage and making it accessible to the public .

K-POP FANDOM AND ITS CULTURAL CONTACT

Most of us, especially teens, embraced “Hallyu”- literary meaning

“Korean wave” used to refer to the colossal and ever growing
impact of South Korean culture. One of these, is their music. K-
pop commonly refers to the pop music scene in South Korea,
although it is also a catch-all term for anything associated with
Korean pop culture

K-pop is one cultural export the fact that it is an industry worth

$5 billion. In fact, one of the K-pop’s most successful bands, BTS
also drew over 100 million fans to their online concerts. BTS
became the first K-pop musicians to receive a Grammy
nomination.

BTS
 Blackpink is another famous K-pop group that became the
highest charting K-pop girl group on Billboard and the first K-Pop
girl group to have four number 1 singles on Billboard’s World
Digital song Sales chart.

Blackpink

It's clear there's a lot more to K-pop than its synthesised music
and dance routines, and it's easy to see why the fascination with
this immense genre is ever-growing. What better way to get
acquainted with the K-pop phenomenon than with its music. The
toe-tapping techno beats, crazy-colourful aesthetic, trend-
defining fashion and perfectly choreographed videos, K-pop has
become something of a global phenomenon and its stars are
going global.

To some, one of the best parts about K-pop songs is when you
start to understand what the song lyrics are about. That’s when it
comes in handy to know a bit about the language.
SOME WAYS MUSIC IS INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO OUR
CULTURAL IDENTITY

Music is everything. It’s a huge part of our lives. But do we

realize just how much of an influence it really has on us and our
cultural identity?

1. It’s like a time capsule

There’s nothing quite like a song to capture what was going on

culturally at that time, and like a time capsule, it’s captured for
eternity. The slang and language usage are so indicative of the
times, and you can probably recall exactly when a song was
made based on what is mentioned.

The mentions of current fashion trends, technology, popular

foods and celebrities are some of the most telling, and they
eternalize key parts of our culture that might otherwise be
forgotten.

Would we ever think of Apple Bottom Jeans again without Flo

Rida, or blue suede shoes without Elvis? Probably not, but we can
thank music for reminding us of the cultural trends of yesteryear.

2. It teaches us about language

Some of the first communication we give and receive in life is

through music. Mothers play music for and sing to their children
in the womb. Most parents sing to their child from an early age
for a reason, as singing is such an important part of learning
language.

How do you think we learned the alphabet – one of the first and
most essential skills developed as a child? If you took another
language, chances are you learned key words and phrases
through song as well. Music provides an entertaining form of
repetition that is so conducive to memory and it’s a key part of
growing our cultural identity.

3. It’s how we celebrate

Pretty much every moment we celebrate in our lives is tied to

music. The first dance at a wedding, blowing out our birthday
candles, scoring a goal. We even get down to music in our heads
when we do a happy dance. A party without music just isn’t a
party at all, and music and happiness go hand in hand.
4. It influences fashion

Chances are you can remember exactly what your favourite

singers wore in your favourite music videos, like Arianna’s high
pony tail and if you didn’t try to replicate their style in your own
wardrobe at the time, you definitely at least dreamed about being
able to pull those looks off.

Music has set the standard for what’s hot fashion-wise for
decades, and music video fashion has become a key way for
setting clothing trends and shopping trends as well with strategic
product placements.

These fashion trends are observed all around the world, and the
popularity of certain music styles is evident based on the fashion
trends of the masse

5. It connects you to others

Sure, music trends tend to be generational, but there is

something oh-so-powerful about music genres and how they
shape our cultural identity while creating solidarity across
decades, age groups and even countries.

People typically have no problem being vocal about their musical

preferences, and dissing someone’s favourite artist may just be
the end of your relationship. In the internet age, musical fandom
has brought about the ‘stan’ phenomenon, with fellow fans
banding together to form passionate and loyal groups that have a
strong online connection that reaches all around the world.
There are few things that we share around the world, across
cultures and religions, but music is a beautiful commonality that
we all love, appreciate and bond over.

6. Live music brings us together

Music gives us so many great moments, but a great music

performance is a milestone, a staple and an anticipated outing in
lives all over the world.

Whether it’s a concert, a festival, a live gig in a bar, street

performers or jam sessions in the park, cultures everywhere take
pride in and relish the opportunity to gather and enjoy music
together. And while those live performances vary based on
culture, music genre or age group, they all serve the common
purpose of entertaining and connecting the masses for a beautiful
moment in time.

Your first live music experience is something you’ll always

remember, and your favourite concert will probably be one of the
coolest moments you experience in your life. There is just
something so satisfying about singing, swaying or dancing along
to live music with friends and strangers alike, and it’s a unique
and beautiful experience that only music can provide.

7. It’s part of our routine.

There isn’t really much that we do without music, and it’s

honestly just become so intertwined with our lives that silence is
a rarity. The days of carrying around a boom box are long gone,
and ever since earbuds came along we’ve been blissfully plugged
in whenever possible.

Whether we’re listening to music in the car, at the gym, on the

subway, during work, while we study, while we’re cooking, while
we’re cleaning, or just walking around the grocery store, it’s
always there. It’s what we do when we’re happy or sad, and it’s
become our self-care; our time to be alone and drown out the
stress and the world around us.

We’re collecting concert ticket stubs and curating our playlists,

constantly searching for new songs and the perfect collection of
tracks to fit any mood. Like a garden, we’re always pruning and
nurturing our music collections and sharing our favourite songs
with our favourite people.

Keytake
aways

The common denominator for every culture is that music is a

silent successive instrument to inspire people. This inspiration is a
huge contribution for society. It brings about certain ways of life
or attitudes about life. When we delve deeper into even one kind
of sound that surrounds us on a daily basis and grapple with its
meaning, we get a unique opportunity to travel through other
kinds of experiences and perspectives. Hence the fact music is in
all cultures even in our own way of life, it has become our
favourite pastime, distraction, hobby and art form. It’s necessary
 for shaping our cultural identity, and we wouldn’t have it any
other way.

EVALUATION

1. What type of music do you most like to listen to?

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2. List down your favourite Filipino and international music artists.

Explain why you chose them.

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3. How important is music in your life?

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4. How does music act as a mirror of a culture?

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REFERENCES

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/k-pop-bands
https://www.paypervids.com/musics-influence-popular-culture-
society/