"Popular Music and Capitalism" Author: [Japanese] Maori Yoshitaka Producer: Baideya

- Editor's Recommendation -

★A major work in the sociology of pop music, a revolution in the way we talk about pop music

★A must-read introductory book for pop music and pop culture enthusiasts, researchers, and practitioners

★Translated by Ertian from the series "Don't Ask Me What Hip-Hop Is"

★Ban Yu + Hao Fang + Little Tiger + Yan Jun + Zhang Shouwang + Zhang Xiaozhou → Jointly recommended

★Following the political and economic perspectives that are often missing in music research, break away from the view that "pop music is purely music" and rethink it from the overall social context that fully encompasses pop music.

★ "In the current context of the continuous penetration of neoliberal ideology and the fact that discussions around Marxism and critical theory are no longer as intense as before, the tendency to simply believe that pop music is a means of free self-expression seems to be increasing. In the face of such a situation, I believe that it has become extremely necessary to rethink pop music and capitalism."

★We have created a playlist for this book on major streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, QQ Music, and NetEase Cloud Music. Readers are welcome to enter the title of the book to search, read and listen at the same time, and gain twice as much.

✧Ban Yu (writer):

If we say that pop music in the 20th century is nothing more than a cultural code of capitalism, then at this moment, it may have become the ultimate trump card that can foretell the future. Its omnipresence and pervasiveness have stopped us from trying to escape the melody line. It not only has basic characteristics such as emotion and narrative, but also sews, awakens, reshapes, and practices the fables of the next generation. The irony and mutual exclusion within the fables, without exception, reveal the tactics and rhetoric of capitalism. Now, Mao Li will lead us to unveil this trump card.

✧Little Tiger (rapper):

"Underground" and "mainstream", "art" and "commerce", "resistance" or "service"... If you are interested in music and have ever been confused by these concepts, or think you have already figured them out, please open this book and give yourself another chance to understand the world through music.

✧Yan Jun (Musician and Poet):

Thanks to the scholars who speak human language, thanks to the conscientious translators, thanks to those who live their lives like a song, thanks to the world that has not been destroyed and we are still trying to understand it.

✧Zhang Shouwang (Musician):

A very interesting book that covers almost all my curiosity about independent pop music culture, from the Velvet Underground to otaku idol groups, from Fordism to the DiY spirit of independent music.

✧Zhang Xiaozhou (author):

The novelty of this book lies in that it combines historical examples of Japanese pop music, which provides some knowledge and listening clues for Chinese music fans. The most impressive thing about this book is that it uses many social and cultural theories but makes them easy to understand. As the author reminds in the preface of the Chinese translation, the situation in China is unique. The process of reading this book is also an exciting process of thinking about this uniqueness.

- Introduction -

What is the relationship between pop music and capitalism? This book attempts to explore this issue from various perspectives, with pop music as the center.

The practice of pop music is different from avant-garde experiments or left-wing practices. In the face of capital and power, it usually adopts a dualistic stance. While it is confrontational, it also hides the possibility of assimilation. This characteristic makes (self-proclaimed) radical political centrists anxious, but it also allows us to see the possibility of achieving mass mobilization and organization. This duality itself is the key to establishing a truly good political order, and it is also the charm of pop music.

Pop music is not something that is in opposition to capitalism, nor is it something that exists independently of capitalism. It was created from the useless, the excess, the waste that capitalism produces. It was once a byproduct of capitalism, and the irony of modern society is that this byproduct has gradually transformed itself into a main product. And after that, the role of pop music will continue to change.

So, in this era, how should we think about pop music? Of course, there is no ready-made answer. But what is certain is that pop music will always be listened to by people, and in the end, we cannot help but think about popular things, because in this era, even the detached attitude of rejecting popular things has been recycled into popular things.

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