Look, I’m not saying all pop music is garbage. But let’s be real—most of today’s hits follow the exact same template. Same four-chord progressions, same trap beats, same verse-chorus-verse structure with a drop that’s engineered to hit at exactly 30 seconds. It’s not art, it’s product design. Think about the last ten number-one singles. How many of them actually took a risk? Compare that to the 70s or 90s, where you had Queen, Nirvana, or even early Britney doing stuff that felt fresh. Now? Labels run songs through data analytics before they even release them. They’re optimizing for streaming algorithms, not for emotion. Sure, there are exceptions. But exceptions don’t prove the rule. The rule is formula, and the soul is missing.

Look, Juu, I get that there are still talented artists out there. But let’s talk specifics. Take "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X—that song literally started as a beat bought off a generic beat website. It hit because of TikTok, not because it had soul. Or think about all those songs that sample older tracks. "Circles" by Post Malone, "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals—they’re fine, but they’re also kind of safe. Labels aren’t looking for the next "Bohemian Rhapsody." They’re looking for something that fits a playlist. You said earlier that pop has always had formulas. I’ll give you that. Motown had a formula too. But here’s the difference: back then, the formula was a starting point for creativity. Now, it’s a cage. Producers are literally using AI to predict hooks. That’s not artistry, that’s assembly line work.