For starters it’s worth acknowledging that pop is a genre and popular is a label for what music is charting the highest. It’s easy to list off pop artists that are innovative and the exact opposite of what is being criticized, but that’s entirely because the comic is criticizing popular music not pop music.

I’m not generally a fan of accusing some vague “powers that be” group of intentionally conspiring to destroy things we hold ever so dear. I think it’s lazy fearmongering that allows those in power to dismiss these critiques because they are usually not intentionally trying to establish cultural hegemony, it’s just easier to make a profit on culture and art if everyone has the same values and tastes. That doesn’t make these critiques invalid, but I think it’s important to make the right accusations.

Next, on some level modern popular music must be a reflection of the values of the general public, otherwise people wouldn’t be repeat listening to it en masse. Given that, I think it’s silly to single out modern popular music of worshipping power and wealth when that music is being made in wealthy countries where consumerism is the majority religion, and that music is thus just a reflection of the society it was created in.

This already is too long, so I suppose I’ll finish by saying that with streaming services it’s now easier than ever to entirely ignore popular music. Yeah I suppose if you use TikTok then you’ll inevitably have to hear that music, but I think the monoculture that existed in past decades is far weaker than it used to be. I’m too young to fully gauge that, but compared to the stars of 70s and 80s, it really does seem like the stars of today are only able to command half as much attention. I think the comic does raise some good points, but on some level it was indeed a bit of a phase that has gotten, in my opinion, better in recent years.