I get what you're saying but I get really tired of the "then just don't listen to mainstream" argument.

Mainstream music media is literally the only way to reach any sort of real audience. It's the only way for artists to be seen or heard by a large enough group of people in order for a protest song to make an actual impact.

The fact that they refuse to ever deviate from the pop/rap formula is not only extremely harmful to music as an art medium (especially when it comes to historical preservation of songs) but also its detrimental to our culture as a whole because the once great medium for societal protest known as mainstream music is completely gone, at a time when we could really use it.

If it were as easy as just not listening that would be great but its so very much more complicated than that.

All forgiven.

You've made a powerful enemy this day.

Hall and Oates, Hall and Oates, Hall and Oates and also Hall and Oates.

Id show him a generic mainstream rap or pop song, then repeat it again and again until he asked me to stop. At the moment he couldn't take it anymore I'd call him a music snob and ask him why he has to always ruin everyone's fun.

Give him the real authentic 2023 listener experience for people who think modern rap and pop are just okay.