It hardly seems as though an introduction to David Guetta is necessary these days, his songs topping charts and radio broadcasts alike. The French DJ is responsible for a multitude of "house" tracks in recent years, with his most recent album titled "One Love".
Though relatively new to the US scene, Guetta has exerted some influence in music in Europe for years. His recent collaborations with popular American hip-hop/pop singers such as Akon, Kelly Rowland, and Kid Cudi have lended to this mass appeal, as has his widepsread promoting around the globe. He was rated third in the poll of top 100 DJ's of 2009, and it is clear that he is still on the rise. The question that begs to be answered, is why!?!?
What is the secret behind Guettas rise to fame? Surely it cant be the songs themselves. The cheesy uninspired tracks seem to be good for one thing only; packing a dance floor. The downside is that once the audience sobers up and realizes the audible noise they've been subjected to, the crowd is certain to leave in waves.
Deconstructing David Guetta
Guetta's music seems to follow the same simple formula for each song. The beginning provides an unoriginal, yet catchy, melody synced with an often high pitched chorus (consisting of one short phrase sung over and over. and over. and over...) that is introduced shortly after. The two are then repeated with little variation throughout the length of the track. After the first minute or two the initial bass drops in, a loud, upbeat, booming sort, that still contains the unchanging nature of the earlier parts. The song remains in a constant loop from then on, the only real distinction being the bass which drops in and out periodically (though at equally predictable intervals).
Perhaps this is the reason why nearly all of his songs require that the vocals be the focal point, in order to detract from the boring droning of the beats themselves. Unfortunately it is too late to salvage. A key facet of Guetta's songs appears to be a steady repetition of exact same sounds for minutes on end, to the point where one is forced to either turn it off or change the track just to hear some variety.
Tracks from his earlier albums had a certain striking simplicity to them, with a chorus that sticks in one's head for hours, perhaps the very reason why some found him appealing. "Just a Little More Love" for example, though hardly a masterpiece of art and craftsmanship, was a formidable song to party to. Ten years ago. After hearing his next fifty releases as essentially the same track, any nostalgia for Guetta's early songs has long since died. And then beaten unmercifully on a regular basis to ensure that no life may ever be breathed into them again.
The Key to Guetta's Success
Given the nature of Guetta's sound one would expect him to be an astute performer who could draw any crowd. A recent show at a large rave in Los Angeles actually demonstrated hordes of people running to the stage a few short songs after Guetta stepped on. Unfortunately for Guetta, it was the stage on the other side of the venue. Not only did Guetta fail to achieve anything noteworthy in his liveset, he was clearly unable to gauge the audience even a little, taking the stage after progressive house DJ, John Digweed, and sending such a flurry of people away from his set that there was a line just to leave the area. Yet somehow scenes like this has done little to dissuade his growing arrogance, as the flood of merchandise and one-hit songs continues.
Guetta's success seems more dependent on pumping out goods and pleasing the masses than pursuing any real innovation or talent. It seems that he no longer cares what his name is attached to, so long as he turns a profit. This mass-production approach towards music ensures that the only real distinction for Guetta is which singer of the month will appear dancing alongside him in his videos.
The Aftermath
Perhaps the most disheartening feature of Guetta's impact on modern music is the ease with which it has been assimilated. Within a genre that was once defined by its creativity and progressive nature, the current trend seems to be stagnating, or worse, regressing. Many of the highest rated DJ's are now those who follow this pattern, forsaking any true innovation and integrity for the commercial. Such a mainstream ideology has already overtaken many acclaimed DJ's, the most notable of which includes once legendary trance figure DJ Tiesto.
The expansive nature of the global scene breathes a sign of life back into Electronica, with names like Gareth Emery, Sasha, and Markus Schulz spreading it's true essence. Unfortunately, however, the genre itself is gradually becoming associated with the pretentiousness of DJ's out to commercialize their sound for a soon to be fading fame. It has become clear that the quickest way to make a name is not through innovation and dedicated fanbases, but instead by way of a cheesy, overproduced track with a featured Top40 artist. Some might say this trend was inevitable, but one can only hope that in the years to come House music will not remember David Guetta.
Jamil Karim - Jamil Karim is a California local of Indian descent who holds a BA in Philosophy and a prolonged interest in writing and journalism.Among ...
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