When someone thinks of contemporary pop music, they often envision artists like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd.

While these artists have vastly different musical styles, they all follow a similar framework established by classical composers from the 18th century.

Even when examining contemporary American R&B artists, whose roots lie in Black blues musicians from the early 20th century, a deeper analysis of their origins reveals structures and concepts of harmony derived from 18th-century classical composers.

However, these patterns aren‘t limited to American artists; due to increased globalization, musicians from regions largely unaffected by the ideas of European classical composers are also drawing inspiration from these traditions.

This influence is relatively new when compared to the broader aspects of musical history. Up until the mid-20th century, each region in the world had its own unique musical vocabulary, reflective of the people living there. For instance, the use of “maqam” instead of scales by the people of the Middle East gives their music a distinct sound.

The maqam, in contrast to the Western scale, uses microtonal intervals as an integral part of artistic expression, adding significant complexity and nuance to classical Arab music and highlighting the cultural differences between the Arab world and Europe. However, looking at contemporary Arab music today, these influences appear almost non-existent.

Popular artists like Amr Diab and Saif Nabeel in the Middle East draw heavily from polyphonic European writing. While this isn’t necessarily a negative development, it has come at the cost of limiting the elements of Middle Eastern music that make it unique.

Although these artists incorporate traditional instruments like the oud and qanun and employ distinct vocal styles characteristic of the region, contemporary Middle Eastern music is missing the musicality that once defined it.

Embracing a more authentic sound could result in an act of defiance against the European formula that has become intrinsic to global contemporary music, setting the Middle East apart as a musically diverse region.

<Jad Zraiqat 페어몬트 아카데미 10학년>