Everyone is entitled to there own opinion, but the fact that the popular music of the twenty-first century is worse than it has been in centuries is no opinionated matter. It is commercialized, talentless, repetitive, and unoriginal. Artists such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber have absolutely no knowledge of music theory and possess little to no technical skill in the field. Don't get me wrong, the majority of pop music artists throughout history have had the same characteristics, and this is not what I am trying to prove, but why is this the ONLY type of music to be found on current radio stations and the Internet? One definite conclusion I have come to is that we are in the computer age, where our lives practically depend on technology. Therefore, it is inevitable that all of this new technology has a great affect on culture. For example, many popular artists now use "auto-tune", computer software that can keep your voice in the correct key. Also, computer programs are now used to play prerecorded tracks from almost any instrument imaginable, with perfect tone and tempo. With all of this available, it is quite all right for musicians to experiment, as music is a form of self expression, but how does the use of auto-tune and other computer software prove talent? Couldn't anybody just pick up a microphone and sing horribly, just to have it edited to sound perfect and on key? The answer of course is yes. So why are these "artists" being rewarded with money and fame when they have no more talent that the average person. Perhaps, young people of today are simply not exposed to talented musicians, and therefore can't tell the difference. I will conclude with a desperate plea to all people still interested in real music. Keep on listening to talented musicians, stand up for your beliefs, and break the mold. Maybe someday real music will make a comeback.