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Yousra and Leslie are back and set to tackle the age old question: How old is too old to have a relevant music career. Comment below with your thoughts.
#TooOldToRock #Music #Podcast
Yousra and Leslie are back and set to tackle the age old question: How old is too old to have a relevant music career. Comment below with your thoughts.
#TooOldToRock #Music #Podcast
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NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to another episode of Rap Rock and All That Jazz.
00:12My name is Yusra.
00:13And my name is Leslie Wilson.
00:15Cool.
00:16Hi, Leslie.
00:17Hi, Yusra.
00:18Back with another episode.
00:19Yeah, that's really exciting.
00:20Yeah.
00:21We seem like we've been doing this forever, haven't we?
00:26Seven weeks or eight weeks.
00:29Seven weeks, yeah.
00:30Yes.
00:31Nine weeks.
00:32Nine weeks.
00:33My bad.
00:34Don't worry.
00:35I wasn't good at math either.
00:36Don't worry.
00:37At last count.
00:38Maybe that's a good thing.
00:39Yeah.
00:40It feels real fresh.
00:41So what are we going to be talking about today?
00:42So today's topic is sort of like how old is too old for the music industry?
00:48Like Madonna at like 61, JLo at 50, Cher at like over 70.
00:54Like should they still be, I mean, they can still be making music, but are they still
01:00relevant?
01:01How important is age in the music industry?
01:04Like I feel like they're starting younger and younger now.
01:07That's right.
01:08Yeah, of course.
01:09But I think, you know, I think in the arts, there's never a retirement age, there's never
01:14a shelf life.
01:15You know, I'm talking about cinema, I'm talking about, you know, artistry and music, I suppose
01:19as well.
01:20They will have an audience, whatever age there are.
01:23I mean, people are still 80 and 90 singing, and they still have an audience.
01:27I guess.
01:28Yeah, I guess if your audience is like 80 and 92, then, then I'll give you some examples.
01:34I mean, Tony Bennett, I mean, he's 85 years old.
01:37Who is he?
01:38Tony Bennett.
01:39He's, he's essentially a vocalist who dabbles in, you know, with various kind of genres.
01:46Yeah.
01:47And he did a recently an album where he used collaborated with so many young artists.
01:53Okay.
01:54And that was pretty huge.
01:55Why did he collaborate with young artists?
01:57Because he wanted to remain relevant.
01:58Stay relevant.
01:59Yeah, that's right.
02:00And to be honest, all these old people are sort of, sadly, yeah, starting to be a little
02:06bit irrelevant.
02:07Like, I know some have managed to stay.
02:10Yeah.
02:11Celine Dion.
02:12It's not easy.
02:13Yeah, that's right.
02:14JLo.
02:15Yeah, that's right.
02:16And you know why she's so relevant?
02:17I'm gonna say this, and it may be a little bit controversial, but the only reason JLo
02:19at 50 is still like crazy selling out concerts is because she looks like she's 30.
02:26Yeah, I think the image has a lot to do.
02:29We were lucky we saw her live last year when she played in Dubai at the Dubai Air Show.
02:34And what did she look like?
02:3520 or 30?
02:36She absolutely rocks.
02:37Yeah.
02:38She's got so much energy.
02:39It's amazing.
02:40It's amazing.
02:41You know, she's, she's got so much of testosterone flowing, you know.
02:43It's pretty serious.
02:44Like, yeah, it's pretty serious.
02:46There's not a minute that she's quiet.
02:49And she she's very much a wow singer for me.
02:51And yeah, I'm not worried about whether she's 20 or 30 or 40.
02:55That's she still looks good.
02:57She sings good.
02:58And she can really hit the ball out of the park.
03:01Yes.
03:02Okay.
03:03In terms of like, well, JLo, I feel like is maybe one of the younger people, younger people
03:08that we're going to be discussing.
03:10But like, people like Madonna, for example, I wouldn't really say that she, well, I don't
03:16want to insult Madonna, but like a crazy good musician in terms of like singing range or
03:22ability to sing.
03:24She's a performer.
03:25That's right.
03:26Right.
03:27How long do you think she's going to carry on dressing the way she does and dancing the
03:31way she does?
03:33Sort of sexualizing that whole 60 age group?
03:36I'm with you on this because I was briefly a Madonna fan when she did Like a Virgin and
03:41stuff like that.
03:42With the cone bra?
03:43Yeah.
03:45Yeah.
03:46That's all right.
03:47I mean, I mean, she she pushes the envelope.
03:50But Madonna, I think she's passed her self-life at this age.
03:54She should tone down a bit and she should be looking at she's trying to attract the
03:58younger generation.
03:59Yeah.
04:00She's trying to still sing hip hop, you know, you know, collaborate with young people.
04:04So I don't think she's enjoying growing old and, you know, not becoming relevant.
04:09Yeah.
04:10And it's really sad that sometimes as a woman, if you pass the age of 50, you kind of even
04:16in society, a lot of women say that they start to feel more invisible because you start to
04:22matter less when you get older because, you know, you can't you don't you don't look as
04:27good as you used to.
04:28You don't bear children.
04:30So what are you like doing?
04:32I totally disagree.
04:33I don't think you should go that way.
04:34I mean, at the end of the day, everybody's got to age even even Selena Gomez one day
04:39is going to be like Madonna is today.
04:41So it's how you grow gracefully.
04:43And I think the experience, the maturity that people like Madonna, Celine Dion have, none
04:48of these young kids have that they don't have that experience, life experiences, not just
04:53musical experiences.
04:54And, you know, something they say that I know there's been a lot of really singers who found
04:59success very young, Lorde, for example, with Royals.
05:02Oh, Lorde.
05:03Lorde.
05:04Good Lorde.
05:05Sorry about that.
05:06Yeah.
05:07The New Zealand singer.
05:09Oh, 14.
05:10Oh, 14.
05:1114, I believe.
05:12Yeah, man.
05:13And Billie Eilish.
05:14Yes, of course.
05:15I love her.
05:16And honestly, I agree, like, I feel like now everyone's looking towards a lot of the younger
05:22people and what they're doing and kind of looking to them as like leading the music
05:26industry.
05:27And I feel like the more older crowd, although they have all this life experience, like,
05:33what songs are they doing that's really playing on the radio that you would be like this song
05:38Celine Dion is only relevant because she has that residency in Vegas or because she tours.
05:44Yeah.
05:45But like, she's not releasing new music.
05:47And she's maybe going to the Met Ball and wearing outfits and being fabulous.
05:51But I don't know, she's 51.
05:55She's 51.
05:56Is it?
05:57Yeah.
05:58But J.Lo's 50.
05:59Like, Celine Dion didn't age as well as J.Lo did.
06:01But I think I think every generation has its heroes, it's, you know, going back to the
06:0660s and 70s.
06:07You know, Donny Osmond and all that.
06:09They were they were there for that that particular generation of people, just like, you know,
06:14Justin Bieber or, you know, Ariana Grande are for the young people right now.
06:18But I think a lot of young people still look at look at the slightly older singers and
06:23learn from them, learn from their experiences in life.
06:27And you know, I mean, there's my gosh, the stuff that Madonna share.
06:33She had a hit at the age of 52, a monster hit, believe.
06:37How old was it?
06:38Oh, she was 52.
06:3952.
06:40I mean, like, like our producer Logan was talking about it earlier.
06:43She's one woman who's probably really has pulled it off, you know, the age factor, defied
06:47the age factor and come out in all her burlesque kind of outfit.
06:52And she's pretty cool.
06:53Yeah.
06:54Which is nice.
06:55But not everybody can do a Cher.
06:56OK, so I think 50 is still cool.
07:02Music wise.
07:03I like that looks.
07:0450 is still cool.
07:05Oh, that's nice.
07:06You know, I mean, I didn't like so J-Lo, Celine Dion Cher when she was 50.
07:15I don't know.
07:16Like, I feel like I really feel like this is a very insulting podcast episode.
07:21But it's the truth.
07:23If you get older, yeah, sometimes you're just not what you used to be.
07:27This is a this is an industry and a world that values you.
07:31Yeah.
07:32But I think when you get older, you become a legend and people still want to watch legends.
07:36Yes.
07:37So here's the difference.
07:38Let me tell you this.
07:39OK.
07:40When men become older, they become legends.
07:41Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Elton John, they just made a movie about him.
07:47As women get older, why can't they be legends as well?
07:51I mean, if people look at Madonna and they call her a legend, right.
07:55But it's because of everything she did, not because of what she's doing right now.
07:59Yeah.
08:00I don't feel as cool as like I wouldn't tell people like, oh, I listen to Madonna.
08:06Not anymore.
08:07No, no.
08:08That's right.
08:09Yeah.
08:10But you would still listen to some of her classic music.
08:11I mean, if it comes on the radio, yeah.
08:13When I do listen to the radio with my Spotify, you're not into retro stuff, are you, Yusra?
08:18I like a few of her songs.
08:20Yeah.
08:21Yeah.
08:22Papa Don't Preach.
08:23Yeah, that's a good one.
08:25OK, let me tell you why I like that song.
08:28OK.
08:29I heard it in Glee like seven years ago.
08:33They covered it and I was like, oh, that's a nice song.
08:35So I guess covers kind of give these old musicians.
08:38Dude, they were cool at their time.
08:41I'm talking about if you were in your 40s right now and you wanted to enter the music
08:46industry, would you be able to?
08:49It's going to be pretty tough.
08:50I mean, obviously, I mean, you're going to be competing with the really young image manufactured
08:56singers of today.
08:57There's so many good looking people out there.
09:00There's so many good looking.
09:01I'm not saying that they don't have good voices.
09:03They have great voices, but they're really good looking kids out there rocking it.
09:08So it's going to be tough for the ones who aren't.
09:11But look at Ed Sheeran.
09:12I mean, he's not the best looking bloke in the world.
09:14But sorry, Ed.
09:16Yeah, he's not going to listen to that.
09:20He's not.
09:21But yeah, he's talented.
09:22But then again, he's like in his 20s or early 30s.
09:27And he came into the industry very young.
09:29So like, is there room for these oldies?
09:33There will always be room for the oldies.
09:35You're sure I keep repeating myself like a stuck record.
09:38And it's a music show.
09:39So the record stack is all right.
09:41But yeah, like I said, the, you know, Chuck Berry, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Bert
09:47Bacharach, Willie Nelson, these are all people in the 80s.
09:51And they are still performing, but they perform to a different audience.
09:55I've got to make a plug for my favorite band of all time.
09:59It's a band called America.
10:00They're actually a British group that who went to America and made hits and they made
10:05a hit.
10:06They're a folk band.
10:07And their most iconic song is Horse With No Name.
10:09Yeah.
10:10A great band.
10:11Go and listen to them.
10:12I've got every single album of theirs.
10:15I'm going to bring them all for you to listen to.
10:17I'll give you my Discman as well so you can plug in your headphones.
10:20But America are celebrating their 50th anniversary in three days from now.
10:26OK.
10:27Isn't that awesome?
10:28I have no idea who they are.
10:29OK.
10:30Spotify.
10:31OK.
10:32Right.
10:33America.
10:34Like, I'm not trying to be a jerk.
10:35And you're not going to regret it.
10:36OK.
10:37You're going to love me for it.
10:38OK.
10:39You know, introducing to these guys.
10:40Yeah.
10:41They're pretty.
10:42They're the catalog of songs that they have.
10:43Listen, 50 years.
10:44I mean, they're still in the business.
10:46There's still audiences going out to see them.
10:49I mean, good for them.
10:50There's still people downloading their stuff.
10:51Yeah.
10:52So, I mean, I'm not trying to, you know, market their music.
10:55But this band is so close to my heart, I can't not use the opportunity to talk about how
11:01great they are.
11:02Yeah.
11:03And I tell every kid out there, listen, if you want to listen to something new, check
11:06out America.
11:07Check out any songs that they made, especially from the older Americans.
11:11Are they still making music?
11:12They are still making music.
11:13Jerry Beckley, who's a lead singer, just released a new album.
11:18So they tour a lot.
11:19OK.
11:20They're very much in demand.
11:21So, like, how big are their audiences?
11:23And are they living off their job of making music?
11:28Is it their only job?
11:29That's all they do.
11:30Yes, of course.
11:31Yeah.
11:32OK.
11:33But they've got such an amazing catalog of songs.
11:34There were three at the beginning when they started out.
11:36And one of the band members quit.
11:37So they're just a duo now.
11:38But they do pop, rock, folk.
11:40They're lovely.
11:41I mean, you'd be charmed by them.
11:43Trust me.
11:44They look pretty good.
11:45They sound pretty good.
11:47And they sing pretty good.
11:48So let's move on from America now before you throw me out of this room.
11:53No, no.
11:54It's OK.
11:55No, I mean, basically, when you look at the music industry and you look at who gets signed
12:00on and what kind of looks they have to have and how the musicians in their 30s continue
12:06to strive to maintain that youth.
12:09So I want to talk deeper, more about the whole image thing, because technically it doesn't
12:15really matter how old you are as long as you don't look old.
12:18Yeah, that's right.
12:19According to everyone.
12:20Look at me.
12:21Exactly.
12:22You have a you have no wrinkles, which is good.
12:26Tell me your secrets.
12:29Yeah.
12:30Which is why J-Lo, you know, dressing in skimpy outfits and dancing energetically on stage
12:38like it's rare to see 50 year olds with that vibe.
12:43Yeah.
12:44With that body.
12:46I don't even have those abs.
12:47Like, you know, her body's amazing.
12:49But like, see, it's because when people say like, oh, my God, J-Lo is 50.
12:55There's a shock around the room because she doesn't look it because she has people who
13:01don't feed her sugar and, you know, she gets certain things done to her face and then she
13:05works out and you can't have that life if you like you're like a normal 50 year old.
13:10That's true.
13:11Yeah.
13:12So it is all about the image and it's about looking young and having gigantic doe eyes
13:17like Ariana Grande and like talking like you're young and behaving young.
13:21And it's, I don't know, kind of sad in a way, I guess, as much as I'm like pro being young.
13:30I think I think the nutrition factor, you know, the singers of today are more conscious
13:34as athletes, as actors.
13:37I mean, from the people from the past didn't care.
13:40I mean, you know, about diet, about what they did and what time they went to bed.
13:43But I think today's performers, people out there in the public eye, they need to be very,
13:49very wary of the image, how they're perceived.
13:52And you know, so that they've got to look at the money, they make bags and bags of money
13:56so they can afford to get people who are Scientologists or whatever, you know, backing them in some
14:01form or the other.
14:02So, you know, it's the whole the whole package that they get nowadays, I think.
14:07But some of the old singers, I mean, hats off to them.
14:10People like even Cliff Richard and all that, they're pretty vague names to a lot of young
14:15people.
14:16Yeah.
14:17But they've been there for seems like forever.
14:18Yeah.
14:19Like, I'm not saying I am the voice of my generation dictating whether someone is relevant
14:25or not.
14:26Yeah.
14:27But if I haven't really heard of them, I'm pretty tuned into like.
14:29You just mentioned pop culture.
14:31You mentioned voice.
14:32I mean, look at the show, The Voice, one of the biggest shows in the world.
14:35Don't you get so many, you know, 50 plus singers trying to audition.
14:39That's true.
14:40And trying to come up.
14:41So I think in the music business, there is no age factor.
14:44I think you will find a niche for yourself.
14:47Maybe you won't, you won't, the young kids, the teenagers are not going to love you as
14:51much as they would love the Miley Cyrus's or, you know, Ariana Grande's or Selena Gomez's.
14:56Yeah.
14:57But then again, you will find your niche, your relevant crowd over there.
15:02So I kind of like, I love everybody.
15:05I love young.
15:06I love old.
15:07I love music.
15:08So.
15:09So inclusive.
15:10So inclusive.
15:11All encompassing as well.
15:12Yeah.
15:13So it's a bit of a strange subject to have.
15:15I mean, sorry, guys, we said some things that didn't appeal to your favorite singer or.
15:20Yeah.
15:21You know.
15:22Yeah.
15:23I mean, to be honest, I'm I'm using this as like my podcast platform to say my opinion.
15:28And in my opinion, Madonna kind of needs to tone it down and just like, yeah, actor
15:33age.
15:34Yeah.
15:35And maybe Mariah, too.
15:36A lot of people love Mariah Carey, but Mariah Carey is like, really just, I agree with you.
15:43Totally, totally, totally agree.
15:44Maybe it's slightly inappropriate, but I mean, do you, Mariah?
15:49But, you know, I think I'd love to see somebody who just like behaves their own age.
15:55Maybe Celine Dion does.
15:56Yeah.
15:57Yeah.
15:58There's no shame about it.
15:59But, you know, admit when you're too old and just.
16:02I'm a huge Celine Dion fan.
16:04I don't write too many songstresses.
16:06But the thing is, I was in London about 20 years ago and I happened to go to a concert
16:12of hers and she absolutely blew me away.
16:15She blew me away.
16:16I mean, she she can sing soul.
16:19She can make the pairs in the back of your neck tingle and she can actually rock you.
16:23Yeah.
16:24I mean, some of the songs that there's a ballad she does that's called Think Twice, which
16:28turns into a rock song as it fades away into that.
16:31And it's pretty awesome.
16:33Spotify it.
16:35Listen to it.
16:36Think twice.
16:37It's a great song.
16:38OK.
16:39And I think we need to put a disclaimer out here.
16:40Listen, guys, we're not trying to promote or put down any people.
16:44We're just two like minded people, Yusra and myself, from two generations who love music
16:50and we just love talking music.
16:52We're not authorities.
16:54We're not authoritarians.
16:55Definitely not.
16:56We just want to have fun out here and hope you guys have fun as much as we're having
16:59fun sitting here week in and week out talking about music that's for strong.
17:04Stuff we love and stuff we hate and people who need to just take a seat.
17:08Anyways, I think that's it, right?
17:11Yeah.
17:13Thank you, Yusra.
17:14Thanks, Leslie.
17:15Thanks for tuning in, everybody.
17:16Thanks, guys.
17:17Don't forget, we're broadcasting from gulfnews.com in Dubai.
17:20Yes.
17:21Keep watching us, guys.
17:24We won't disappoint you.
17:25All right.
17:27Bye.
17:28Bye.