Ushering in the Divorce Song Era

You know me: I don’t just throw around the cuss words. Ain’t my thing, girl. No F words. No D words. No B words. No S words. No BS words. Not a one of ‘em. So when I tell you the new Usher song “Papers” is the fucking shit, that’s no bullshit, bitch. Listen for yourself, damnit.

Hey kids, it’s Divorce Music! Usher is the first to deliver on it, but I doubt he’ll be the last. Nobody knows divorce like the touring musician.

“Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs,” and I agree with Paul McCartney that there’s nothing wrong with that. But the Love Train that passes through Marriageville, about 50% of the time, has a final destination in Divorcetown, and there hasn’t been any popular music that accompanies that leg of the trip previously.

Sure, divorcees have always had sad bastard music to fall back on. But divorce deserves a music less hopeless than the (Elliott) Smiths catalog can offer. Usher’s song isn’t about wallowing or giving up, it’s about coming to terms with emotions that fall somewhere in the vast spectrum between sweetest love and saltiest sadness. ‘Cause life has more flavors than that, y’all.

We turn to music for therapy and, most times, get dimestore psychology at best. Sure, the great poets speak to us all, but most music, like all astrology, is relatable because it’s vague enough to seem like it’s speaking directly to you at a time when you seek connection and symbol. Sad bastard music doesn’t help you feel better, it just acts all sad bastardy which validates you feeling like a sad bastard too. But Divorce Music, those jams talk you through a real thing like divorce. That’s deep, man.

Let’s hope it doesn’t stop with Usher and divorce. I want to see all the modern issues tackled. What do you think will be next? My guess is Katy Perry and Abortion Music. And I feel totally comfortable admitting that I’m looking forward to that music video.

My name is Ben and I blogged this.