I was going through my old things today when I came across my music box. It was a birthday gift from my cousin, and I haven't used it in two years. Next to it was my old button phone, and after a few connections, I was able to access my music list. It was mostly blues, those of Celine Dion, Melanie Martinez, Shania Twain, etc. I used to like it then; it was popular with most people, and maybe it still is.
The first song that popped up was "Courage" by Celine Dion. I remember playing it countless times. Maybe because I was a teenager with lots of dreams, I literally had my whole life planned out in a journal. "Courage" was one of the few songs that told me how complicated some things could be, and it made me feel like I could achieve anything.
The next song that played was "Price Tag" by Jessie J. I don't remember paying close attention to this song until today. The lyrics hit me really hard.
We all have a price tag, don't we? We love money because it's a necessity, and we've all made it a priority – often above all other priorities. Fun, happiness, and friendship sometimes take a backseat to money and other assets. We've even seen people change to something else because of money.
Today's world is so materialistic, and that's what Jessie J tried to address in 2011 with "Price Tag." Though it seems like Jessey was speaking more about the music industry – the unhealthy demands of directors on their artists and the the sophisticated life they live.
Obviously , Behind the scenes of many star performers is very different from what we see.
This happens not only in the music industry; it's a pervasive issue in every aspect of our lives. We've become so serious that we've forgotten how to have fun. No one wants the bare minimum, so people get angry over small things and postpone happiness until they "make it," which isn't how it's supposed to be. As humans, we were meant to live in the moment, celebrate our little wins, love the people in our lives, and be kind to strangers. This is a world where no one knows the end, everyone will leave it behind someday.
I was told it's very important to work hard because it will yield great rewards in the future. But since the future is built on mere hope, it remains a mystery. So it's perfectly okay to enjoy the present, which we can see and experience.
In the song, Jessie J mentioned the good old days when life wasn't so materialistic. She said music was for fun, and people weren't as serious. This made me wonder if there was ever a time like that.
Her choreography of the song shows that she has become the exact same thing she criticized. So I believe this seriousness and obsession with material things has been going on for decades and will continue. Everyone just needs to realize that the world never ends, but we do, so we have to enjoy it while we can.