Hyperrealism in Music

Popular musical tastes are always changing, accordingly leading to different music being produced. With this shift comes something with which we are all familiar: remixes. There are innumerable examples, but let’s start with one with which most people are familiar: “Ice Ice Baby.” “Ice Ice Baby” is an extremely popular rap song produced in 1990 by Vanilla Ice, a popularity heightened by controversy. It stole the chords of an also extremely famous song, “Under Pressure” by Queen, and repurposed them to allow Vanilla Ice to rap off of them. Nowadays, one can never tell when those chords play whether one is about to listen to a classic rock masterpiece or an exciting and zany rap by the once great Vanilla Ice. For some, “Ice Ice Baby” has eclipsed “Under Pressure,” and the simulacra has become the reality. Whether it has improved the original or denatured it is a matter of personal opinion.