Is liking VK a phase?

[0rei 0]

I've been listening to visual kei for a little over 3 years now. Honestly, I can't even bare to listen to any of the stuff any more asides from my favourites. A lot of the music now is either not my cup of tea or have become so formulaic and predictable. I don't want to even try because most often as soon as the singing kicks in, I'm already turned off by the awful vocals. Visual Kei vocals are just bad in general imo. But for some reason I keep trying to find something new that will click with me because of how much I love my favourite bands that have now either disbanded or changed so much.

Anyone else feel this way? I listen lots of things other than vk, but they never quite had the same effect. I guess I'm just lookin' to feel incredibly hooked with music again. But vk music or not, I'm listening to new things all the time and still getting bored so fast. Sometimes I'm wondering if I'm just bored with music altogether?? T__T Seriously, what is life without music!

[Original Saku 1593]

Yes. it is.

[Zeus 7997]

It is and you are on the tail end of it. It is OK. It happens to all of us.

[Guest]

For most people yes it is.

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

I think it is for most people, yeah.

[Gizorz 24]

I've listened to vk about 6 years now, and while I'm definitely listening to different bands now and I've broadened my taste, I still enjoy it a lot. It's different for everyone I suppose.

[Slsr 207]

I think personally it is obvious it's not, since you just can't say it is true for everyone. However listening certain kind of music is sometimes just phase and this might be more often true with stuff like vkei, where looks and play big part and songs often are not being considered as highest pieces of art, not to mention that target audience being mostly young girls. Also just thinking what I have read, really many Japanese fans quit listening it when getting older, so not like someone saying vkei is phase is completely off I guess.

[Nyasagi 259]

I've been listening to vk bands for 6-7 years and as long as there are good and listenable bands around, I doubt it will be just a phase. I listen to less bands than before, though. These are less darker and heavier bands nowadays and the colorful ones used to sound better.

[TakaGacktHyde 19]

I've listened to vk about 6 years now, and while I'm definitely listening to different bands now and I've broadened my taste, I still enjoy it a lot. It's different for everyone I suppose.

i totally agree with you.

[sixblacknine 90]

I've listened to vk about 6 years now, and while I'm definitely listening to different bands now and I've broadened my taste, I still enjoy it a lot. It's different for everyone I suppose.

This is true for me too.

Maybe in a few years I'll be listening to different bands, but I think it will still be jrock/vk.

[LIDL 692]

To each their own.

Though for most people it is.

Many things contributes to why this happen.

Personally, the lack of innovative minds kills it for me.

Every other bands seems doing the same thing.

One band wearing item A or playing music style that are unique to them,

all the peasants bands will come following what they did in the next day without adding their own.

[Yasupon 18]

For most people at a young age, liking ANY kind of music is usually a phase. VK is no different, however since everyone is different I would answer that with a 'usually' instead of a yes or no.

[madygrain 515]

For most people at a young age, liking ANY kind of music is usually a phase. VK is no different, however since everyone is different I would answer that with a 'usually' instead of a yes or no.

[Champ213 1858]

For many people it is, but it doesn't have to be.

Personally, I never understood how people can be so volatile that they can change their tastes so drastically in such a short time. One moment vk is the greatest thing in the world and 2 years later everything they loved is suddenly crap? It doesn't make sense to me, unless that person is 15 or 16, because your tastes changes drastically during puberty, lol.

Maybe the problem with vk is that people treat it as a musical genre (which is it not), so they think "If I like vk band A, I also must like vk band B". So they listen to both Versailles and SuG, because it's both vk, but they listen to it for the wrong reasons. And at some point they realize that they don't really like SuG. And they never would have, if they weren't vk. But they still like Versailles, and they also would have if they weren't vk.

I have been listening to vk for over 10 years. During some time it was probably 80% of what I listened to, nowadays maybe 20%. But I am totally at peace with my musical history since the age of 15/16. There are bands I hardly listen to anymore, but when I go back and listen to a song I loved 5 years ago, or 10 ago, I can still say: Yes, I understand why it appealled to me back then, and it still appeals to me now.

I think music is a journey. So yes, you should alway move on and find new terretories, but a journey becomes pointless if you totally dismiss and block out the paths you travelled before. Instead of jumping from one phase into another, from vk to kpop to whatever, bring your favourites with you when moving along. There was a reason why you liked them before, so don't think you have to hate them now because you want to move on. Trust your tastes!

[saishuu 3220]

For many people it is, but it doesn't have to be.

Personally, I never understood how people can be so volatile that they can change their tastes so drastically in such a short time. One moment vk is the greatest thing in the world and 2 years later everything they loved is suddenly crap? It doesn't make sense to me, unless that person is 15 or 16, because your tastes changes drastically during puberty, lol.

Maybe the problem with vk is that people treat it as a musical genre (which is it not), so they think "If I like vk band A, I also must like vk band B". So they listen to both Versailles and SuG, because it's both vk, but they listen to it for the wrong reasons. And at some point they realize that they don't really like SuG. And they never would have, if they weren't vk. But they still like Versailles, and they also would have if they weren't vk.

I have been listening to vk for over 10 years. During some time it was probably 80% of what I listened to, nowadays maybe 20%. But I am totally at peace with my musical history since the age of 15/16. There are bands I hardly listen to anymore, but when I go back and listen to a song I loved 5 years ago, or 10 ago, I can still say: Yes, I understand why it appealled to me back then, and it still appeals to me now.

I think music is a journey. So yes, you should alway move on and find new terretories, but a journey becomes pointless if you totally dismiss and block out the paths you travelled before. Instead of jumping from one phase into another, from vk to kpop to whatever, bring your favourites with you when moving along. There was a reason why you liked them before, so don't think you have to hate them now because you want to move on. Trust your tastes!

/thread

But really, I fully agree with Champ, especially with the point where you may like two completely different bands just because they are VK. This has happened to me when I was younger and was only starting to get into the scene, and it took me a long time to be really comfortable with my music taste. For me, what happens over time is that you learn to filter what you listen to and truly find out what you like, whether that includes disregarding completely some stuff you thought you liked before or not. Then you just have to stick to it.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Basically I'm just echoing what the previous few people said... it depends on the person I guess.

[Yuuko 76]

I've been listening to VK for almost 11 years. I have listened to it more than anything, but it doesn't mean I don't listen to other music too.

I've seen many people over the years get on their high-horse for having essentially 'grow out' of VK, I'd only like to know who they're trying to please.. Themselves or somebody else.

Sometimes I wonder if anybody takes into account how a lot of VK bands consist of members in their 30's and listen to other VK bands as well as shit like David Bowie or Rush.

Moral of the story: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

[Des 289]

I think 99% of the listeners grow out of the childish visual bands like An Cafe, D=OUT, ViViD, that kind of stuff. If you never get tired of this then you are truly a special person. Not trying to offend anyone but if you're 30 years old and still listening to An Cafe then you will have to admit you're quite unique and most likely not very mature mentally.

For bands like the GazettE and Versailles and countless others, it's harder to tell. They're somewhat childish but not entirely. I can see people in their late 20's still listen to these bands occasionally. But beyond that age? Hmm...

Bands like MERRY, cali≠gari and BUCK-TICK might last longer. At least they have a certain maturity in their music and fashion style that might be ageless... or might not. Again, that's hard to tell.

Sometimes I wonder if anybody takes into account how a lot of VK bands consist of members in their 30's and listen to other VK bands as well as shit like David Bowie or Rush.

For these kind of bands their band is a company, their music is a product and their job is to sell it to teenagers.

For example: Green Day's most recent music is still aimed at 15 year olds while their lead singer is 40 years old now.

[Yasupon 18]

Totally agreed with Des there. It seems like some visual kei bands generally appeal to younger / older age groups than others.

[Champ213 1858]

For bands like the GazettE and Versailles and countless others, it's harder to tell. They're somewhat childish but not entirely. I can see people in their late 20's still listen to these bands occasionally. But beyond that age? Hmm...

I'm 31 and I still like Versailles. I also listen to bands that pretend to be vikings and sing about plundering villages. I guess that makes me really immature, lol.

Seriously, people should stop judging so much. Music is about enjoyment, not about how mature or immature it appears. There's nothing wrong with having harmless fun beyond the age of 30. Just because you have aged a few more years doesn't mean you must only listen to serious, darker, more sober bands. I like those bands, but I also like bands with cheesy lyrics and wild imagery. Why? Because it's fun. Not everything in the world has be serious and sober, even to a 31-year-old.

[0rei 0]

For bands like the GazettE and Versailles and countless others, it's harder to tell. They're somewhat childish but not entirely. I can see people in their late 20's still listen to these bands occasionally. But beyond that age? Hmm...

I'm 31 and I still like Versailles. I also listen to bands that pretend to be vikings and sing about plundering villages. I guess that makes me really immature, lol.

Seriously, people should stop judging so much. Music is about enjoyment, not about how mature or immature it appears. There's nothing wrong with having harmless fun beyond the age of 30. Just because you have aged a few more years doesn't mean you must only listen to serious, darker, more sober bands. I like those bands, but I also like bands with cheesy lyrics and wild imagery. Why? Because it's fun. Not everything in the world has be serious and sober, even to a 31-year-old.

Hahah! Yeah, I don't think it's fair to be so judging. I'll take viking plundering villages any day over another song about someone's break up. Well, more often than not, I don't really pay attention to lyrics especially foreign languages like Japanese. I like what I listen to by the sound of the music.

[Guest]

Champ is right. I've been listening to VK for over 11 years and I've just gone through phases of music. At first I was just listening to VK. Started out on PIERROT, Dir en Grey, 12012, Gackt, Malice Mizer, Girugamesh, Despairsray, etc. Then my taste just changed. Mainly because I couldn't find metal and harder music as emotionally accessible and genuine anymore~. (Although I still enjoy some harder VK at times. It's now down to probably 15% of what I listen to as opposed to 80%. Well maybe a bit more lately... Hmmm...) Anyway~. Now I listen to things like THE KIDDIE, Alice Nine, UNiTE, DIV, Cindykate, BugLug. At times I've wanted to get out of liking VK because I feel like it'd be hard for me to relate to others IRL but the addiction is too strong and the bands I love release things often enough to keep me interested.

[237Q 154]

Champ's post almost made me cry.

It's true, I've been giving another listen to bands I haven't heard for a few years already but were my favorite bands at the time-and once I heard those songs again, it not only made me all sentimental because of the memories connected to the music and the band (Tokio Hotel in particular, shame on me), but it also made me realize that I listened to something I would listen to just any day again, and that I have even as a 12 years old girl chosen the type of music I like, that the music and the lyrics are as appealing and as deep to me as I remember them being. I can honestly say I'm proud of the history of my taste in music.

But development is natural and anyone who says it isn't is a fool.

I love visual kei, I sincerely love it and have loved it for 6 years already. In my case, the love I have for it might be a bit more that a love for a musical genre, since I'm very interested in design and style, and visual kei connects the music and design in the way I like it. And even though I can still say for sure that I love VK, I know that this what I'm feeling for it is different than what I felt just a year back. I find myself caring less for the band members, the drama stuff, the actual people who take part in the scene. For me, having a bunch of bands doing similar stuff isn't bad at all because it makes me assured that even if a band that I like didn't produce any more music and music videos, I'd have another band that would have a similar feeling to them and I'd easily switch to following the other band while still having the old stuff from my liked band.

However, for the people who don't really care for the visual aspect as much as I do, I believe exploring and switching to other genres and movements is also very natural. As it was already mentioned, it's true that vk bands care maybe a tiny bit more for their looks than they do for their music, so it's honestly very easy to find equal or better quality music in any other genre.

With time, we strive for better quality, and it's really simply natural. It's development. If visual kei music's quality is not enough for the person anymore, why torture themselves by trying to limit themselves just because they used to like it.

Personally, I believe people are afraid to step out of visual kei because of the fandom, because most of us at least a bit concentrate on all the stuff happening within the scene that's more musician than music related, and because we've found ourselves friends within a fandom that we want to stay by our side. But if they can't accept that you're not so much into it anymore, are they really your friends?

Yes, visual kei is a phase, but not a phase everyone goes out of in the same pace. Going out of a phase isn't just ditching everything you ever loved, it's just broadening. If you don't like what's around, you can always come back. I would love the dream to never end, but I feel it already is. What I know for sure is that Visual Kei will be an irreplaceable part of my growth and no matter what I like tomorrow, nothing can ever erase it from my history and my heart.

[Biopanda 2675]

Since VK isn't a genre, I would have to say that VK being just a phase isn't true unless the listener is rather vapid. While yes, there can sometimes be a certain "sound" to VK, that sound changes over time as well. One can't say that the VK "sound" from 1995 is the same as the VK "sound" from 2012. As it covers a multitude of genres, dismissing VK would be the same as say... dismissing all American music.

That being said, obviously some people do "grow out" of VK for whatever reasons. I could understand an expansion of musical taste, but an expansion is totally different from scene-hopping. I think that pretty much mirrors what Champ was saying.

[ShanethVarosa 1209]

For many people it is, but it doesn't have to be.

Personally, I never understood how people can be so volatile that they can change their tastes so drastically in such a short time. One moment vk is the greatest thing in the world and 2 years later everything they loved is suddenly crap? It doesn't make sense to me, unless that person is 15 or 16, because your tastes changes drastically during puberty, lol.

Maybe the problem with vk is that people treat it as a musical genre (which is it not), so they think "If I like vk band A, I also must like vk band B". So they listen to both Versailles and SuG, because it's both vk, but they listen to it for the wrong reasons. And at some point they realize that they don't really like SuG. And they never would have, if they weren't vk. But they still like Versailles, and they also would have if they weren't vk.

I have been listening to vk for over 10 years. During some time it was probably 80% of what I listened to, nowadays maybe 20%. But I am totally at peace with my musical history since the age of 15/16. There are bands I hardly listen to anymore, but when I go back and listen to a song I loved 5 years ago, or 10 ago, I can still say: Yes, I understand why it appealled to me back then, and it still appeals to me now.

I think music is a journey. So yes, you should alway move on and find new terretories, but a journey becomes pointless if you totally dismiss and block out the paths you travelled before. Instead of jumping from one phase into another, from vk to kpop to whatever, bring your favourites with you when moving along. There was a reason why you liked them before, so don't think you have to hate them now because you want to move on. Trust your tastes!

God I love this.

I agree wholeheartedly and barely have any input here, but nonetheless: I also have listened to VK for 10 years and have learned those same things. Mana was the one who got me into the scene because I just thought he was so cool, but the feeling of love for this form of VK did not generalize to ALL VK bands. It helped get my foot in the door to appreciate other actual genres associated with VK seeing as my musical tastes are so varied to begin with that if a band is GOOD (which is, of course, subjective) the fact that they're VK is a MAJOR plus because that style... I just still find super cool.