#deathofautotune

Jay-Z stands at the forefront of a group of artists who are opposed to Auto-Tune. In his song "D.O.A.," Jay-Z condemns the current widespread usage of the technology in the music industry. Through his song, he clearly voices his opinion that "y'all [people] singing too much" and commands his fellow rap artists to "get back to rap, you T-Pain-in' too much." His lyrics allude to T-Pain, a hip-hop artist known for his prolific usage of Antares Auto-Tune, and can be characterized as a "diss" to his peers who electronically enhance their voices in hopes to boost record sales.

Although I agree with Jay-Z's view that Auto-Tune usage tends to correlate with lack of true talent, I have accepted the sad truth: digital voice correction is here to stay as long as less talented artists continue to make it big. Some musicians only Auto-Tune their singing recreationally, which is more understandable. I will admit - musically messing around with your voice is pretty cool. On the other hand, musicians such as Ke$ha and Rebecca Black have found success electronically changing their voices, so what incentives do they have to stop doing so?

In today's music industry, where virtually all songs have some degree of digital voice correction, taking away Auto-Tune will only result in more off-pitch, unappealing music. However, Jay-Z raises a valid point and his song serves as a warning to artists and music listeners alike: studio recordings are in no way indicative of the quality of live performances. Unfortunately for him, the music business relies on progressive technology and probably would not thrive nearly as much without Auto-Tune.