Why is modern pop music today so terrible?

I've spent many years as part of the "unpopular" music business (a phrase coined by my friend Harvey Reid) as both a musician and concert producer/sound mixer. The brilliant singer/songwriters who work the small coffeehouse or club gigs can put out some astonishing art. A perfect example of this is when I recently saw Anais Mitchell (look her up) in a 3/4 full show at a nice venue near where I live in MA…she's a more interesting singer and a better songwriter than pretty much anybody you'll hear in "popular" (commercial? promoted?) music…and I bet almost nobody here knows who she is. And she's more well known than most (NY Times had a rave review of her off Broadway musical "Hadestown"). Pop is pop, and is anybody really worried about how lame it generally is? If you are, get out and see somebody less well known and great…follow 'em…buy their stuff…get into jazz…get off yer couch.

I just read an article in the NY Times about the recent Newport Jazz Festival and it noted the presence of actual young people! Shocking! My daughter (she's 26) is into the EDM scene, has worked with promotion of that stuff, and it's all good. Dance yer ass off I say…I'm not bothered by what my taste decides is lame music as there is so much great stuff out there I doubt I'll live long enough to discover even a fraction of it...