Writer's Block Magazine

As far as I’m concerned, it is not uncommon to share some likings and interests with other people, especially if they’re your friends. Frequently, that can even be the reason why they are your friends. Some hobbies in common, some genre of books or films that you both enjoy and can talk about. In other cases, friendship can start the other way around: you befriend someone with no common ground at all; but you start building it as the connection settles. A different situation arises when someone compliments or condemns your taste in a particular area. 

It is very interesting that the Cambridge Dictionary offers the following  descriptions for taste:

• A person’s approval of and liking for particular things.
• A person’s ability to judge and recognize what is good or suitable, especially relating to such matters as art, style, beauty and behaviour. 
• The things a person likes. 

Of all these, maybe it is the second one that people refer to when they compliment, for instance, your music taste, based on a song you posted on your Instagram story. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this comment in itself; I have done this myself. And yet, the idea does not seem entirely authentic. When using the term taste, what exactly are we referring to? Whether it is the first, second or third entry; the sentence in itself seems rather funny. 

Firstly, technically speaking, it would make no sense to tell someone that “their liking for particular things” is great. I might be being too obnoxious here, but isn’t that the point of enjoying the things you enjoy? Well, yes, I know that my musical taste is great for me, that’s why it is my taste. The intention behind agreeing with said “personal approval” is to open up, to share and to pursue a bond based on similar interests. Therefore, it becomes no longer a private, cherished interest that is particular to you and only you – which is already unrealistic, since cultural products are open to all public – but also to someone that took the initiative of saying “hello, I also like this and thus approve it”. It is actually a beautiful coincidence to be able to love the same things in this world, which already has so many options to offer. It is even more beautiful that we get to establish connections with others through an artistic product that another human being in the world made. Nothing seems too controversial up until this point.

What may be more conflicting is applying the second entry for “taste”, because who gets to decide what is “good and suitable”? Especially in “art, style, beauty and behaviour”! It is a puzzling definition to read. Maybe we can all agree that a piece of art is not good, but who do we refer with all? How can others determine if your taste is good or bad – is it just because it coincides with the majoritarian opinion? With the prescriptive opinion? Since it is too big of an issue to study in depth (and I’m not an expert on expertise), I can only begin to analyse this phenomenon common not only to music but to all interests.  

I believe that it is not the same to say “I love your music taste” than “you have great music taste”. The first sentence states only that the people talking share some things in common, have similar groups or solo artists that they enjoy. But if someone says somebody else “has great music taste”, what they mean (as I see it) is either that they fit into what they believe is the better music. It is not uncommon to find this in mainstream music, or the opposite, counterculture areas such as alternative music (you are better because you are not listening to what everybody else is listening, but to what everybody else who dislikes that mainstream is listening). This also relates to an underlying issue in today’s society about appearances and enjoying things as a performance or for the sake of what others will think. In spite of this, it is interesting how we can articulate our thoughts to be understood and relate to others, especially within young people. Still, when done without respect for the other party, or not as a form of compliment but of shaming, certain comments acquire a different nuance. 

The final though I have on this matter  is a post that I read on X (former Twitter) answering to a picture of the most popular books recently on TikTok, especially romance novels. The text said “And how else do you think that classics were born, if it’s not because everyone else has read them?”. Maybe this does not have to be true. I think, as a literature student, that classics arise because some people’s opinions are more valuable than others, and literature critics are more versed to decide what a good book (in general) is. And that is not bad; I believe that food critics have more authority than I do to claim what “good taste” is – even if I don’t agree with them. There may be good and not as good literature, but that does not mean that I have to like the good and dislike the bad. Opinions are only opinions – as I mentioned in this article. 

I find it all right to like mainstream music, books, art and other products, and also to dislike them. There should be no shame in enjoying any kind of book, even if it is not a niche, high-quality, academic sort of story, but just a novel to read without thinking too much. And listening to a specific mainstream singer or group does not mean your music taste is worse than someone else’s. There is also no point in avoiding things you like just because the general opinion doesn’t, whatever the reason is. Let’s not criticise people if they want to listen to Taylor Swift, nor if they like an experimental group with 20 followers on Spotify. Let’s allow people to read romance novels and actually encourage reading (something that has been on school planners’ minds for so long) instead of despising them for not wanting to commit to War and Peace. We can love someone else’s taste in a respect, even if it does not coincide with the general/more versed opinion. At the end of the day, when you’re on your own, reading and listening to music, you do it only for yourself. And there’s not much caring whether it is “good” or “bad”. 

Written by Raquel Rodríguez Mulero

Photo by @helloimnik on Unsplash