Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but there’s a difference between simply not liking something and saying it’s crap.
As I've grown older, I've encountered quite a bit of music I thought was pure garbage. But what I discovered time and time again is that when I took the time to listen closely and understand its origins, subculture, structure, and how it connects with its target audience, there is always value to be found. I still may not enjoy listening to it, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s crap.
My generation (boomers) are simply not the target audience for modern pop music anymore. My parents could never relate to my love of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Cure - and they weren't supposed to. Those artists spoke to my culture of youth and deliberately shunned or defied the musical sensibilities of older audiences. It was music meant for a new generation.
A few years ago, I was browing YouTube to get a sampling of current popular music, and found most of the songs unappealing to my ears - they sounded musically uninteresting and lyrically unsophisticated - I pretty much had the same reaction as my parents did to my favorite music. But then I started reading the viewer comments, and was surprised to see how much this music actually meant to younger listeners - they quoted lyrics, called out favorite parts in the music, and shared how their lives were profoundly affected by these songs. That's exactly how I felt back in the day listening to The Who, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Van Halen, etc. as my parents rolled their eyes and dismissed it as nothing but "noise" and "garbage".
Just because I can't relate to a lot of today's music, doesn't mean there aren't people out there who are deeply moved, inspired, and affected by it. I'm simply not the target audience anymore, and that's perfectly fine. After all, I've already built up my own lifetime's worth of favorite music to listen to. There's no reason for me to sh*t on what other people are into.
That said, there are many contemporary artists I really respect and enjoy, like Billie Eilish, The Avett Brothers, Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Lake Street Dive, BlackPink, Bruno Mars, and many, many others. My recent discovery of Angine de Poitrine was a mind-altering musical revelation!
Ultimately, there's something out there for everyone. The vast amount of music that's readily available nowadays is unprecedented in human history, so it's simply a matter of digging around until you find something that speaks to you.
Meanwhile, be happy enjoying the music you already know and love
