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Why I cannot stand music snobs

Sound Off: It doesn’t matter what you listen to – music is a matter of personal taste

Tara Stewart: 'Whether you’re into Nirvana, The Dixie Chicks, 50 Cent, Katy Perry or the High School Musical soundtrack it doesn’t make you more or less cool than your fellow music listener.' Photograph: vSquared Photography
Tara Stewart: 'Whether you’re into Nirvana, The Dixie Chicks, 50 Cent, Katy Perry or the High School Musical soundtrack it doesn’t make you more or less cool than your fellow music listener.' Photograph: vSquared Photography
Tara Stewart
Sat Jan 20 2018 - 06:00

For a brief period in my teens in 2006 I thought all my school friends were morons.

They would read Twilight, watch High School Musical and listen to Taylor Swift. I thought this was so mainstream and basic of them. Meanwhile you see, I was really cool. I only watched arthouse movies, I listened to Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and some indie band that you've probably never heard of.

Your taste doesn't make you more or less cool than your fellow music listener

I used to secretly listen to the Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce alone on my iPod because god forbid I listened to popular music.

One day, at a house party, Shakira's Hips Don't Lie came on. I was about five bottles deep into passion fruit vodka cruisers and my hips got loose. My mask fell off and I had been revealed. My teenage self snitched on me and suddenly I was someone that enjoyed getting down to a popular tune.

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So, while I used to be a music snob, now I hate them. I hate that they feel superior to others because of what music they listen to. As I type this, I'm actually wearing a Britney Spears T-shirt and Toxic is one of my favourite songs, Shania Twain is one of my favourite artists, Rihanna is my queen. But don't worry, I love Fleetwood Mac and even saw them in concert once so hopefully my credibility is back now.

When I DJ I have no shame playing It Wasn't Me by Shaggy, because that song is whopper and even the music snobs at my gig will recite every single word.

Whether you’re into Nirvana, Oasis, The Dixie Chicks, 50 Cent, Celine Dion, Katy Perry or the High School Musical Soundtrack it doesn’t make you more or less cool than your fellow music listener.

If you are a music snob, next time somebody says they’re sweatin’ to get Ed Sheeran tickets, you might get the urge to laugh at them. Don’t. Keep it to yourself. Realise that their taste is just different to yours.

Tara Stewart is a DJ, music journalist, and entertainment reporter on 2fm.

Do you have something you’d like to Sound Off about? Email 300 words to magazine@irishtimes.com with Sound Off in the subject line