Bad music is bad music is bad music. I mean, if we're going to be real, at least 25% of what you'll hear on Top 40 radio doesn't even qualify as music, and what is it doing to 12-year-olds when they listen to that crap?And yet.A few years ago, Hilary Duff, in her quest for World Tween Domination, released her first single, "So Yesterday," with these lyrics. Notable lines:Thank you - you made my mind up for meWhen you started to ignore meDo you see a single tear?It isn't gonna happen hereNot exactly great poetry. But flash back to when I was 12 years old, and one of my favorite songs was "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" by Exposé, with these lyrics. Notable lines:I try to smile so the hurt won't showTell everybody I was glad to see you goBut the tears just won't go awayLoneliness found me, looks like it's here to stayBad music is bad music is bad music, yeah. Or not even music at all. But there was a change somewhere in the dozen years or so between when these songs were written. I'm just saying - if your preteen daughter, or sister, or whatever, insisted on listening to crappy pop music, as so many of them will, which lyrics would you rather have her memorizing? Even if we're not selling better music to these girls, are we selling them better self-esteem? Sometimes, at least?(There's another lesson here: I grew up listening to garbage like that, and my musical taste wasn't permanently destroyed. It's not irreversible.)And I don't care what you say, those lines about how she's gonna keep his jeans and his old black hat 'cause they look good on her, and he's never gonna get them back? I want to go back in time to when I was 14 and be best friends with the girl in that song.