The Modern Phenomenon Known As “The Autotune Disaster”

Horrible Autotune

Autotune Disaster

Most of us have heard of or seen what is known as a “Photoshop disaster.” You know what we’re talking about: a model with a missing hand, or an airbrush gone wrong. In other words, a completely un-natural and off-putting effect originally intended as an enhancement.

I would submit that the corollary in the world of music would have to be the misapplied Autotune, either as an overt effect, or a botched enhancement. Everyone knows about Autotune by now. It has become ubiquitous in all forms of pop music and is probably the most spammed effect in the modern music era. Just like previous signature sounds of an era – like gated snares in the 80’s, or overused guitar feedback in the 90’s – there will come a day when it becomes unofficially blacklisted for fear of sounding retro.
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