A Somaesthetic Approach to Rock Music: Some Observations and Remarks

In this article I sketch some ideas and observations for a philosophical theory of popular music, with a particular focus on the subgenre of rock music. While acknowledging the fundamental importance still today of the contributions of Frankfurt critical theory to this topic, I also try to broaden the conceptual horizon by referring to pragmatist aesthetics and in particular to its recent development into somaesthetics. I consider the latter of great philosophical importance especially to evaluate in an adequate way the fact that understanding and appreciating rock music naturally and necessarily implies a relevant somatic component, i.e. is always bodily-rooted, while not denying for this reason also the presence of an intellectual component in this kind of aesthetic experience. In my article I exemplify some of my theses by referring to recordings and live performances of Lou Reed, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, and other rock musicians.