the issue isn't lack of talent (chrsitina aguilera is the example - she can sing but keeps churning out album after album of really bad songs), it's lack of good material

why?
because "the machine" is more interested in creating *product* than creating art

nobody is thinking: I wanna make a song that will still be played 50 years from now, they think "I wanna sell a zillion copies before the next quarter's releases" (hence the stressing of charting and 1st week sales numbers)

it doesn't matter as much if it's good, instead what matters is if it sells

the same issue that exists with songwriting exists with "musicianship" (re: the ability to play instruments, or even really *KNOW* music beyond "this is what's hot")