If you could take only one genre of music to a desert island, which would you pick? This is a question I often find myself pondering, and one I’ve never been able to answer. Of course, it isn’t made easier by the fact that most genres have their own convoluted family trees of subgenres and spin-offs, which have developed to reflect their complex histories and cultures spanning anywhere between tens to hundreds of years.
But I wonder, would my answer be any different if I was asking myself this question in a different era? Say, 20 years ago? Or even 30, 40 or 50 years ago? I can’t say with any certainty, but part of me believes it would. This begs the question: How relevant are music genres in the modern day?
Even the most niche genres have their own unique origins and backstories by which they are clearly defined, and these contribute to their musical and cultural significance. Take, as broad examples, the birth of jazz in 1920s New Orleans, or hip-hop in early 1970s New York; both have clearly traceable roots and subsequent entire musical worlds associated with them. Obviously, it’s not that straightforward; there are many intertwinements and evolutions between almost all genres, such as the tangential development of heavy metal from rock music, which developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, mainly in the UK. And that’s before we consider the hundreds of subgenres and fusion genres which stem from each – most of which you’ve probably never heard of. Music genres have always been complex, and have only ever become more complex as time has passed, cultures have changed, and new branches have budded. So what’s different now, to have triggered the music genre to be put under the interrogative spotlight? There are a few contributors, I think.
One contributor is the accessibility of producing music: take, for example, bedroom pop. This is one of the newest fusion-genres of music, and it is exactly as it sounds: music which can be created in a bedroom, with nothing more than a laptop and good dose of creativity. As more and more people have the ability to make music, there are more and more inspirations and creatives entering the scene, resulting in an increasingly eclectic mix of noises entering the modern soundscape.
The rise in scale and diversity of fusion genres is a huge factor, again with thanks to modern-day accessibility to tools, inspirations and sounds. I think this is especially relevant to electronic and computer-generated elements; every genre seems to have an electronic counterpart nowadays, such as the likes of jazz, disco, hip-hop and even rock. It is impossible to read more than a handful of modern music reviews without coming across a word tacked on to genre like ‘bending’, ‘defying’, or ‘hopping’. I’m not saying this is the fault of critics being too afraid to label what subgenre a record falls into (or maybe I’m just saying that because I’m guilty of these words myself) – rather, I think this is an honest and natural reflection of today’s music, which truly does hop, skip and jump between genres. Genre-fusing is an immensely popular phenomenon, with so many artists incorporating a multitude of elements and inspirations into their music. With electronics, it’s relatively easy, and super effective. This is not at all a complaint, though – some of my favourite artists at the moment are those who’ve fused genres, creating some incredibly innovative, diverse and impressive music.
Whilst the above are certainly compelling contributing factors, there is another key factor which truly seems to fuel the notion that ‘genre is dying’ – the way we consume music.
Firstly, the idea that the world is shrinking applies to music too, with online streaming platforms enabling us to access essentially any music we want, at our fingertips. With just a few taps, I can be transported away to any corner of the world I wish, from Australian punk rock, to Ghanian highlife, to Jamaican reggae, with nothing more than my phone and a speaker, all whilst sat in the comfort of Waxing Lyrical HQ, in chilly Newcastle.
Most importantly to the discussion surrounding ‘genre death’, in my opinion, is that nowadays we tend to listen to music much less based on genres, albums or artists – but on moods, feelings, and activities. I can open Spotify and be bombarded with suggested playlists to lift my mood, exercise to, or do my weekly shop to. Whilst there are some themes across genres, such as the association of dance music with working out, most of the time there is an eclectic mix of artists, genres and eras of sound. This fundamentally changes how we view and categorise music when we come across it. When consumption of music is based on mood, rather than genre, you naturally become wired to categorise songs in your head in the same way. So when it comes to the record labels wanting to get you to listen to their up-and-coming rockstar, why would they not consider tapping into this, and categorising music to align with their consumers?
The most dramatic of music lovers would suggest that genre is heading for a certain permadeath, to be overruled by supreme streaming platform algorithms and AI generated playlists. I don’t think, and certainly do not hope, that this will be the case. Yes, the walls between genres are weakening – but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It has already created to some incredible and unique sounds, songs and artists, and this will only develop further. As long as we don’t completely demolish the foundations upon which our music stands and where its identity lies, I am all for genre-fusing, creativity, and novel approaches to music.
Music genres go beyond just something we listen to; it influences the way we dress, act, socialise and live. Whilst it may not be as explicit as 50-60 years ago, genres and cultures still definitely exist in music, in a way that extends beyond just the noise. Particularly in the UK, rave and club culture is stronger than ever, there is a huge proportion of young people who adore guitar-driven, indie rock music, and we are currently seeing a hugely promising generation of young talent devoting themselves to Music of Black Origin (MOBO). To diminish genres would mean to diminish their associated cultures, which is, in part, what makes these genres adored, unique and, most importantly, firmly rooted.
Simply, I can’t see genres being diminished so far that they will become ‘dead’. What we are witnessing is a natural, inevitable evolution of music, and will only serve to make for a more interesting landscape, as we continue to move forward.
Waxing Lyrical 