Music Through the Ages

People have been creating sounds since the beginning of time. Whether through voices or instruments, music has always been at the heart of cultures. Over time, as technology advanced, people were able to share their art. Here are some of my thoughts about the state of music teens listen to today. 

Current Events

The events happening in the world impact everyone. Song writers often incorporate these events into their music. For instance, back when the first school shooting happened, many artists wrote songs about it, mainly to raise awareness. The same thing is happening with today's songwriters and Covid-19. During spring last year, several of the songs on the top charts were centered around quarantine. By keeping up with current events, artists can relate with their fans.  

Country Music

When different people think of country music, different things come to mind. There are many subcategories of this genre. For instance, several decades ago country music gave you a cowboy vibe. Typically a twang could be heard in their voices. However, this rodeo style of music has faded away in recent years.

In the 2000’s, country music shifted from midwestern to a more southern feel. They often held themes of home towns and family. More love songs started to appear which were often softer, slower songs. Unfortunately, this meant they made the radio less often, leading to decrease in country music lovers.

I think the state of country music today is not something the younger generations should be proud of. Many of the songs hold themes of getting drunk and it is rare to find a mainstream country song that doesn’t talk about alcohol. Thankfully, there are still artists who, although they are not as well known, produce country music that is true to their hearts.

Pop Music

Pop music has become such a general category nowadays. Radio stations that claim to be playing pop music play songs that don’t even sound like they are in the same genre. This term is so generic it has become almost an umbrella term with many subgenres. It is nearly impossible to judge what pop music is like today because the radio plays what is trending. 

Some of the genres played on pop stations are country and rap. These genres typically have their own stations dedicated to them. However, when songs become so popular, they move into that grey area where they could be considered either or. Another common theme is remaking old songs from 30ish years ago and remaking them to sound more techno. This proposes the question of which genre they now belong to.

One cause for the blurring of the genres is TikTok. Unfortunately, there are many songs that become popular based on TikTok trends. Most of the time, they have a catchy chorus, but they have boring lyrics. Also, none of these songs have similar styles and it is impossible to tell what genre they even started out as. An even bigger crime is that these artists have way better songs that are overlooked due to the success of that one song. 

Although this all seems very negative, there are so many good songs that are being produced today. All it takes is a bit of digging to find them. You might not find your personal taste in music by listening to radio stations, because it is unclear what their own style of music is. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for self-discovery for many. Take advantage of this and find your own style of music.