Deniz Gulay
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Music from the past decade or so feels as if it hasn’t been made by passionate people and instead has become something rolling off of a production line. In the past, songs and artists could be defined by rhythm, movement, instrument, lyrics and all kinds of other signature talents that made them stand out on their own. There was always something that made Glenn Miller different from Elvis Presley, or Kurt Cobain different from Madonna — these days the overwhelming sentiment is that artists and their songs are hardly distinguishable from each other. The 21st century so far feels instead like the end of an era for identity in music, and there are good and bad ways the world can go from here.

There seems to be a current “end of genre” trend, meaning that the general styles of artists and their songs are becoming more and more similar to each other. Studies done on the evolving trends of popular music show that songs have become less diverse because they have adopted qualities like simpler lyrics, repetitive rhythms, predictable tunes and melodies geared toward popularity on social media. The main problem is that music is becoming an industrialized, mass-produced product rather than a form of expression for people. The underlying concern is that with such a commercial incentive, the traits that make music distinct and characterful will be smoothed out and eroded as well.

Specifically, musical styles are increasingly lacking unique identities and we are getting more of the same themes with slight variations on them. That is why it isn’t a surprise that there are more and more “-core” categories tailored to pump up a certain emotion in a specific way only, and there isn’t much experimentation or change happening between the release of new tracks. This is the symptom of songs being written with less variation and more standardization, effectively min-maxed to be favored by social media. Furthermore, the essence of the situation is that in this age, social media has become the new arbiter of popularity. Instead of being on the top charts of radio, selling records or having airtime on MTV, songs become popular by being viral in short-form, easy-to-digest platforms. There are those who suggest that not having institutions like radio stations or TV channels acting as gatekeepers is better and that with social media, every song has an equal chance of being a hit. I don’t believe in that simply because the way algorithms work makes it likely that your personal preferences, or popular culture’s, will be the source of a feedback loop. Moreover, what you listen to right now is what you will be presented with later on, and the cycle continues.

We can’t tell where this lack of creativity will lead the music industry, but we can think of predictions in the meantime. After all, with something as complex as popular culture, there isn’t really a straight “solution” to this phenomenon. One way to look at the situation is that this is only a transitional period between the era of past genres and new ones we don’t know yet. Online platforms allow easy access to an enormous amount of content, which makes blending and mixing styles easy to do as well. As a result, there may be a point where this trend runs its course, people begin to look elsewhere (possibly even at foreign nations’ music) and draw inspiration for new identities in music.

Alternatively, music can simply further evolve into a consumer product in which maximizing profit becomes the primary goal, and this trend can become the new norm for future generations. In this case, songs would still be made to make people “feel” a certain way, but the industry overall would be far less diverse with a much smaller space for expression. This is a far bigger concern to think about because music is a key aspect of human culture. The way music is produced, distributed and popularized today is the true culprit behind this phenomenon — if there is to be a new revolution in music, it has to occur through the breaking of these cycles incentivized by revenue and online popularity.

Regardless of its outcome, this is a dynamic between the artists, the spaces where their works are published and us, the consumers. We play a role in what becomes popular and what falls out of fashion — it should be in our interest to go out of our own ways to discover new talents and methods to popularize unique tastes. To me, such a world is a better alternative to the repetitive stream of identical rhythms and feelings we get from songs today. There needs to be an incentive for people to make songs again — to express who they are and not to make the most money right away.

Deniz Gulay is a sophomore double-majoring in history and Russian. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.