On The Death of Genre (Published in Five Cent Sound Magazine)

“Genre” is now completey and utterly obsolete. 

Yes, it is the case that nearly all of the music we consume is generally categorized and sorted plainly into one of many neat divisions. This has been an unavoidable convention for decades. It would seem as though we cannot view music without these parameters. Just as in the industries of film and literature, music has always been delivered in a way that was dismally expected. Yet, delivered unto the age of the internet, this idea has begun to dissolve. 

I believe, firstly, that given time, creative-minded people cannot be helped from straining against older boundaries. As such, the moment when nascent music-sharing apps like SoundCloud arrived into the music industry, artists were already predisposed toward the alternatives to mainstream distributors. 

The purpose of any artist is to always strive for a more direct vein, a more immediate connection to their audience. Here is the mainline artery, happily disconnected from the record labels who had, until this time, dictated what music was able to reach the public. Within these apps, intense subcultures developed naturally, or rather, a new music that began to distort the firmly established way of things. Immutable to a fault, record labels refused to acknowledge the internet’s zeitgeist. In truth, they failed to understand the importance of this new horizon, which remained in ever-constant motion. 

This was an immediate oversight and one that artists were far quicker to recognize than their corporate counterparts. Almost immediately, a “SoundCloud generation” instilled itself in the rap community, wherein young artists rose to prominence in a way that could only be made possible by the instantaneous nature of the internet. Virality, above all else, dictates what will succeed, such that eccentric images and personas emerged alongside the music that was never given a chance before. Insert the talent of artists, Rico Nasty, Denzel Curry or 21 Savage. This was, to my mind, an intensely creative time, ripe with the exact sort of passion that had perhaps dwindled in the previous years. Artists — truly unheard of, young artists — were rewarded now for understanding how to use a tool that still remained obscure to those formerly in control.

It was in that moment (2016–2018) that the very notion of genre began to fall away. Record labels had, until this point, relied on genre more so as a tool for marketing than anything else. But in this new stage, genre was treated more to the effect of loose suggestion. The boundaries which had, until this point, governed which music fit into which box appeared obsolete. Genre was too set in stone, too immovable for a culture which hates stagnancy.

Artists have come to understand that there is inherent worth to being in touch with the heartbeat of the internet. Though often a vaporous, impossibly abstract thing, when a musician does manage to place their finger perfectly on the pulse, the art that ensues is immediately of a different essence. Lil Nas X exists as a prime example of a musician who understands the internet. Through admixtures of passion, outrage and sheer audacity, Lil Nas X captivates the internet, while simultaneously propelling art itself. There is rare creativity in this, and perhaps the youth recognize some mutual respect for themselves reflected by the culture they helped develop.

To provide a directly contrasting failure: often in this era, record labels who found themselves desperate to commercialize would attempt to forcefully insert a musician into the scene. Known notably as industry plants, this title was given to musicians who arrived abruptly into the music industry with the aegis of a powerful label to promote their success. Though the term became readily overused, artists like Jack Harlow, Dua Lipa and The Kid Laroi have all been the targets of this label. Regardless of veracity, there exists, on the internet, a distinct sense of justice that seems to recognize insincere, ersatz or otherwise corporate artistry. 

As it presently stands, art on the internet has matured well into an always-moving, intensely creative thing. Musicians must now strive to keep up with this erratic landscape where, at one moment, a single trend might skyrocket or viscerally undo any body of work. And, though this effect could be seen as rightfully exhausting, I feel that true respect ought to be directed to the select musicians who have mastered that curious art of remaining fluid. 

The musicians who have established themselves in the internet’s zeitgeist or, better still, worked to shape the zeitgeist itself, are those who have not remained stubborn in their art. To remain obdurate is a grave error in the age of the internet. Refusing the opportunity to develop music beyond old parameters means being left behind by the new voices. 

Here, we see a number of encouraging developments: artists breaking down typically gendered sounds, incorporating live orchestras or choirs, sampling from otherwise obscure records and even going so far as to switch genres entirely.

Observe musicians in the nature of Lil Yachty, who, after establishing himself for many years within the rap community, released a veritably unexpected project that was deeply ensconced in the sounds of psychedelic rock. More in this vein, musicians Rico Nasty and WILLOW have also moved seamlessly between rock, punk, rap and pop. Increasingly, artists are displaying comfort in venturing from their established restrictions. Or, more to the point, they are ceasing to see these restrictions at all. 

It is no longer a jarring thing to see a musician break away from their established sound. Or, if it is jarring, then there is a newfound openness that was perhaps not present before. In this way, even artists who stand to lose far more are experimenting with different genres. We have seen mainstream artists Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey foray into country music, and even hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar incorporates blues and jazz into his works. More often than not, these fluid musicians bridge the gaps between genres so seamlessly that it is difficult even to describe their sounds accurately. This is what I mean when I say that genre has become obsolete: music is now allowed to exist solely for itself. 

The internet, constantly changing and evolving, has produced a generation of musicians who are much the same. Spontaneity is rewarded and unplanned art receives the attention it deserves. The music that comes from this moment is diverse, intensely creative and passionate above all else. It is as near to authentic expression as we have ever been. It is my sincerest hope that this spirit of independence — of riotous creation — continues to pave a new way for music and for art.

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