Music has always been a part of an industry, but now its commercialisation has gone to the extreme. Artists aren’t entirely to blame for this, as social media algorithms play a huge role in determining what becomes popular and what gets swept under the rug.

Newer songs are getting shorter and shorter – tailored to the algorithm of short-form content such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts. According to the 2024 Year in Music report, the average song charting on Spotify was around 3 minutes in length, which is 15 seconds shorter than 2023 and 30 seconds shorter than in 2019.

Songs are produced to be short, catchy and instantly recognisable to appeal to a larger group of people, which is why more widely relatable topics such as love and heartbreak are widely discussed. Therefore, there is no room for authenticity and personal connection in an artist’s work.

Studies reveal that music is mostly listened to in the background. To casual listeners, repetitive and easy-to-remember melodies are more important than a complete and artistically rich piece. Evidence does suggest that the human brain is more drawn towards simpler and more repetitive beats as opposed to complex structures.

Lyrics have also become more superficial and vague. Although this is done to capture the attention of a wider group of listeners, it causes newer songs to lack nuance.

Also, experimentation is risky. Long-term fans of a certain genre may be thrown off by change, which could lead to the loss of fans and streaming revenue. This leads to the use of repetitive formulas and patterns.

Eventually, a particular sound that is charting is recycled and reused more often than it should be. This wipes out room for emotional expression and personal connection to the artist, erasing any individuality.

What do young people think?

Harbingers’ Magazine interviewed several young people about whether they think modern music is overrated or a sellout.

Marije, 17, says that modern mainstream music has no new substance, and the lyrics and beats are becoming increasingly predictable. “There’s no new mainstream music that stands out to me. A lot of music will have ‘that one good bit’ for a 30-second video on, for example, TikTok and the rest is just filler at this point. It feels more like they’re doing it for money than out of genuine love for music.”

Tatiana, who is also 17, thinks that some music genres haven’t progressed at all in terms of creativity and experimentation.

She adds: “Mainstream music right now is mostly from K-Pop Demon Hunters, whether we like it or not. And I don’t think that’s as much of an overrated sellout. Overrated maybe, but a sellout, not quite.”

Amna, 14, says: “I think most songs tend to become successful not because they’re good, but because the artists themselves are popular. In a way, people measure how good a song is based on whether they like the artist who made it.”

However, not everyone has the same negative view. Vinush, 17, says: “I believe that modern mainstream songs still offer creativity, emotion and enjoyment, rather than being overrated or a sellout. In fact, he thinks that it has become more creative over time, as there are multiple different genres to appeal to multiple different target groups and demographics.

 

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Enzo, 16, says: “Although social media has definitely given visibility to small artists with creative and unique quirks, they are not being given as much mainstream media attention.” He also thinks that modern mainstream music is becoming increasingly soulless and unoriginal.

Modern musicians are certainly talented, with exceptional vocal abilities and techniques. But it has been ages since a revolutionary change has been made in the music industry – and it’s about time that happened.