The music industry is constantly evolving and in the last 10 years, its changed faster and more frequently than ever before. The digital revolution and the internet helped music grow at exponential rates with each passing year, constantly introducing listeners around the world to new and exciting music. With all of the changes that came to music, new trends were constantly on the rise. Here are a few of the biggest music trends of the last decade.
Streaming and the Way We Consume Music
The introduction of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music totally shook the music industry. Suddenly music listeners around the world have access to millions of music options from artists all over the world and from varying genres. New music is easier to find than ever before and all you need is a mobile device. On top of that, in a surprising turn of events vinyl has become popular again. Many claim this is due to the fact that in today’s society, we have the option to consume media in the style of our choice, and many younger listeners yearn to experience things a little more authentically when possible.
The Rise of K-Pop
One of the biggest styles of music that took the world by storm this past decade was K-pop or Korean Pop. Back in 2012 Psy’s song “Gangnam Style” hit Western shores and took the internet by storm, showing up practically everywhere. While the song was extremely popular and successful, Psy himself didn’t end up seeing that much success in his music career otherwise. Fast forward a few years and k-pop has become more mainstream than ever in the States, with boy band BTS being one of the most popular music groups in the world and being the first Korean band to top the US Billboard charts.
Hip Hop – The New King of the Music World
For years everyone understood that rock music was the highest selling style of music in the world. But in the 2010s, hip-hop finally broke through and beat rock after being around for almost 40 years. In 2017 eight of the 10 top artists of the year were hip-hop artists with the other two being pop artists, meaning something had finally beaten out rock’n’roll. That same year hip-hop also dominated the Album and Record of the year grammy nominees, further proving that hip-hop was now on top.
