More than a genre

While there are many stereotypical genres of music that have become popular over the past few decades, as of the early 2010s there have been many new sub genres of music. Three of the biggest sub genres of music are alternative pop, mumble rap and lo-fi indie rock.

Rex Orange County photo via Wikimedia Commons (SiriRex), Tame Impala photo via Wikimedia Commons (Kennysun), and Playboi Carti photo via Flickr (Thecomeupshow). All under Creative Commons license.

While there are many stereotypical genres of music that have become popular over the past few decades, as of the early 2010s there have been many new sub genres of music. Three of the biggest sub genres of music are alternative pop, mumble rap and lo-fi indie rock.

Luke Bennett, Staff Writer

While there are many stereotypical genres of music that have become popular over past decades, in today’s age it is easy to get lost in the hundreds of new of genres popping up all over music services. While there are a lot of different ones that have hundreds of different artists in them, recently there have been musicians experimenting in the mixing of different genres.

Here are a few of the different “sub-genres” of music where many artists are making their name.

Alternative pop

Generally used as a blanket term for popular music that breaks from tradition, alternative pop has grown to become one of the most popular genres throughout the ‘80s into the early 2000s. While pop music has been the favorite of radio stations and has been a constant on the top charts for music, since the early 2010s there has been a decline in pop music and an increase in the rap, R&B and alternative genres of music.

However, with this decline, another smaller genre has risen from what seems to be the ashes of pop music. This alternative pop music may not be the most popular type of music right now with listeners, but the steady increase in quantity and quality of music in this genre could turn it into the next big thing.

The biggest names right now in the alternative pop world are Rex Orange County, Clairo, and Steve Lacy. While this genre might be a niche genre and is not for everyone, if you are trying to branch out and find something new, the alternative pop genre could be just what you are looking for.

Mumble rap

When we think of rap music, a certain image and style of music pops into our heads. Since its beginning in the early ’80s well into the early 2000s, rap music has been generalized by clearly spoken, fast lyrics which usually portray a message.

However, during the 2000s rap music began to change slightly from its original sound. With more emphasis on beats and less on actual lyrics, rap music began to change. While there many different forms of rap music from gangster rap to trap music, one of the newest versions of the genre is mumble rap, where instead of having clear pronunciation of rap lyrics, the artist mumbles the lyrics, giving off a calmer feeling.

Especially over the past few years, mumble rap has grown in popularity. This surge in popularity is due to a certain number of artists and their debut on the free music listening app Soundcloud. The rappers Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert and Young Thug, are just three of the biggest mumble rappers who are responsible for this small genre almost taking over the actual rap genre.

Lo-fi indie rock

Throughout the past few decades there have been music genres that have risen to the top of the charts and then fallen off. However, one genre that has been constant throughout all of these decades is rock music. While it might have changed through the last forty years, rock has remained one of the biggest genres each decade.

That was until the 2010s. While the 2000s had their punk rock bands, all of them seemed to die off by 2010. Lo-fi indie music has sprouted from the ashes of the heavy, loud, angry rock of the past, combining the best aspects of rock, alternative, and psychedelic music.

While it is not the temperamental rock music of the past, new lo-fi indie rock has its own unique vibe. Three of the best and most popular groups from this style of indie music are the bands Peach Pit, Tame Impala and up-and-comer Boy Pablo.

With their relaxed, chill sound, these lo-fi indie bands are the new wave of indie and rock music.