Echoes Of Eras: Musical Times

When Music Moved Online There was a time when being part of a music scene meant going somewhere. Into a smoky club, a record store, or a basement where someone’s cousin’s band played their first gig. But in the 2010s, the scene wasn’t a place anymore. It lived in timelines, hashtags, and comment sections. Suddenly, fandoms became micro-nations, memes replaced flyers, and artists didn’t just drop albums, they dropped  moments . The internet didn’t just change how we listened to music; it changed what it meant to belong to music. A collage of iconic Twitter stan memes/fan threads From Subcultures to Stancultures Before the 2010s, music scenes were physical ecosystems: punk had London and New York, techno had Detroit and Berlin, hip-hop had the Bronx, and indie had its dive bars. You met people through shared space and sound. But as the internet matured, social media became the new street corner. “Stans”, hyper-dedicated fans named after Eminem’s 2000 song  “Stan”,  formed o...

There was a moment in the early 2010s when I realized something fundamental about music had changed. It wasn’t when Spotify launched or when YouTube became the new MTV, rather it was when I noticed that my friends had stopped saying “I listen to hip-hop” or “I’m into rock” and instead started saying things like “I listen to vibes” or “whatever’s on my Discover Weekly.” The 2010s were not just another decade in music, they were the decade where genre, as we once knew it, began to dissolve. But the real question is: did genre truly die, or did it become a tool for the music industry to market a new kind of identity? This blog explores how technology, globalisation, algorithms, and identity politics reshaped music consumption and creation, turning genre from a boundary into a branding strategy and it asks what that means for listeners like us today. Screenshot of Spotifys search page, October 2025 The Algorithm Changed Everything: From Genre to Mood In the past, genres were more than soun...

 If the 2000s gave us the blueprint for the stadium-sized beat, the 2010s gave us the ultimate global architects: K-Pop idols. You might remember the overwhelming sensation of the "Big Room Drop" dominating Western charts but simultaneously, a new, hyper-visual, and perfectly synchronized sound was conquering the globe, powered by those very same electronic dance music elements. For those of us watching the global music landscape shift, K-Pop wasn't just another genre, it was the perfect marriage of EDM's digital power and Pop's commercial brilliance. Groups like BTS, EXO, and BLACKPINK didn't just borrow EDM; they refined its euphoric synth lines and thumping four-on-the-floor beats and weaponized them into an unstoppable force known as the Hallyu Wave. The K-Pop studio became the final, most sophisticated chapter of the EDM revolution. While Western pop was busy integrating Dubstep and Big Room House, the South Korean industry took the raw electronic ingre...

Hip-hop is more than a musical genre—it is a cultural movement, a voice for the marginalized, and a creative force that has shaped generations. Emerging from the Bronx in the early 1970s, hip-hop began as a grassroots phenomenon: DJs, MCs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists came together to form a community rooted in rhythm, expression, and resilience. What started as block parties and underground gatherings would eventually grow into a global force, influencing music, fashion, art, and social movements. Origins of Hip-Hop (1970s) The roots of hip-hop can be traced back to DJs like Kool Herc, who introduced the concept of the “breakbeat,” looping the instrumental sections of records to extend danceable moments. This innovation laid the foundation for rap, giving MCs the platform to rhyme over repetitive beats. Early hip-hop was deeply tied to its environment: the urban streets of the Bronx, where economic hardships, social inequality, and the energy of youth fueled creativity. Four Pi...

The 1980s were a decade of bold colors, electric beats, and cultural revolutions—and no two artists captured its essence better than Madonna and Michael Jackson. Their music wasn’t just entertainment; it was a statement, a lifestyle, and a mirror reflecting the energy of an entire generation. Even decades later, their influence is undeniable, echoing through modern pop culture in music, fashion, and performance. Madonna emerged in the early ’80s as a fearless voice of rebellion and self-expression. From her first hits like “Holiday” to “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl”, she redefined what it meant to be a female pop star. Madonna didn’t just sing—she performed, she posed, she created visuals that became instant cultural icons. Music videos like “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” were revolutionary, blending dance, fashion, and storytelling in ways that inspired both artists and fans. Her fashion choices—layered necklaces, lace gloves, tutu skirts, and bold makeup—were as much a part of...