What is the greatest time period for music? It’s a question sure to excite and engage conversation at a party, with friends or online. It allows for us to see things from a different perspective and learn about individuals in an interesting way. Some might tell you it was the 60’s with the birth of legends like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Others may say it was the early days of the 80’s when house was just starting to take shape, still living underground in warehouses. Those of a younger generation might point to rap’s golden era in the 90’s when all the Bigs (Biggie, Big L, Big Pun) where killing mics, Pac was alive and well and it was all about the bars. And although you may want to agree with one or more of the thoughts, they’re all wrong. The greatest time period for music is right now. We’re living it. From the shear quantity of great music, to the incredible collaborations that breaking down genres barriers, to the groundbreaking number of tours and festivals and the opportunities available for artists. Feeling skeptical? Take a read below and tell me that you disagree.
There’s Never Been This Much Good Music This Often
Never in history has there been this much good music coming out this often. When we started FUXWITHIT we worried if we’d be able to find enough music to keep the site consistently updated. Over the years it’s become harder and harder to keep up. We post daily and put together a weekly feature called FUXWITHITFRIDAYS that highlights the best songs of the week. We regularly have 15-25 songs each week in this feature. That means there is, on average, 20 great songs a week that are released. That’s over 1,000 songs a year and these are just SoundCloud tracks, this doesn’t account for the vast array of albums and EPs released exclusively on larger streaming platforms. Sure there’s also way more crap out there but that’s why you have outlets like us sifting through the shit to bring you the gems. Not only is the music being created at a crazy pace but it’s also so easily consumed. With the platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube along with social networks like Facebook and Twitter, artists can make a song and put it out to their fans within minutes. Also with the decline in record sales since the dawn of Napster, music is becoming more and more free, whether it’s free to stream or the immensely popular free downloads. Artists are giving away their music in order to build strong fan bases which results in a win win for both parties. Long gone are the days when your bank account balance defined what music you’d be able to listen too. I remember having to choose between two CDs and waiting a month to be able to come and buy the one I couldn’t afford. Now all you have to do is open your laptop and tap a few keys to hear anything you can imagine.
The idea of one artist working with that vast of an array of talent would seem baffling even just ten years ago.
Collaboration Is At Its Peak
One of the bright spots in today’s music scene is the incredible collaboration which is occurring between artists. With the connectivity of the internet, artists are linking in ways like never before. Easily the biggest example of this is Skrillex. In the past few years, the producer has worked with everyone from The Doors to Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper, Korn, Rick Ross, Diplo, RL Grime, Mr. Oizo, Big Grams and more. The idea of one artist (especially one who made a name for himself making dubstep) working with that vast of an array of talent would seem baffling even just ten years ago. Although Skrillex may be the most striking example, unorthodox collaborations are becoming the norm, from Flume’s album credits boasting Vic Mensa and Vince Staples along with Tove Lo, AlunaGeorge and Beck, to Chance The Rapper recruiting Brasstracks and Lido for Colouring Book, to the Weekend working with Cashmere Cat and Daft Punk. When Jay-Z collided with Linkin Park in 2004 it seemed crazy, now collaborations across genres and artists are common place. It’s not only interesting but also beneficial. Vastly different musicians coming together has allowed for myriad of new sounds to be birthed and genre barriers to be destroyed.
Death Of Genres; More Creativity
Genres can be a good thing. They help to categorize and understand music in a simple way. But they can also be very limiting. For years artists were told to stay in their lane. If you were a rapper you rapped. If you were a singer you sang. Don’t colour too far outside the lines they said. This approach stifled creativity and limited what could be. Thankfully the walls have come down with artists having little regard for genre based constructs. Drake’s blend of sing-along vocals interspersed with raps was a huge risk when he released So Far Gone in 2009. Now it’s become a standard in rap and birthed a whole wave of artists following this blueprint. Another huge convergence is the coming together of hip hop and electronic music. Artists like Pusha T and Vince Staples are hopping on tracks that span from trap, to house and techno. Sometimes all within the same song. GTA’s Good Times Ahead album embodied their famous “Death To Genres” mentality by featuring elements of future bass, hip hop, RnB, trap, twerk and whatever the hell ‘Little Bit Of This’ is. Lido’s Everything finds itself in a similar place, defying categorization due to it’s immensely varying and forward-thinking nature. As the significance of genres deteriorates it allows for artists to truly create music without any boundaries, resulting in the truest form of expression.
It’s Never Been Easier To See Your Favourite Artists
With the decline of music sales, artists were forced to find new ways to make money off their art. The most significant source is touring. Artists spend a large portion of their year hitting cities for headlining tours and playing festivals. I live in Toronto and like any major market it is absolutely insane the number of shows that happen each week. It’s not uncommon to have 3 impressive shows happening within a few days. In addition to regular tours, festivals have seen a massive boom. As a music lover there’s nothing better than having the ability to see a dozen or more of your favourite artists in the span of a weekend. Since festivals are big money, more and more tend to pop up each year and everyone is trying to out-due the other with bigger production, better line-ups and anything else they can do to sell tickets. This holds well for us fans as we reap the benefits of that competition. You used to have to drive or fly hours to go to a decent music festival, now they’re being held in every major city.
“For the first time, maybe ever, you can control your own destiny as an artist. There’s no gate keepers holding the doors anymore.” – HXV
Independence for Musicians
In addition to everything listed above there’s also never been a better time in music for artists. When we spoke to Atlanta producer HXV he told us, “For the first time, maybe ever, you can control your own destiny as an artist. There’s no gate keepers holding the doors anymore.” To expand on this, so many barriers have been brought down by the internet. The major label system is archaic and dying, making way for independent artists to control their own destiny. With the ability to connect to fans directly they don’t need label backing. They can retain full creative control while building a strong fan base on their own or with a small and nimble team that actually has their interests in mind. The days of labels holding artists hostage or forcing them to put out bullshit work to satisfy their mainstream desires (see Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers) are dead. This is great for artists but also for fans. We’re getting music that is their truest work and often as mentioned before, for free! Sure making it independently isn’t easy and having a label backing can help but the fact is the opportunity is there like never before. Just look at what Chance The Rapper has been able to achieve.
The world may be in a weird place right now but there’s never been a better time for music. So if you’re a music lover revel in it, embrace it. Remind yourself how lucky you are to be living through a time that’s so damn special. This trend is likely to continue so be happy we have something to look forward to. If after reading this you still don’t agree please let us know in the comments or on Twitter and Facebook.
