The top rock and roll artist surprised me. We’re also in a weird time period where “streaming numbers” aren’t so straight forward. All those artist seem propped up by big radio. And do we know if 1 radio stream is ‘counted’ the same as one Spotify stream? I know television numbers are skewed to ‘account for multiple people watching on one TV”
Worth noting Medgold, the Billboard top 40 recently had zero rap/hip hop songs for the first time since 1990.
Great write up. You seem to be ahead of this. Thanks for your effort
How Kanye Killed It and Left the Legacy to Taylor Swift
Kanye West’s transformation of hip hop in the 2000s set off a cultural chain reaction that reshaped the entire music landscape. By blending rap with pop aesthetics and emotional storytelling, he made the genre accessible to mainstream white audiences and dissolved its original edge. This shift stripped rap of its underground identity while simultaneously displacing rock as the dominant form of youth rebellion. Once hip hop became pop, its energy and danger evaporated, replaced by introspection and self branding, creating the perfect environment for the rise of Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s dominance today represents the endpoint of that evolution. She embodies the fully mainstream, emotionally narrative driven, and algorithmically optimized music culture that Kanye helped create. Her songwriting offers controlled authenticity and universal appeal, filling the void left by the collapse of both rock’s rebellious spirit and rap’s street realism. In a homogenized market built on relatability and brand loyalty, Swift’s empire is not an anomaly but the logical successor to Kanye’s mainstream crossover.
Looking forward, music is entering a new phase defined by technology and personalization. Artificial intelligence will increasingly co create with artists, virtual and immersive performances will redefine live entertainment, and global genre fusion will continue to blur boundaries. Artists are moving toward direct to fan monetization, bypassing traditional labels, while listeners experience hyper personalized, data driven music ecosystems. Yet amid automation and homogenization, the next real countertrend is likely a cultural hunger for authenticity, raw human expression that resists algorithmic polish. The future of music will pivot between total digital integration and the rediscovery of something real.
The only hip hop album I have enjoyed since then was JID's new one, if you haven't listened to it and you too enjoy nigger wordcels in low doses you may agree
I don't think I've ever liked anything less than I like Imagine Dragons. It's music for people who don't actually like music. It's like auditory Play-doh. It's the musical equivalent of posting a picture of your kids on Instagram and saying "my world."
The music changed with the times. The world got more gay, the music followed.
2016’s SoundCloud rap explosion was the closest thing the genre ever got to a second wind, and it really just ended up amounting to a final breath.
The top rock and roll artist surprised me. We’re also in a weird time period where “streaming numbers” aren’t so straight forward. All those artist seem propped up by big radio. And do we know if 1 radio stream is ‘counted’ the same as one Spotify stream? I know television numbers are skewed to ‘account for multiple people watching on one TV”
Worth noting Medgold, the Billboard top 40 recently had zero rap/hip hop songs for the first time since 1990.
Great write up. You seem to be ahead of this. Thanks for your effort
How Kanye Killed It and Left the Legacy to Taylor Swift
Kanye West’s transformation of hip hop in the 2000s set off a cultural chain reaction that reshaped the entire music landscape. By blending rap with pop aesthetics and emotional storytelling, he made the genre accessible to mainstream white audiences and dissolved its original edge. This shift stripped rap of its underground identity while simultaneously displacing rock as the dominant form of youth rebellion. Once hip hop became pop, its energy and danger evaporated, replaced by introspection and self branding, creating the perfect environment for the rise of Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s dominance today represents the endpoint of that evolution. She embodies the fully mainstream, emotionally narrative driven, and algorithmically optimized music culture that Kanye helped create. Her songwriting offers controlled authenticity and universal appeal, filling the void left by the collapse of both rock’s rebellious spirit and rap’s street realism. In a homogenized market built on relatability and brand loyalty, Swift’s empire is not an anomaly but the logical successor to Kanye’s mainstream crossover.
Looking forward, music is entering a new phase defined by technology and personalization. Artificial intelligence will increasingly co create with artists, virtual and immersive performances will redefine live entertainment, and global genre fusion will continue to blur boundaries. Artists are moving toward direct to fan monetization, bypassing traditional labels, while listeners experience hyper personalized, data driven music ecosystems. Yet amid automation and homogenization, the next real countertrend is likely a cultural hunger for authenticity, raw human expression that resists algorithmic polish. The future of music will pivot between total digital integration and the rediscovery of something real.
Maybe that’s why people like King Von and Durk gained so much in popularity
I enjoyed Eminem's new album last year, it was less lesbian than usual
The only hip hop album I have enjoyed since then was JID's new one, if you haven't listened to it and you too enjoy nigger wordcels in low doses you may agree
https://open.spotify.com/track/0gTzUSGlZvhrSz72OnBijn?si=20d0ad8bce5e40ca
I don't think I've ever liked anything less than I like Imagine Dragons. It's music for people who don't actually like music. It's like auditory Play-doh. It's the musical equivalent of posting a picture of your kids on Instagram and saying "my world."
Yeezus on top