Your ears may have come into contact with music from the vast genre of dance music, which includes popular styles like house, techno, drum & bass, industrial and breakbeat as well as lesser known ones such as UK garage and psychedelic trance.
But sponsorship, merchandise sales and commercialisation of music threaten its core roots. They become a chokehold that restricts artists’ artistic freedom while hindering cross-pollination of ideas.
1. EDM is a dying genre
EDM isn’t dead despite what some misguided journalists might lead you to believe. Last week, The Spectator, a right-leaning British news magazine with a reputation for sensationalism and racism ran an editorial asserting that EDM has come and gone – this bold claim could well be true but doesn’t discount its potential benefits in future productions.
This article details several valid reasons for EDM’s current predicament, with one major factor being SFX Entertainment’s recent bankruptcy filing which owns many of the industry’s major festivals and distribution mechanisms – this could spell disaster for festival businesses which rely heavily on ticket sales to sustain themselves.
EDM has also become increasingly formulaic over time. It can be hard to distinguish which EDM producer is which, and everything begins to sound the same. Dubstep and hard dance both died as their genres became overshadowed by rap music and became difficult to identify between remixes; dubstep eventually dissipated into nothingness altogether while hard dance simply disappeared in an echo chamber of remixes and noise.
As noted earlier, some of the industry’s finest producers have expanded beyond crafting festival bangers to work with some of today’s most engaging pop artists. Diplo has collaborated with everyone from Beyonce and Frank Ocean to Skrillex and Kenny Beats from EDM who worked on FKA twigs’ new album MAGDALENE.
So is EDM dead? Not quite yet – though its popularity may have decreased slightly. All genres of music go through phases and EDM is no exception. At some point people will tire of its current formula and look for something else; once that occurs, its music will change again just like rock and hip hop did before.
No matter the outcome, one thing remains certain: people will continue to gather together en masse and enjoy electronic music – which is beautiful. So long as this trend continues, we won’t ever be able to declare EDM dead! So until next time, party on!
2. EDM is a dying genre
EDM was an immensely popular genre of dance music during the 2000s, thanks to its catchy beats and anthemic qualities which quickly made it a favorite at clubs and radio stations alike. Artists soon collaborated with major record labels to commercialize and mainstream this form of music; consequently it became linked with pyrotechnics, laser light shows, as well as young people obsessed with dancing to particular forms of EDM music. While EDM had numerous benefits, its negative impacts such as brain damage, addiction, drug abuse, depression have all been raised against EDM as it continues its rise into mainstream acceptance by mainstream society.
Another factor leading people to think EDM is dying is due to recent DJ scandals. These scandals have damaged its reputation, with less trust for DJs among audiences as a result of these accusations of using illegal substances for performance enhancing purposes, which is an obvious health risk.
Many believe EDM to be a dying genre due to its decreased popularity, as people seek other genres and sounds for entertainment purposes. Some even refer to this feeling of disenchantment with EDM as “EDM fatigue.”
As a result, some producers are moving away from EDM and towards other genres like Future Bass and Pop. This trend marks an important development because EDM has had such an enormous impact on musical culture; its influence can be found throughout music, inspiring numerous artists while pushing other genres forward with its evolution and change.
No matter the state of EDM music today, it’s important to keep in mind that all genres cycle through phases and return later as trends come and go. Just wait a few years until another trend takes hold and dominates.
Some may view EDM as an endangered music genre due to its diminished popularity in the US. It is essential to remember, though, that some fans still love electronic music such as trance, electro house and drum and bass in America; many DJs have even made themselves well-known within this genre.
3. EDM is a dying genre
Though EDM is an integral part of music culture, many are concerned that its popularity may be on its last legs. Some cite overexposure as the culprit while others suggest this is merely part of its natural evolution as genres adapt before finding their place again. Either way, recent years have seen significant increases in EDM popularity – meaning this genre may well remain on our playlists for some time yet!
Some claim EDM is on its way out due to overexposure on social media and large music festivals, yet this should not be taken as evidence that its demise. EDM has moved beyond being just an exploitative DJ genre with fake performances made up for money-making purposes by DJs using hand gestures and fake performances; for instance, The New York Times ran a feature about Jack U’s “Where Are U Now,” showing it’s been widely recognized as legitimate music form by more people.
EDM may also be seen as a dying genre due to its association with certain clothing styles. While this doesn’t diminish its credibility, some EDM artists promote illegal substances which could cause health issues – this should be addressed by the music industry as soon as possible.
Some have the misconception that EDM is dying as its music doesn’t provide emotional satisfaction like other genres do, while it is true that all forms of music go through cycles of decline before finding their niche again; EDM, just like rock and roll and hip hop before it, has gone through one such cycle.
Though it’s impossible to accurately assess EDM’s death, it can be safely predicted that its bubble will eventually burst. As more and more people tire of its same build-drop formulas and fashion trends, its popularity will slowly diminish until eventually, the genre fades out altogether. But if EDM finds ways to adapt with changing times and evolve as needed, perhaps its longevity might remain intact for quite some time yet.
4. EDM is a dying genre
EDM has been making headlines recently and many are wondering whether it will ultimately fade out. While that might not happen anytime soon, musical trends change over time, making it impossible to predict what will become popular next. There are however certain signs that indicate EDM might be on its way out:
Many of the biggest names in EDM are making moves away from it to explore different sounds, with Alesso recently making headlines by declaring his departure to pursue Future Bass and Pop music instead of EDM. This indicates that its fans have grown tired of it and desire something different to listen to.
Furthermore, EDM popularity appears to be on a decline globally according to Google Trends searches for EDM genre have decreased worldwide as evidenced by falling interest worldwide and possibly due to factors like Avicii’s death and COVID-19 pandemic.
No matter the cause, EDM seems to be losing popularity. While this may not seem surprising at first glance, all genres experience phases before eventually dying out altogether. Still, many people love EDM and will continue supporting artists within its realm.
One of the main reasons that many view EDM as being on its deathbed is due to its negative public image. Recently, there have been scandals involving DJs falsifying performances which has damaged credibility of dance music genre. Therefore, maintaining its clean image is important and should avoid producing anything unfavorable or unwanted content.
Keep in mind that not all forms of EDM are equal. Indeed, the term “EDM” should not be used as an umbrella term to cover all electronic music genres – though its main usage often referred to stadium-filling drop-heavy mainstage sounds that have made their mark across America and propelled its rise in popularity – however there are many genres worthy of the designation “EDM”.