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: ''For music from a year in the 2020s, go to 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29'' This article describes trends in
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
in the
2020s The 2020s (pronounced "twenty-twenties" shortened to "the '20s" and referred to as the twenties) is the current decade, which began on January 1, 2020, and will end on December 31, 2029. The 2020s began with the COVID-19 pandemic — the firs ...
. The beginning of the decade was a difficult time for the music industry, with the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
resulting in widespread concert cancellations due to risks of mass infection.


Overview

The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
resulted in the cancellation or postponement of numerous music-related events scheduled to take place in the early 2020s, including major tours, festivals, and television appearances. Due to the restrictions, many artists conducted virtual experiences as an alternative to live events (e.g.
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco-pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Grammy A ...
's
Studio 2054 Studio 2054 was a livestream concert by English singer Dua Lipa in support of her second studio album, ''Future Nostalgia'' (2020). The concert took place in four live streams on 27 November 2020 as part of American Express' '' Unstaged'' se ...
and
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
's '' Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions''). The COVID-19 pandemic has also resorted to postponements or the rescheduling of major tours to at least a year or two from their initially scheduled tour dates, examples including
The Stadium Tour The Stadium Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by English rock band Def Leppard and American rock band Mötley Crüe, taking place in the summer and fall of 2022 in venues across North America. Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts served as ...
(co-headlined by
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...
and
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...
),
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
's headlining tour
No More Tours II No More Tours II was the second farewell and final tour by British metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, the first being No More Tours Tour in 1992. Background The tour's South American and European legs were announced in November 2017. In the press ...
and
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commer ...
's reunion tour.


Trends

In 2020,
LP records The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of   rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
surpassed
Compact Disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
sales for the first time since 1986, LP records 28.7% ($619.6 million) with the rapid decline in Compact Disc sales by 23% ($483 million), with 62% ($1.1 billion) of revenue derived from physical music sales across the United States according to the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA), 2020 Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report. The early part of the decade carried on the cross-genre
trap music Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the 1990s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music uses synthesized drums and is ch ...
and footwork influence which started in the late
2010s File:2010s collage v21.png, From top left, clockwise: Anti-government protests called the Arab Spring arose in 2010–2011, and as a result, many governments were overthrown, including when Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed; Crimea is ...
. Thanks to the rise of social media platforms such as
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
, music genres old and new had a moment in the spotlight. Genres such as
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
, nu-disco, pop-punk,
emo-pop Emo pop (also known as emo pop punk and pop-emo) is a fusion genre combining emo with the melodies of pop punk and/or pop music. Emo pop features a music style with more concise songs and hook-filled choruses. Emo pop began in the 1990s with ban ...
,
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
,
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
,
drill music Drill is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in Chicago streets in the early 2010s. It is sonically similar to the trap music subgenre and lyrically similar to the gangsta rap subgenre. Drill music progressed into the American mainstre ...
,
k-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, go ...
and
afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, a ...
garnered considerable attention in the mainstream media. British rock magazine ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...
'' wrote that
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs '' Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Musi ...
's "
Good 4 U "Good 4 U" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, released on May 14, 2021, through Geffen and Interscope Records, as the third single from Rodrigo's debut studio album, '' Sour'' (2021 ...
" (2021) leads the commercial comeback of
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...
in 2020–2021, noting how it is the first rock song since
Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut ...
's "
Bring Me to Life "Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, ''Fallen'' (2003). Wind-up released it as the album's lead single on April 7, 2003. The song was written by Amy Lee when she was 19, after ...
" (2003) to spend four or more weeks atop the
UK Singles The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
chart, alongside chart success of other rock-adjacent artists, such as
Willow Smith Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000), known mononymously as Willow (stylized in all caps), is an American singer and actress. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including ...
,
Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thom ...
,
Måneskin Måneskin are an Italian rock band formed in Rome in 2016. The band are composed of vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio. Performing in the streets in their early days, they rose ...
, and
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
. ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' proclaimed that Rodrigo "might be the dying genre's best hope", pinpointing that "Good 4 U" is the "most up-the-middle rock song to top the .S.Hot 100 in a decade or more". Media outlets and fans online observed a music trend called "Sad Girl Autumn" or "Sad Girl Fall" in early 2020s, which refers to the release of melancholic and introspective music by female artists during autumn, such as Swift's ''
Red (Taylor's Version) ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Released via Republic Records on November 12, 2021, as a part of Swift's countermeasure against the purchase of the masters of her back cata ...
'',
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
's '' 30,''
Clairo Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13. Clairo rose ...
's ''Sling'',
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...
' ''
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
'', and
Mitski Mitski Miyawaki (born Mitsuki Laycock; September 27, 1990), known professionally by the mononym Mitski, is a Japanese-born American singer-songwriter. Mitski self-released her first two albums, '' Lush'' (2012) and '' Retired from Sad, New Caree ...
's "'' Laurel Hell''"; it is a counterpart to "Hot Girl Summer", a catchphrase coined by American rapper
Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her ...
with her 2019 song of the same name. The pandemic-era drive for nostalgia and desire to return to the way things were has played a role in the shift, The market rapidly shifted toward old music. According to data observed throughout 2021 and 2022, 70% of music demand is for old songs and it is increasing every year. And the top 200 most popular songs were only account for 5% of total streams — and that small percentage has fallen by half over the last three years. Older musicians such as
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
, and
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
were selling their music rights for hundreds of millions of dollars. These big names have always been popular, but according to some research, the vast majority of new downloads today are songs that are at least two years old. Other journalists have pointed out that the
gen z Generation Z (or more commonly Gen Z for short), colloquially known as zoomers, is the Western demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birt ...
demographic are more likely to listen to self-published and obscure acts due to the accessibility of the internet landscape, and even then acts such as
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom ...
,
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
,
Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series '' The X Factor''. Following his elimination, he was brough ...
,
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs '' Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Musi ...
,
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
and
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...
remained popular within that demographic thanks to their major label support systems. Gen Z had a fondness for the obscure 1980s subgenre
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming vol ...
and 1960s rock music during the pandemic.


Highlights (2020 to late-2022)

On July 5, 2022, American music magazine ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' published an article listing "The 25 Musical Moments That Defined the First Quarter of the 2020s" in chronological order. They are: * American music executive Deborah Dugan placed on administrative leave as
the Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...
president/
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
* American rapper Pop Smoke murdered at age 20 * Annual
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
festival
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
canceled for 2020 * American record producers
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
launching the webcast series
Verzuz ''Verzuz'' is an American webcast series created by record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, that airs on Verzuz TV. Verzuz was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as a virtual DJ battle, with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz facing off in ...
*
Blackout Tuesday Blackout Tuesday was a collective action to protest racism and police brutality. The action, originally organized within the music industry in response to the murder of George Floyd and murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and the killing of Breonna Tayl ...
, a protest against
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...
and
police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to ...
on June 2, 2020. * American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
releasing her eighth studio album, ''
Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, rangin ...
'' (2020), as a surprise. * "
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and patented in 1867. It rapidl ...
" (2020) by South Korean pop group BTS debuting at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 *
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
user Doggface208 going viral with a video incorporating "
Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
" (1977) by British-American rock band
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...
. * American musician
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
sells his music catalog to
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
for an estimated US$375 million * Puerto Rican rapper-singer
Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His musical style is defined as Latin trap and reggaeton. He rose to prominence in 2016 with his song "Diles", w ...
debuts at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart with ''El Ultimo Tour del'' ''Mundo'' (2020), his third studio album * American singer-songwriter
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs '' Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Musi ...
releasing her debut single "
Drivers License A driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses—on a public ...
" (2021) * American country singer
Morgan Wallen Morgan Cole Wallen (born May 13, 1993) is an American country singer and songwriter. He competed in the sixth season of ''The Voice'', originally as a member of Usher's team, but later as a member of Adam Levine's team. After being eliminated ...
caught saying ''
nigger In the English language, the word ''nigger'' is an ethnic slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the late 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been progressively replaced by the euphemism , notably in cases ...
'', a racist anti-
black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
slur, on video. * American DJ
3LAU Justin David Blau (born January 9, 1991), better known by his stage name 3LAU (pronounced "Blau"), is an American DJ and electronic dance music producer. Raised in New York and Las Vegas, 3LAU left Washington University in St. Louis, where he st ...
sells 33
non-fungible token A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the b ...
s (NFTs) for nearly US$12 million * American rapper
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...
releases his 2021 single "
Montero (Call Me by Your Name) "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lil Nas X. First previewed in a Super Bowl LV commercial in February 2021, the song was released on March 26, 2021, through Columbia Records as the lead single and title ...
" and its music video * American rock band
Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) ...
performing a show at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
after a 15-month lockdown * American rappers
Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine (service), Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, ...
and
Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her ...
released their 2020 single "
WAP WAP or Wap may refer to: Music * "WAP" (song), a 2020 song by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion Organizations * Weatherization Assistance Program, for US energy costs * Western Australia Party, a political party founded in 2016 * Western A ...
" and its music video * "
Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was written and produced by ...
" (2019) by Canadian singer
the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...
becomes the longest charting song of all time on the US Hot 100. * Universal Music Group becoming a
public company A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) company can be listed on a stock exchange ( ...
. * "
Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...
" (2020) by Nigerian singer
Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afric ...
entering the top 10 region of the US Hot 100 * Astroworld Festival by American rapper Travis Scott killing 10 attendees and injuring hundreds in a
stampede A stampede () is a situation in which a group of large animals suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are excited or frightened. Non-human species associated with stampede behavior include zebras, cattle, elephants ...
on its opening night—the deadliest concert tragedy in nearly two decades, resulting in nearly 400 individual
lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...
s. * Taylor Swift's 10-minute-long song, " All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)", topping the Hot 100 chart * Canadian musician
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
and American rapper
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
co-headlining a Los Angeles concert in support of former
gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collective ...
leader Larry Hoover * '' Encanto,'' a 2021
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
film by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, releasing on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
* Vinyl LPs outselling CDs in a year (2021) for the first time since 1991 * "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill", titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on some releases, is a song by the British singer and songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single from Bush's album '' Hounds of Love'' o ...
" (1985) by British singer-songwriter
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
grew widespread attention after featuring in
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
horror television series ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Pr ...
'' * American rock band Foo Fighters lost drummer
Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...
in March 2022


Pop

Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Doja Cat,
the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...
, Billie Eilish,
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco-pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Grammy A ...
, and Lil Nas X are some of the best-selling
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
artists of the decade. Several music executives and journalists projected Adele's ''30'' to sell over a million albums in its opening week in the US. However, when the album fell short of the one-million mark, selling 692,000 albums, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' asked "if Adele couldn't sell more than a million albums in a single week, could any artist?" In October 2022, Swift's '' Midnights'' (2022) opened with over 1.1 million pure albums, with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' asserting that Swift "has once again moved the goalposts regarding what the music industry can see as possible from a major pop star". Pop music continued to be successful in the 2020s, propelled by albums like ''Midnights, Sour, After Hours,
Future Nostalgia ''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers such as Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strange ...
,'' and ''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
'', the first of which found an exemplary, ubiquitous success across all formats of music consumption "unseen" since the 1990s.


Retro pop

The 2020s in music have provided heavily to the resurgence of musical elements brought to life in the
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...
,
1980s File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
,
1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-16s and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-15s fly over burning o ...
, and
2000s File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty during the 9/11 attacks in 2001; the euro enters into European currency in 2002; a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled during th ...
. * Motivated by early 1970s
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...
and
synth pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
music, albums such as Harry Styles' ''
Harry's House ''Harry's House'' is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Harry Styles, released on 20 May 2022 by Columbia Records and Erskine. The album was largely written and recorded during 2020 and 2021 and has been noted as Styles' ...
'' and Taylor Swift's ''Midnights'' drew influences from this era. Their respective lead singles "
As It Was "As It Was" is a song by British singer Harry Styles, released through Erskine and Columbia on 1 April 2022 as the lead single from his third studio album, '' Harry's House'' (2022). The song was written by Styles alongside the song's producer ...
" and "
Anti-Hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actio ...
", both of which incorporated vintage
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s, were met with critical acclaim and instant commercial success. "As It Was" remained at number-one for 15 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100, becoming the longest-reigning solo song in history. Swift became the first artist ever to occupy the Hot 100's entire top 10 simultaneously. * Influenced by the 1980s retro musical elements, Dua Lipa,
Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After college she ...
, and The Weeknd incorporated heavy
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
, and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
influences in their works such as ''Future Nostalgia'', Special,'' and ''After Hours'', ''respectively; all albums were met with commercial and critical acclaim. Lipa's singles "
Don't Start Now "Don't Start Now" is a song by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa. Lipa wrote the song with Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and its producer Ian Kirkpatrick (record producer), Ian Kirkpatrick. The song was released for digital download and streami ...
" and "
Levitating Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
", Lizzo's "
About Damn Time "About Damn Time" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released on April 14, 2022, by Nice Life Recordings and Atlantic Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album '' Special'' (2022). The song reached number one in the U ...
", and the Weeknd's "
Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was written and produced by ...
" and "
Save Your Tears "Save Your Tears" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The Weeknd wrote and produced the song with Max Martin and Oscar Holter, with Belly and DaHeala receiving additional writing cred ...
" were commercially successful. "Blinding Lights" went on to become the biggest ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
song of all time, spending 90 weeks on the chart—the most for any song. Future Nostalgia won
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. *
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
' 2020 album ''Plastic Hearts'' was credited as a front-runner to the resurgence of Pop rock, pop-rock music, especially that of the 1970s-1980s. Critics claimed her transition from pop music to rock brought forth a nostalgic feel, one that will seemingly become a trend this decade. *
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
's song "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill", titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on some releases, is a song by the British singer and songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single from Bush's album '' Hounds of Love'' o ...
", which was actually released in the 1980s, gained a massive following after having a pivotal role in the fourth season of
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Pr ...
. Metallica's 1986 single "Master of Puppets (song), Master of Puppets" also saw a revival because of its inclusion in the show. * Lady Gaga's ''Chromatica'' and Beyonce's ''Renaissance'' sought to recreate 1990s Dance music, dance and house music styles. Gaga's "Rain on Me (Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande song), Rain On Me" and Beyonce's "Break My Soul" reached the top spot on the Hot 100 chart. Ariana Grande's ''Positions (album), Positions'' used heavy 1990s R&B and pop elements, crediting samples from popular artists from that decade, such as Aaliyah. * With its nostalgic presence for younger audiences, sounds from the early 2000s resurge into today's music with elements of
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
, post-punk, and post-grunge.


Bedroom pop

Beginning in the late 2010s, bedroom pop was born from downtempo, soft, and Lo-fi music, lo-fi beats that felt as if the music was made in the artist's room. Songs usually contain elements of vulnerability, honesty, and relatability to younger audiences. This new era of sounds brought many artists into the spotlight. Musicians such as
Clairo Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13. Clairo rose ...
, Cuco (musician), Cuco, Beabadoobee, Hemlocke Springs, Hemlock springs, Conan Gray and Girl in Red, Girl In Red continued being beloved cult bands followings due to there social media presence. Songs such as Clairo's "Sofia (Clairo song), Sofia", Beabadoobee's "Coffee (beabadoobee song), Coffee", Hemlocke Springs, Hemlock Springs "Girlfriend" and Gray's "Heather (Conan Gray song), Heather" were commercially successful due to the prominence of
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
, where all of the previously listed songs went viral. The use of TikTok has helped many bedroom pop artists rise to fame due to its easy-access and widespread audio listening availability.


Latin pop

Latin pop and other Latin music genres such as reggaeton continue to be successful in the 2020s. Selena Gomez released her first Spanish-language project, ''Revelación'', in March 2021. It incorporated Urbano music, urbano influences. Anitta (singer), Anitta's ''Envolver'' song became the first song by a Latin female act to reach the number one on Spotify Global Daily chart, reaching the number two on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and the number one in ''Billboard'' Global Excl. U.S. Encanto (soundtrack), The soundtrack of ''Encanto (film), Encanto'',
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's 2021
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
film, written and produced by American playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, was a viral phenomenon, enjoying widespread popularity on the internet. It has spent multiple weeks atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. ''Far Out Magazine, Far Out'' called the phenomenon "''Encanto''-mania". The
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
videos tagged with the hashtag "#encanto" have received more than 11.5 billion views in total, as of January 23, 2022. The most popular song of the soundtrack was "We Don't Talk About Bruno", a Salsa music, salsa tune which experienced widespread commercial success in 2022. "Dos Oruguitas" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards. On September 29, 2022, Aguilera performed "La Reina" at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 2022 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and received the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award, ''Billboard'' Spirit of Hope Award. ''La Luz'', the third and final EP from ''Christina Aguilera'', was released that same day and featured a spoken intro by Aguilera and "No Es Que Te Extrañe".


K-pop

The 2020s have featured some heavily successful group debuts, with album sales reaching hundreds of thousands. Some of these groups include Treasure (band), Treasure, Aespa, Enhypen, Ive (group), Ive, Kep1er, Nmixx, Le Sserafim and NewJeans. In November 2020, BTS became the first Korean pop artist to be recognized by
the Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...
when "
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and patented in 1867. It rapidl ...
" received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards; they were again nominated the following year with "Butter (song), Butter". On April 16, 2022, at Coachella (festival), Coachella, 2NE1 reunited after 6 years with a surprise performance on the main stage. Aespa also performed on the festival's main stage the following weekend. Blackpink's 2022 album ''Born Pink'' became the first album by a female group to top the chart since Danity Kane's ''Welcome to the Dollhouse (album), Welcome to the Dollhouse'' in 2008. In addition, it marked the first time a girl group simultaneously topped the album charts in the United States and United Kingdom in 21 years, since Destiny's Child's ''Survivor (Destiny's Child album), Survivor'' in 2001.


Pop punk

Pop punk and emo pop, fueled by
2000s File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty during the 9/11 attacks in 2001; the euro enters into European currency in 2002; a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled during th ...
nostalgia, had a revival in the early 2020s with artists such as
Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thom ...
,
Willow Smith Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000), known mononymously as Willow (stylized in all caps), is an American singer and actress. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including ...
, Maggie Lindemann, Meet Me at the Altar, Meet Me @ the Altar, KennyHoopla, Kenny Hoopla, Origami Angel, Waterparks (band), Waterparks, Magnolia Park (band), Magnolia Park and Travis Barker releasing tracks that achieved general praise from the public. ''Tickets to My Downfall'' by Machine Gun Kelly reached number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart in 2020. Willow Smith collaborated with Travis Barker from Blink-182 on the song "Transparent Soul" which reached the top 10 on the rock charts. Avril Lavigne also returned to the genre in collaborations with Barker and Mod Sun. ''The Chaos Chapter: Freeze'' and the repackage ''Fight or Escape'' by the Korean boyband Tomorrow X Together brought pop punk and emocore references, mainly on their lead singles "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)" and "Loser=Lover".
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs '' Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Musi ...
,
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom ...
, Halsey (singer), Halsey, and Conan Gray also brought influences from pop punk and power pop in ''Sour (album), Sour'', ''Happier Than Ever,'' ''If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power'', and ''Kid Krow'' respectively. In another crossover phenomenon of the early 2020s several established rap artists released pop punk material, including Machine Gun Kelly, The Kid Laroi, Blackbear (musician), Blackbear and Mod Sun.


Hyperpop

Some of the efforts from hyperpop artists such as Charli XCX, Dorian Electra, Slayyyter, Slayyter, A. G. Cook, A.G Cook, Midwxst, Ericdoa, Glaive (musician), Glaive, Ecco2K, Ecco2k, Quinn (musician), Quinn, That Kid, Bladee and 100 Gecs received critical appraisal. Charli XCX's ''How I'm Feeling Now,'' due to its themes of self-reflection and social isolation, connected with listeners during the COVID-19 pandemic''.'' XCX's fifth studio album, ''Crash (Charli XCX album), Crash'', became her most successful album commercially and critically, peaking in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200, and marking her first number-one on the UK Albums Chart. Scottish musician Sophie (musician), Sophie, who revolutionized Avant-pop, avant pop and experimental pop genres, and represented transgender people in the electronic music scene, died on January 31, 2021.


Hip hop and R&B


Rap

Late in the 2010s, a generation of artists emerged with party rap music that emphasizes feminism and queer empowerment. Artists such as
Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After college she ...
, Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Thee Stalion, SZA, City Girls, Saucy Santana, Flo Milli, Flo Mili,
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...
,
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
and Rico Nasty became prominent hip hop artists. Female rappers achieved widespread popularity and helped create the market for women in the predominantly male mainstream hip-hop genre thanks to their openly sexual lyrics and danceable instrumentation. Megan Thee Stallion had two number one hits in the early half of the decade, including her collaboration with
Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine (service), Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, ...
titled "
WAP WAP or Wap may refer to: Music * "WAP" (song), a 2020 song by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion Organizations * Weatherization Assistance Program, for US energy costs * Western Australia Party, a political party founded in 2016 * Western A ...
", and her hit single "Savage (Megan Thee Stallion song), Savage".
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
quickly became one of the best-selling artists of the decade, despite her breakthrough being in 2020. Her first #1 single, "Say So", aided this process, as it brought the public's attention to her work. In early 2021, Doja released the lead single "Kiss Me More" to her third studio album, ''Planet Her.'' The song received instant acclaim, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the release of ''Planet Her'', Doja secured two more top-ten hits, with "Need to Know (Doja Cat song), Need To Know" and "Woman (Doja Cat song), Woman", peaking at #8 and #7, respectively. ''Planet Her'' became one of the best-selling albums of the decade, spending 26 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Artists such as JPEGMafia, Clipping (band), Clipping, Run the Jewels, Moor Mother, Junglepussy, Jungle Pussy and Genesis Owusu dominated the industrial hip hop scene in the early 2020s. On November 23, 2020, ''Visions of Bodies Being Burned'' is the fourth studio album by American Hip hop music, hip hop group Clipping (band), Clipping. It was released on October 23, 2020, through Sub Pop and received positive reviews from music critics.


R&B

American singer Steve Lacy (singer), Steve Lacy earned his first number-one song on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with "Bad Habit (Steve Lacy song), Bad Habit". In December 2022, SZA released her second studio album, ''SOS (SZA album), SOS,'' which became her first number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200, and gave her the fifth best sales week of 2022 with 318,000 copies. All of its 23 tracks charted on the Hot 100, becoming the second artist after Swift to chart 20 songs in a single week. It includes four top-ten singles: "Good Days", "I Hate U (SZA song), I Hate U", "Nobody Gets Me", and "Kill Bill (SZA song), Kill Bill".


Reggaeton

The late 2010's saw a major a cultural resurgence in Latin dance music with hip hop influences which carried throughout the 2020's. Artists such as
Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His musical style is defined as Latin trap and reggaeton. He rose to prominence in 2016 with his song "Diles", w ...
, Chencho Corleone, chencho corleone, Ozuna, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro, Rauv Alejandro saw crossover success in the united states while remaining popular internationally.


Drift phonk

In 2020,
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
popularized the hip hop style drift phonk—a genre that was generally explored by music producers in Russia. In May 2021, following the rise in popularity of the genre in Russia, Spotify released an official curated phonk playlist.


Drill


Folk and indie

Social media algorithms fed the popularity of indie artists, from established acts Steve Lacy (singer), Steve Lacy, Beach Bunny (band), Beach Bunny,
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...
, Joji (musician), Joji, Hemlocke Springs and
Mitski Mitski Miyawaki (born Mitsuki Laycock; September 27, 1990), known professionally by the mononym Mitski, is a Japanese-born American singer-songwriter. Mitski self-released her first two albums, '' Lush'' (2012) and '' Retired from Sad, New Caree ...
to lesser known artists like Black Country, New Road and Black Midi. Influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists created unplugged, "stripped-down" music mainly driven by acoustic or classical music instruments and melancholic subject matter.
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
shifted from mainstream pop to adopt indie folk, alternative rock and chamber pop styles. She released two of the best selling albums of 2020, ''
Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, rangin ...
'' and ''Evermore (Taylor Swift album), Evermore.'' ''Folklore'' spent a record eight weeks atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Lana Del Rey released two folk-inspired studio albums in 2021: ''Chemtrails over the Country Club'' and ''Blue Banisters''. Other notable folk and indie records released include
Clairo Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13. Clairo rose ...
's ''Sling (album), Sling,''
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...
' ''
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
'', Japanese Breakfast's ''Jubilee (Japanese Breakfast album), Jubilee'', and Arlo Parks' ''Collapsed in Sunbeams, Collapsed In Sunbeams''. All released to critical acclaim, albums in this genre tend to resemble bedroom pop, but usually contain more mature subject material. The latter three were all nominated for Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Alternative Music Album at their respective Grammy Awards. Lorde ventured into psychedelic folk-pop in her third studio album, ''Solar Power (album), Solar Power'', an apparent contrast to her previous album ''Melodrama (Lorde album), Melodrama''. This transition from Dance-pop, dance pop and electropop into indie and folk-pop has garnered the term "solar powerification", as many other artists have also made this shift. A prominent example includes Carly Rae Jepsen, with her changeover from her disco-infused albums Dedicated (Carly Rae Jepsen album), ''Dedicated'' and ''Dedicated Side B'' into her stripped back, synth-based record ''The Loneliest Time''. Glass Animals' breakout song "Heat Waves (song), Heat Waves" stayed number one on the ''Billboard'' Alternative Charts for seven weeks in 2021, making it one of the most successful singles of the year. English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress released her debut Mixtape album, mixtape ''To Hell with It'', which received widespread acclaim in reviews from music critics upon release. ''To Hell with It'' was named the third best album of 2021 by ''Time (magazine), Time'' and the fifth best album of the year by ''The New York Times''s Jon Caramanica and ''Gigwise''. Joji (musician), Joji's "Glimpse of Us" peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart upon its release, marking the singer-first songwriter's visit to the region. The song, which was released on June 10, 2022, received almost immediate acclaim, rocketing up the Official Singles Chart and also debuting straight inside the Top 10 of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.


Country

''Dangerous: The Double Album'' by American country singer
Morgan Wallen Morgan Cole Wallen (born May 13, 1993) is an American country singer and songwriter. He competed in the sixth season of ''The Voice'', originally as a member of Usher's team, but later as a member of Adam Levine's team. After being eliminated ...
became the first country album to spend its first four weeks atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart since Shania Twain's ''Up! (album), Up!'' did so in January 2003. Having finished third on ''American Idol'', country artist Gabby Barrett released her debut single "I Hope (Gabby Barrett song), I Hope" in 2019. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Country Airplay chart dated April 25, 2020, and eventually topped the Hot Country Songs chart dated July 25, 2020, making it the first debut single by a female artist to top the latter since 2006.https://bulletins.billboard.com/country/country_update_0720.pdf Swift's re-recordings, ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and ''
Red (Taylor's Version) ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Released via Republic Records on November 12, 2021, as a part of Swift's countermeasure against the purchase of the masters of her back cata ...
'', were the top two best-selling country albums of 2021. Her Taylor Swift masters controversy, decision to re-record her masters sparked worldwide interest, making Swift the first artist to have a re-recorded album peak at number one on the Billboard 200, with ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)''. Her second re-recorded album, ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' also debuted at number one. Kacey Musgraves' fourth studio album ''Star-Crossed (album), Star-Crossed'' received attention for its inclusion of
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...
and dance-pop, but sparked a genre categorization controversy with the Grammy Awards. After her submission to the The Recording Academy, Recording Academy in the country categories, her album was seemingly left out from any nominations, despite its positive reviews in contrast to other country albums released during the eligibility period. The Academy stated that her record failed to include enough country material to be considered for country categories at 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the award ceremony. Musgraves questioned their judgment, after her previous album, ''Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves album), Golden Hour'' included just as much influence from pop music, yet was nominated for, and won all awards that year, including Grammy Award for Best Country Album, Best Country Album, and Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Album Of The Year.


Rock

The genres hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal had declined in mainstream popularity by the early 2020s. However, Italian hard rock band
Måneskin Måneskin are an Italian rock band formed in Rome in 2016. The band are composed of vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio. Performing in the streets in their early days, they rose ...
rose to worldwide prominence following the band's win at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with their song Zitti e buoni.
Måneskin Måneskin are an Italian rock band formed in Rome in 2016. The band are composed of vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio. Performing in the streets in their early days, they rose ...
's cover of the song The Four Seasons (band), The Four Seasons' "Beggin'#Måneskin version, Beggin'" reached the top 10 on the ''Billboard Global 200#Billboard Global Excl. US, Billboard'' Billboard Global 200#Billboard Global Excl. US, Global Excl. U.S. and was ranked 66th in Billboard Year End Hot 100 chart of 2021. Several veteran acts have continued to maintain popularity worldwide, including AC/DC, whose 2020 album ''Power Up (album), Power Up'' reached number one on the charts in various countries (including the United States and their homeland Australia), while Iron Maiden earned their first Top 5 album on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, ''Senjutsu (album), Senjutsu'', for the first time in its 41-year recording career. Other veteran heavy metal acts, including Testament (band), Testament and Dream Theater, debuted on the Top 100 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart with their respective albums ''Titans of Creation'' and ''A View from the Top of the World''. Soft rock is showcased through albums like Haim (band), Haim's ''Women in Music Pt. III, Women In Music Pt. III'', released to critical acclaim, the album amassed a nomination for Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Album Of The Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making them the first all-female band to be nominated for this award. Their single "The Steps (song), The Steps" also received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Performance.


References

{{2020s 2020s in music 2020s decade overviews