As you all know, every generation has their own music. I'm just not exactly sure how it works. Many artists today were born in the 90s and grew up in the 2000s. Therefore, they are around 18-26 like many other 2000s kids. Even though these artists make up a large portion of the. musicians today, it is my understanding that a lot of mainstream music targets teenagers.

So who's generation does the music of today belong to? The people who actively create the music (2000s kids) or the people who consume the music the most (2000 babies)?

Why would you ask if today's music is aimed at 2000s kids or 2010s teens, when for the most part, their the same people ;D ;D.

....Most 2000s kids are 2010s teens.

You're right I don't really look into peoples ages like that lol. When I said 2000s kids I mean people born in the early to mid 90s. Most of us are adults now. Sorry for the confusion.

I think most pop music is targeted at preteens/teens/early 20s. But just like my dad religiously watches Tom & Jerry, just because it's targeted at kids doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it.

Basically is the music of today still Generation Y's music or is it Generation Z's (even though Younger millennials make up a large portion of musicians today)?

Both. Most '90s babies especially late '90s babies are still the generation of today's music.

Both. Most '90s babies especially late '90s babies are still the generation of today's music.

Thanks that clears things up . I just realized that people born in 2000 are going to be 18 this year.

I’d say it’s Generation Z. I was born in 2004, so I attended school with with everyone born between 1998-2010. I have friends without the 2000-2006 range. Based on my own experiences, a lot of the dudes in the high school classes of 2020 and 2021 seem to be into today’s trap music the most. When I was in 6th, there were a big group of 7th and 8th graders who were into Future, Migos, Young Thug, 21 Savage, etc. The high school classes of 2018 & 2019 like them too, but they haven’t blasted their music in the hallways as much as the 2020 and 2021 classes.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m generalizing. :-X

I’d say it’s Generation Z. I was born in 2004, so I attended school with with everyone born between 1998-2010. I have friends without the 2000-2006 range. Based on my own experiences, a lot of the dudes in the high school classes of 2020 and 2021 seem to be into today’s trap music the most. When I was in 6th, there were a big group of 7th and 8th graders who were into Future, Migos, Young Thug, 21 Savage, etc. The high school classes of 2018 & 2019 like them too, but they haven’t blasted their music in the hallways as much as the 2020 and 2021 classes.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m generalizing. :-X

Thanks! I appreciate your contribution. It's nice to hear from someone your age. There aren't too many 2000s babies around here I don't think.

I’d say it’s Generation Z. I was born in 2004, so I attended school with with everyone born between 1998-2010. I have friends without the 2000-2006 range. Based on my own experiences, a lot of the dudes in the high school classes of 2020 and 2021 seem to be into today’s trap music the most. When I was in 6th, there were a big group of 7th and 8th graders who were into Future, Migos, Young Thug, 21 Savage, etc. The high school classes of 2018 & 2019 like them too, but they haven’t blasted their music in the hallways as much as the 2020 and 2021 classes.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m generalizing. :-X


I agree, a lot of the year 10&11s (born Early 2001-early 2003) at my school would always listen to trap, those in Year 12&13 (born early 1999-early 2001) not so much.

It's debatable but the cut off between the Millennials (Gen Y) and Post-millenials (Gen Z) birth years is some time in the late 90's or 2000. Post-millenials are defined as being born after or having no memory of 9/11/01, and having Internet technology always available from their earliest memory, and smartphones from childhood.

I'd say it's primarily high school and college aged people's music, so people born from the mid 90's to early 00's, but it could be considered pre teens and mid 20's people's music as well since pre teens listen to it and people in their mid 20's make it.

I know my dad considers his music to be his college years in the late 80's/early 90's, he was born in 1968.

Early 2020's music will primarily be late 90's to mid 00's borns music and the mid 2020's will primarily be early to late 00's borns music and so on. That's how I see it at least.

Also, that doesn't mean people outside of that age range can't enjoy it, my dad loves today's music and my mom likes a lot of it.

I think most pop music is targeted at preteens/teens/early 20s. But just like my dad religiously watches Tom & Jerry, just because it's targeted at kids doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it.


But  Tom & Jerry was considered a classic cartoon, unlike modern stuff like The Angry Birds or whatever's playing now on Nickelodeon or The Disney Channel, giving it a multi-generational appeal like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. And adults certainly saw them prior to their mainstream features back when cartoons were played in place of commercials and extra trailers.

I've also noticed that the Adult Contemporary format is much weaker now than it was since the beginning of the rock era in the '50s when the teens liked the rock 'n roll and the adults the Sinatra, and most prefer the classic hits of the '80s, '90s, and even 2000s over the 2010s stuff they put out, possibly except for Adele and Bruno Mars. I'm turning 33 this month, and 1997-2007 or so was my cohort's target, putting me in the Nu Metal/Pop Punk/late Post-Grunge/Emo/Glam & Snap Rap/Trance demo in terms of pop, something that's foreign to me with the current scene, and honestly most people my age have mellowed out and look back into the '80s and '90s for their "office music" along with the softer hits of the 2000s and a tiny bit of 2010s, but trap music? Sorry, after my time!

Just like how my 1950s-born parents saw the late '60s and '70s as their peak while they didn't like the 1988 sound of Hair Metal, old school rap, Freestyle, or New Jack Swing that the 1970s kids and babies loved, and liked the '50s/'60s/early '70s oldies stations.

It's mainly Gen Z right now. Most Millennials have aged out of the target audience although they can still listen to today's songs.


I've also noticed that the Adult Contemporary format is much weaker now than it was since the beginning of the rock era in the '50s. That's when the teens liked the rock 'n roll and the adults the Sinatra, and most prefer the classic hits of the '80s, '90s, and even 2000s over the 2010s stuff they put out, possibly except for Adele and Bruno Mars. I'm turning 33 this month, and 1997-2007 or so was my cohort's target. It puts me in the Nu Metal/Pop Punk/late Post-Grunge/Emo/Glam & Snaps Rap/Trance demo regarding pop, something that's foreign to me with the current scene. Honestly, most people my age have mellowed out and look back into the '80s and '90s for their "office music" along with the softer hits of the 2000s and a tiny bit of 2010s, but trap music? Sorry, after my time!
Oh man, you aren't lying! I agree. Except for Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars and a few others, Adult contemporary has been at its worst throughout this decade. I hope there will be a revival in the next era where us Millennials will be the prime audience for it since we will be in our 30s and 40s by then. That format was the bomb back then. Now, not so much.

I think a lot of people would agree with you on trap music. Very few enjoy that sub-genre compared to others. While I did read that hip-hop is the most played genre right now, I wonder what kind most people listen to because I'm pretty sure it's not Trap rap.

Born 1995 so I'm a early-mid 2000s kid, but I feel like I've aged out of today's music (too early?), and in fact the last time I kept in touch with modern popular music was around 2014 with Uptown Funk and Shake It Off. I would say 2018 music is targeted more at later 2000s kids, born very late 90s-early 2000s.

I really don't think today's music is as teen-focused as it was during the mid '10s.

I assume by 2000s kids, you don't mean those who grew up as kids during the aughts (2000-2009), but rather those born in or after 2000.

Today's mainstream music is targeted towards teens and those in their early 20s, or people born from the mid/late 90s to the early/mid 00s, and it's expected the younger kids will listen too, even if they aren't the core audience, so it's also their generation of music.

The target audience for music today seems to be high school and college kids so definitely 2000s kids music.

I assume by 2000s kids, you don't mean those who grew up as kids during the aughts (2000-2009), but rather those born in or after 2000.

Today's mainstream music is targeted towards teens and those in their early 20s, or people born from the mid/late 90s to the early/mid 00s, and it's expected the younger kids will listen too, even if they aren't the core audience, so it's also their generation of music.



The target audience for music today seems to be high school and college kids so definitely 2000s kids music.

My initial post is confusing as h3ll. Apparently I didn't think the whole "decade kid" thing through (It's not super important to me). I guess those born in the early 2000s would be 2000s kids as well. So yes, my question is confusing, sorry. But by 2000s kids I meant most 90s babies, who mainly up grew up as kids in the 2000s.

My mom considers her generation of music to be from the 70s to the 90s. In the 90s, she was 23-33. Do y'all think she may consider the 90s to be her generation of music  (even though she was in her mid 20s to early 30s for most of the decade) because music was more mature? When I say mature, I'm speaking generally. Obviously, teen pop from the Y2K era isn't mature.

This is this first time in my life, where I've been in the age range of so many musicians. So I was thinking this is probably my generation of music along with generation Zs.

I would say 2018 is 100% generation z, so yes most of it is targeted at 2000s kids/babies but that doesn’t mean other age groups can’t enjoy it

Born 1995 so I'm a early-mid 2000s kid, but I feel like I've aged out of today's music (too early?), and in fact the last time I kept in touch with modern popular music was around 2014 with Uptown Funk and Shake It Off. I would say 2018 music is targeted more at later 2000s kids, born very late 90s-early 2000s.


I would say summer or late 2016 is when I stopped caring. After university basically. I use Spotify exclusively now and it's rarely Top 40 music. No point in sitting through those cheesy ads ;D

I almost misread the title of the thread. Haha As in, people who grew up in the 2000s? Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and early 2010s Drake are for 2000s kids but 2010s kids can still relate to them. The same can be said for 2000s artists that stayed relevant in the 2010s because they can never truly escape that "2000s" emphasis that make 2000s kids easily know them.

I almost misread the title of the thread. Haha As in, people who grew up in the 2000s? Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and early 2010s Drake are for 2000s kids but 2010s kids can still relate to them. The same can be said for 2000s artists that stayed relevant in the 2010s because they can never truly escape that "2000s" emphasis that make 2000s kids easily know them.

Mind you, I made this thread before being fully exposed to the "generationology" of this board  ;D. Now that I've spoken to others about this on other forums, it's clear to me that the part of the decade that is associated with people our age is the early 2010s. Definitely those artists you listed.

Mind you, I made this thread before being fully exposed to the "generationology" of this board  ;D. Now that I've spoken to others about this on other forums, it's clear to me that the part of the decade that is associated with people our age is the early 2010s. Definitely those artists you listed.


Don't let bs rules intimidate you. Its all just educational discussion at the end of the day.

I say gen z. Most of today's hip-hop is targeted towards teens and early 20's something. Most people on this thread around my age outgrew top 40 music in high school. J.Cole, Kendrick and Drake still have a strong millennial fanbase being that they been famous for 5-10 years. I remember back in the early 00s they're were still a large amount of Gen Xers who were listening to hip-hop since it was during the time when east coast rap was still prevalent.

My mum was born in 1965 and considers the 80s to be ‘her’ decade in terms of music and popular culture, but also the late 70s. Her favourite song is probably Cars by Gary Newman (a song I always thought was 80s but was actually released in 1979).

She’s never shown much interest in 90s music, or even very late 80s music. The fact that she was raising kids in the late 80s and 90s is probably partly the reason.

I’m 30 years younger than my mum, and I guess late 2000s-mid 2010s would be the ‘era’ of people my age in terms of popular music consumption. I think current popular music is definitely primarily aimed at today’s teenagers.