Usually I wouldn't make these kinds of threads if I didn't see a clear sign or indication. But Ariana Grande's new song debuted at number 3 in the billboard charts, the sound and style of that song is different from any of the other recent pop songs on the charts. It's got the more traditional pop sound mixed with some piano bars with a modern twist to it. It is not the usual overproduced EDM pattern effect or latin pop style every popular pop song has had so far. Not to mention Ariana Grande is a very prominent artist so she could pave the way. The song is different than all her earlier stuff.

Same goes for Christiana Agulera's new song, with a similar effect being used in her new song and it does sound quite different from other pop songs. Whether the song does get big or not, there is no denying Christina Aguilera was a big name in her prime so her comeback is pretty big. It will most likely chart fairly high because it is #21 on trending on YouTube right now.

Lastly, if you look on the charts trap is clearly declining and all of Drake's and J Cole's new songs don't really have much trap to them.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I do see it as an early sign. I believe we will probably see the true big change during the 2018 - 2019 school year and music in 2019 will start to sound different and more of what the early 2020s sound most likely. I know it's only two songs but the artists and charting is what makes it significant and it shows a sign of change. We can update this thread with other new popular songs that will follow the new trend.

ffxKSjUwKdU

DSRSgMp5X1w

Not sure about pop music but trap is still going on strong. Drake has never had an album full of trap music, "Nice For What" is no surprise tbh. God's Plan, the first single from his upcoming album, was trap influenced. Cole has never really made trap music in the first place. I still hear a lot of trap music on the radio and everybody's mixtape is trap too.
...unfortunately lol. I personally, hope you're right though.

I still don't care for Ariana Grande.  I have mixed feelings on the new Christina song.  Not sure if this represents any new direction for music though.  Justin Timberlake's latest album/sound kind of fizzled out.  It does seem like current pop is trying to electropop's down-tempo cousin if that makes sense.

Trap isn’t declining though ???.

I don't really like Ariana that much but I actually like this song, I feel that this is a positive direction for music. I have found most of the music from the past couple of years to be dull, I wish the whole trap trend would die already.

I don't really like Ariana that much but I actually like this song, I feel that this is a positive direction for music. I have found most of the music from the past couple of years to be dull, I wish the whole trap trend would die already.


Hair metal was still going strong in 1988, remember?
But flash forward 2 or 3 years, and it started to go the way of "disco".
There's still hope that trap is on its death heels. If not this year, then in the next few years for sure.

I didn't like christnas new song tbh

I didn't like christnas new song tbh

Just listened to it and rap has such a strong influence on pop music, jesus.

I'm not on board, sorry. I find it dull and uncomfortable all at once. Not that I'm such a fan of trap either, but I much prefer what we had going on in the mid-2010s, with Macklemore, twentyonepilots, Sia, Bruno Mars and the rest of them. I think I'm basically done with pop music for a while.

I'm not on board, sorry. I find it dull and uncomfortable all at once. Not that I'm such a fan of trap either, but I much prefer what we had going on in the mid-2010s, with Macklemore, twentyonepilots, Sia, Bruno Mars and the rest of them. I think I'm basically done with pop music for a while.

I like mid 2010s music too. I don't like late 2010s music. But we are not switching from mid 2010s music to late 2010s, that already happened in 2016. That ship has sailed a looong time ago so we can move on now. My point is we are switching again from late 2010s to early '20s music now, given the slightly new sound in pop like Ariana Grande's song. Could be a fluke but we will see. If the change happens soon, the late 2010s will go down as a short era and 2019 will be a cultural early '20s year at least in music if this trend continues. Trap isn't a mid 2010s thing but rather both mid 2010s and late 2010s, with mumble being more of a distinct late 2010s thing.

I dunno, I think many of us jumped the gun with the whole “return of rock music” thing in 2017. I’m gonna wait to “call” the arrival of the 2020s sound until we’re well into the era.

Is pop music really a valid indicator of music shifts throughout this decade? Imo hip hop and indie are much better places to look for progress, of which early 2010s hip hop and indie are definitely distinguishable from late 2010s hip hop and indie. Early 2010s pop and late 2010s pop... not so much. Subtle differences yes, but not drastic enough that these songs wouldn't blend in on the radio at any given point in this decade. I don't know how many people here keep up with music outside of the radio however. Definitely if all I listened to throughout this decade was radio music I would think we're living in a music apocalypse.

Definitely if all I listened to throughout this decade was radio music I would think we're living in a music apocalypse.

Same.

The late 2010s seems more like a residual dump of the increasingly stale trends of the early-mid 2010s, rather than the birth of new sounds like the late 00s electropop phenomenon.

I dunno, I think many of us jumped the gun with the whole “return of rock music” thing in 2017. I’m gonna wait to “call” the arrival of the 2020s sound until we’re well into the era.


Death of trap also.  A lot of people thought Kendrick Lamar's album last year was a turning point.  While it was definitely a notable album, it didn't seem to have the effect on the overall direction of hip-hop that people on this board thought it would.

The late 2010s seems more like a residual dump of the increasingly stale trends of the early-mid 2010s, rather than the birth of new sounds like the late 00s electropop phenomenon.


YES. That's it exactly.

There has not been a noticeable change in pop culture since 2013 to me so I would excpect 2018-2019 to be another transition in pop culture!!

Trap isn’t declining though ???.
Is Trap a misspelt word in this case?