9 Trending Music Genres That Are Defining 2024
What music genres have been trending in 2024?
We’ve been pretty surprised by the sheer variety of genres that have gotten increased attention this year, so we thought we’d run through some of our favorites.
Let’s dig in and make some new discoveries.
Afrobeats
Summer Daze Afrobeats
Get the packAfrobeats has been definitive of West African and UK music since the early 2000s, but it’s become especially popular in North America more recently.
Not to be confused with Afrobeat (a more specific genre that originated with Nigerian musician Fela Kuti in the 1960s), “Afrobeats” can refer to various fusions of West African pop music with hip-hop, RnB, dancehall, EDM, and other genres.
There are so many fantastic artists that fall under this umbrella, and each of them can sound very distinct from each other, but here’s one of our favorite tracks from 2024.
Amapiano
Cape Town Amapiano
Get the packOriginally emerging from South Africa in the 2010s, Amapiano has begun to catch on in the North American mainstream as its popularity has surged on TikTok and other platforms.
Much like Afrobeats, Amapiano features a wide range of influences, but it often fuses South African styles like Gqom and Kwaito with house, jazz, soul, and other genres.
Kabza De Small is a legend of Amapiano, and this track from his recent album Kabza Chant is a highlight for us.
80s-style pop
Synth Pop
Get the packPossibly due to the cultural phenomenon of Stranger Things, there’s been a fresh surge in popularity of synth-pop and other 80s-influenced styles lately.
Artists like Conan Gray and Chappell Roan in particular have been leaning into sawtooth synth lines, old-school electronic drum kit sounds, upbeat energy, and an overall retro aesthetic.
This track from up-and-coming artist LEXXE has been making the rounds recently and it’s fire. Highly recommended.
Rock
Rockin Guitars 2
Get the packThe past couple of years have seen various forms of rock (from punk to alt rock and more) come back into wider popularity.
One mainstream example of this has been Olivia Rodrigo’s recent album Guts, which features the unmistakable hallmarks of pop rock and pop punk.
On top of this, though, we’ve seen comeback moments for a number of legendary rock bands, including various reunion performances at Coachella this year.
Beabadoobee is a newer artist who’s been making waves lately. Here’s a recent single.
Metal
Pro Drums: Metal
Get the packSpeaking of bands, metal also seems to be having a mainstream moment (and speaking of Stranger Things, maybe this scene had something to do with it?).
And this hasn’t been limited to a traditional metal style, instead taking shape in a variety of ways.
Trap metal, for instance, is more popular than ever, and Babymetal’s collab with Electric Callboy has racked up over 30 million streams in less than three months.
For a personal recommendation though, we’re loving the latest stuff from Californian group Entheos.
Shoegaze
Haze: Shoegaze & Dream Pop
Get the packThis iconic late-80s and 90s genre has been trending for at least a year now (not to mention the revival we had back in the ’10s), but it seems to have maintained its momentum once again and become a fixture of 2024.
Shoegaze seems to be trending both when it comes to new emerging artists and rediscovery of classic groups like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive.
One of our favorite newer shoegaze acts is flyingfish, who put out this release late last year.
Indie
Crushed Indie
Get the packFrom rock to folk to electronic music, the “indie” umbrella has encompassed a ton of different styles for decades, but certain sounds and artists seem to making particularly big waves in 2024.
Hozier’s single Too Sweet, The Black Keys’ new album Ohio Players, a rumored new album from The xx, and Camera Obscura’s first album in 10 years all represent some pretty notable comeback moments.
Meanwhile, newer acts like Royel Otis, The Beths, and Dry Cleaning have been making names for themselves. Our personal favorite is Danish band Snuggle, which just released this new track.
Classic house and techno
90s Rave
Get the packVarious styles of dance and electronic music have been finding new audiences this year, and especially genres that had their heyday in the 90s and early 2000s.
From the wide range of 90s dance music influences in Justice’s latest album to the continued rise of jungle and drum ‘n’ bass among Gen Z listeners, the mainstream palette for dance music has broadened to encompass more than just EDM.
English producer Fred Again’s massive` presence has also popularized certain styles via his influences, with old-school house and atmospheric techno being key aspects of his sound.
Once of our favorite jungle producers dropped this single last month. It is both a stacked collab and an absolute banger.
Country
Country Guitars 2
Get the packWhile country has been a huge part of mainstream North American music for a long time, it’s more recently been explored by artists who typically don’t work within the genre.
This has led to an upswell of interest in country music among new listeners, especially following Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion albums.
Country is a multifaceted genre with a rich and deep history, so there’s a lot to explore. One of our favorite recent country singles is from Canadian artist Owen Riegling.
Various contributors from the LANDR team of music mentors.
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