Chapter 1: The Rise of Unusual Genres

While scrolling through friends' Spotify Wrapped during the holiday season, I was intrigued when one of my friends mentioned their favorite genre as "Vapour Soul." This led me to question: what exactly is Vapour Soul? It appears to combine elements of Vaporwave and Soul music, but I wonder if the artists even intended it to be categorized that way. This curiosity prompted me to delve deeper into Spotify's genre listings, meticulously compiled by Glenn MacDonald on Every Noise at Once. Astonishingly, Spotify categorizes music into over 5,000 subgenres, ranging from 'pop' and 'easy listening' to bizarre classifications like 'chutney.' This overwhelming number of genres reflects a troubling aspect of the platform's music distribution.

My criticisms of Spotify are well-known, particularly regarding its reliance on technology to shape musical taste. Similar to how major platforms use algorithms to curate our content—whether it’s social media posts, movie suggestions, or food choices—Spotify's extensive genre list seems more beneficial for its own purposes rather than enhancing user experience. The emergence of genres like 'talent show,' 'anti-viral pop,' and even 'escape room' (yes, you read that correctly) serves to better categorize users rather than assist them in finding music they genuinely want to enjoy. As MacDonald stated in 2016:

"[Escape Room] is one where the genre comes from collective listening patterns, but I made up the name myself, because I couldn't figure out any existing one to apply. The vibe is kind of an underground-trap/PC-music/indietronic/activist-hip-hop kind of thing, and I thought of 'escape room' both for the sense of escaping from trap, and for the ideas of excitement, puzzle-solving, and indoorness implied by the actual physical escape-room phenomenon."

This highlights how the classification of genres by data scientists aims to enhance user satisfaction and align music with listeners’ moods. My wife, for instance, has been enjoying Pandora lately, noting her surprise at how well the app adapts to her preferences and emotional states, suggesting that similar grouping strategies yield positive outcomes. At first glance, this approach seems favorable, providing users what they seek. However, it ultimately neglects the artists behind the music that Spotify profits from.

The phenomenon known as the 'Spotify Sound' reveals a songwriting style that has emerged to cater to Spotify's algorithms. This trend, akin to the hyper-genrefication encouraged by the platform, demonstrates that artistry and subtlety can often be compromised in this model. While the broad classification of genres might help niche music gain visibility, it requires listeners to be aware of all 5,000 genres to truly appreciate the diversity. Instead, this method risks diluting the quality of music by promoting a 'one-size-fits-all' approach that caters to the algorithm rather than genuine artistic expression.

I am not advocating for a rigid adherence to genre purity—having encountered many music purists, I understand how limiting that can be. However, attempting to satisfy everyone can lead to appealing to no one. The practice of diluting music to fit multiple genres in order to manipulate a digital system is, ultimately, detrimental to the creation and production of art. It does not resolve the issue faced by a Blues artist who remains overshadowed by countless others within the same genre.

Throughout history, genres have often stifled creativity due to their restrictive nature. As Duke Ellington wisely remarked, "There are only two kinds of music—Good Music and Bad Music," and it is up to each individual to discern the difference, regardless of whether the label is 'gymcore' or 'witch house.'

Section 1.1: The Impact of Algorithms on Music Discovery

The role of algorithms in shaping musical tastes is becoming increasingly prominent. As platforms like Spotify and Pandora refine their methods, they inadvertently shape what music is created and how it’s consumed.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Role of User Preferences

Chapter 2: Understanding the Extremes of Genrefication

The first video, "Have Spotify Genres Gone Too Far?" explores the implications of Spotify's extensive genre classifications on both artists and listeners.

The second video, "4 Steps To Pinning Down Your Genre Before Uploading Your Music or Pitching to Spotify," offers practical advice for artists navigating the complex world of music genres.