Teens are captivated by wide range of music genres

by Hannah Boggs

Arts and Style Editor

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Top 3 songs on Apple Music’s Top 100 in the USA are all of the rap genre. Photo by Hannah Boggs.

With trends in music constantly changing, it’s hard to tell what genres and artists are catching the most attention from younger audiences. Although the baseline of music stays the same, teenagers are constantly finding new artists and songs in order to stay up to date with the latest trends. There are still consistencies between which genres are the most listened to in teens' everyday lives.

By far the most popular music genres among high school students are rap and pop. With catchy beats and lyrics, teenagers are constantly listening to the newest songs and artists that fall under these genres. Jack Vamos (12) says that “rap, as well as individual pop artists” are the mostly listened to among teens. He even says that “it seems like pop has kind of mingled with modern rap today”. Not only are solo pop artists putting out their own music, but they also invite rappers to sing on their songs with them, causing even more fame and attention to be brought to the song. Even adults feel as though these genres are the most popular among teens. Mr. Moody agrees and says that he feels that “current high school students seem to lean towards rap and pop music”.

Not only are certain genres of music popular because of their specific beats, they also provide a way of escape with their lyrics. Grace Malarkey (12) says that she feels “rap and pop are the most popular because there’s not much depth to them”. She continues and says that “we go through a lot as teenagers so we just need an escape sometimes”. Music can serve as a great outlet to express emotions for teenagers, which is why music is such an important aspect of our lives.

Another genre that is well liked among teenagers is alternative. This genre is very large and has many different types of songs that fall under this category. In fact, most teenagers may not even realize some of the songs that they once considered pop, are actually alternative. Leyton Gibson (12) says that “kids will listen to songs like ‘Driver’s License’ and ‘Bad Guy’ without even realizing it’s really classified as alternative”. With such a large range of songs that fall under this genre, it’s very easy to like it due to how many options there are. Alternative songs also have a funky and different beat to them most of the time, which tends to captivate a teen audience.

Although there are so many different kinds of music genres out there, the majority of high school students tend to stick with the same likings. Pop, rap, and alternative all tend to catch the ears of young listeners, keeping them as the most popular music genres for high schoolers. So next time you see someone listening to music, ask them what they’re listening to! You may find some cool new music, or even a new friend to bond with.