Why has music taste grown so competitive? Over the years, music taste went from being able to purely bind from liking the same artist, having the same favorite song, or participating in the same genre. In this day and age, the average music interaction has flip flopped upside down completely.

With the addition of social media, and the short story, infinite scrolling fad like tiktok, it has turned way more negative. Instead of bonding with someone online, and sometimes in person, when you bring up your favorite artist, it turns into a “Who knows more” battle. People arguing things like bands that the lead singer used to be in, hidden unreleased songs, or remixes that aren’t even posted on mainstream streaming services. It turned from a bonding experience, bringing yourself closer to someone and turned into a battle of comments, and “fun facts” about the band. This usually dictates who is the “Better music listener” than the other. “Other people don’t have good music taste” Said Jesse Vanvolkenberg(11). When interviewed, he brought up his own music tastes, his favorite music genre being R&B.

While R&B is a popular genre, there is a genre not so known. It is modernly classified as “Rage rap”. With names like Ken Carson, Playboy Carti, and Osamason. This is a pivot from R&B. Usually featuring heavy bass, distorted instruments, 808’s, loud vocals, and sometimes yelling. This type of music is quite niche. When asked about this type of music, Jaylie Mallory(12) says “It’s the beat that attracts me to the song.” Rage rap itself features experimental beats being a staple in the community of Rage Rap. While rage rap is aggressive, the community sticks together. Being in a niche community brings the idea of ‘we must stick together’ forward for this community.

With rage rap being niche, and R&B being popular, Pop is one of the most popular genres since the early 2000’s when it was founded. With the current popstar of the world being Sabrina Carpenter. Sabrina has a booming success, rapidly growing over the past 4 years. “I think Sabrina herself is what attracts me to her music. Everything about her.” Hayden Grace(12). Sabrina’s influence stretches over music as her face as pop, and her face itself brings together and draws attention to her and her music.

While music brings people together, just like how there’s many genres of music, theres many faces of community.