Being interested in music is a bit being like interested in fashion, you get to notice changes over time and see how modern music changes and evolves year after year.
Music often is a representation of the times we live in, if a bit exaggerated. The lyrics often show off our wants, desires, and fears all at the same time. The melodies show off the most recent advances in production and mixing available to producers, and then both the lyrics and the melodies come together to create something memorable for years to come. In fact, lots of us can be whisked away to a different time simply by listening to whatever music we were listening to at that point in our lives.
If you have your pulse on the music industry and want to know what’s coming in the future, here’s the forecast:
The Return Of The Boy Band
The last major boy bands of note were the Jonas Brothers and One Direction. They’ve all now long split up in favor of pursuing their own solo careers, so a vacuum of sorts has been created in the boy band world. Expect talented ensembles of young men to come back into the forefront this year, with Simon Cowell’s Pretty Much taking center stage. There’s just something highly compelling about the idea of a group of around five friends coming together and making music together as a team, and the boy band sells the idea nicely.
Expect Much More Latin Pop
A little song named Despacito came out in 2017 that has set off a new explosion of Latin pop in the music world. While dancehall music with a Caribbean flare was the last foreign explosion, people are latching on to Latin inspired music with great fervor. It is a little known fact that “Despacito” was the first Spanish language song to occupy the number 1 spot in the U.S since the “Macarena.” Expect lots of portable Bluetooth speakers to be blaring some Latin flair, topratedanything reviews has some great ones picked out already. The language makes for compelling lyrics that sound angelic even if you don’t know what they’re saying. Artists like Cardi B have brought artists like Bad Bunny to the American market and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
Live Music Will Dominate The Market
It’s no secret that the advent of streaming music has left record company executives and artists alike scrambling for ways to recoup lost profits since just about nobody buys physical CDs anymore. Expect a lot more concerts from major artists in 2019 since touring and all of the associated money making ventures are shaping up to be some of the main cash cows. The rising popularity of streaming music isn’t all bad, though, since it allows a lot more artists to connect with fans across the world they normally wouldn’t have, tons of lesser-known artists are able to sell sold-out shows thanks to their dedicated followings.
The Rise Of The Small Venue
As much as people love their big name concerts filled to the brim with thousands of individuals, people are starting to want a more personalized experience that doesn’t come with the hefty price tag of a music festival or concert. The big players still want to keep their market share, but they won’t be able to compete with the uniqueness and independence that comes from not being as bound to corporate norms that the smaller firms are. With promoters looking for these small venues that have kept their individuality, expect a lot more smaller venues to attract some pretty big names.
Expect Lots Of Fresh Blood
If you’re a promoter or an event creator, the price to book big name artists has skyrocketed due to how quickly they’ve been selling out massive shows in recent years. So, festival planners and promoters are now looking all over the place for well-liked niche artists that can help increase their overall lineup without their company having to go broke. This will allow the average music lover a much wider range of artists to explore and see on the big stage this year, so don’t be surprised if you find a new favorite sometime in 2019.
The music industry is ever changing and evolving to suit the needs of the people who listen. Streaming music and the internet may have changed how people interface with purchasing records and getting their music, but the industry has found new ways to stay profitable and relevant. These trends are expected to grow well into 2019 and beyond, so keep your eyes peeled and your earbuds plugged in and settle in for a wild ride.
