2020s in music


2020s in music


For music from a year in the 2020s, go to 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

This article describes trends in popular music in the 2020s.

The beginning of the 2020s decade was a difficult time for the music industry, as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread concert cancellations due to risks of mass infection. However, by mid-2023, the music industry recorded its highest annual revenue of all time ($8.4 billion), propelled by exponential growth of streaming subscriptions. Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, the Weeknd, Harry Styles, Morgan Wallen and Doja Cat have been some of the leading music artists of the 2020s so far.

Overview

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation or postponement of numerous music-related events scheduled to take place in the early 2020s, including major tours, festivals, and television appearances. Due to the restrictions, many artists conducted virtual experiences as an alternative to live events (e.g. Dua Lipa's Studio 2054 and Taylor Swift's Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions). The COVID-19 pandemic has also resorted artists to postponements or rescheduling of major tours to at least a year or two from their initially scheduled tour dates, examples including The Stadium Tour (co-headlined by Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard), Ozzy Osbourne's headlining tour No More Tours II and Rage Against the Machine's reunion tour. 2020s also marked the massive rise of genreless music and fragmentation of music thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns for isolation and loneliness, and the use of internet, streaming media, TikTok with its algorithm, playlists and unlimited access.

Impact of social media

Social media platforms such as TikTok have greatly influenced the musical landscape of the 2020s. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, TikTok served as a musical taste maker because of the app's utilization of music and short form video content. The platform's emphasis on user-generated content also fostered a participatory culture where listeners became active participants in shaping musical trends. From choreographed dance routines to comedic skits and lip-syncing challenges, TikTok encouraged users to engage with songs by producing video content, effectively turning music consumption into a form of entertainment in itself. This symbiotic relationship between music and user-generated content fueled a feedback loop of virality, perpetuating the cycle of discovery and amplification. Furthermore, TikTok served as a powerful marketing tool for established artists seeking to maintain relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. In the case of the 2024 song "Looking for a Man in Finance", the creator Megan Boni created the video as a joke, and when it became viral, she launched her music career. Major labels and artists quickly recognized the platform's potential to amplify their reach and connect with younger audiences.

Strategic collaborations with popular TikTok creators, sponsored hashtag challenges, and the use of licensed music in viral videos became integral components of contemporary music marketing strategies. The TikTok Billboard chart was created in September 2023 to meet the demand for a Viral Audios from the platform.

Trends and statistics

In 2020, LP records surpassed compact disc (CD) sales for the first time since 1986, LP records 28.7% ($619.6 million) with the rapid decline in CD sales by 23% ($483 million), with 62% ($1.1 billion) of revenue derived from physical music sales across the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 2020 Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report.

The early part of the decade carried on the cross-genre trap music influence which started in the late 2010s, Despite Trap music's sustained influence In the middle of the decade, the sound of the hip hop landscape gradually began shifting towards drill, plugg, rage, reggaeton, and jersey club. Thanks to the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok, music genres old and new had a moment in the spotlight. Genres such as synth-pop, Indie Pop, Hyperpop, nu-disco, pop-punk, emo-pop, house, indie rock, drill music, K-pop and afrobeats garnered considerable attention in the mainstream media.

British rock magazine Kerrang! wrote that Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" (2021) lead the commercial comeback of rock music in 2020–2021, noting how it is the first rock song since Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" (2003) to spend four or more weeks atop the UK Singles chart, alongside chart success of other rock-adjacent artists, such as Willow Smith, Machine Gun Kelly, Måneskin, and Miley Cyrus. Slate proclaimed that Rodrigo "might be the dying genre's best hope", pinpointing that "Good 4 U" is the "most up-the-middle rock song to top the [U.S.] Hot 100 in a decade or more".

Media outlets and fans online observed a music trend called "Sad Girl Autumn" or "Sad Girl Fall" in the early 2020s, which refers to the release of melancholic and introspective music by female artists during autumn, such as Swift's Red (Taylor's Version), Adele's 30, Clairo's Sling, Phoebe Bridgers' Punisher, and Mitski's Laurel Hell; it is a counterpart to "Hot Girl Summer", a catchphrase coined by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion with her 2019 song of the same name.

The drive for nostalgia and desire to return to pre-pandemic life has played a role in the shift toward older music. According to data observed throughout 2021 and 2022, 70% of music demand is for old songs and it is increasing every year. The top 200 most popular songs only accounted for 5% of total streams — and that small percentage has fallen by half over the last three years. Older musicians such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Bruce Springsteen were selling their music rights for hundreds of millions of dollars. These big names have always been popular, but according to some research, the vast majority of new downloads today are songs that are at least two years old. Other journalists have pointed out that the Gen Z demographic are more likely to listen to self-published and obscure acts due to the accessibility of the internet landscape, and even then acts such as Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat and Lil Nas X remained popular within that demographic thanks to their major label support systems. Gen Z had a fondness for shoegaze, a subgenre that peaked in the early 1990s, as well as other music from the 1970s and 1980s during the pandemic.

2020s was moving away from drops and hooks that was prevalence in the 2010s. Instead more of the aesthetic, mood, and vibrant. 2020s also saw the more use of the analog instruments like acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass guitars, drum kits, and electronic keyboards than electronic sound.

In 2023, the music Industry recorded its highest revenue of all time, with over $8.4 Billion in the first half of 2023. The RIAA reported that the number of people with streaming subscriptions has more than doubled since 2019. The Eras Tour, Swift's sixth headlining concert tour, became a cultural and economic phenomenon as well.

In the early 2020s, pop music saw its massive decline of the new rise of popstars compared to the 2010s. Billboard noted that Olivia Rodrigo and Ice Spice were the last successful breakthrough artists of the 2020s. Many were dominated by established pop acts from the previous decade and generation, with Taylor Swift being the most noticeable act.

Highlights (2020 to late-2022)

On July 5, 2022, American music magazine Billboard published an article listing "The 25 Musical Moments That Defined the First Quarter of the 2020s" in chronological order. They are:

  • Controversy regarding American music executive Deborah Dugan's position as the Recording Academy president/CEO
  • Murder of American rapper Pop Smoke
  • Cancellation of Austin music festival South by Southwest 2020
  • Verzuz, a webcast series by American record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz
  • Blackout Tuesday, a protest against racism and police brutality on June 2, 2020
  • Release of Folklore (2020), the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, as a surprise
  • Billboard Hot 100 number-one debut of "Dynamite", a 2020 single by South Korean pop group BTS
  • Viral video of TikTok user Doggface208, incorporating "Dreams" (1977) by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac
  • Sale of American musician Bob Dylan's music catalog to Universal Music Group
  • Billboard 200 number-one debut of El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (2020), the third studio album of Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny
  • Release of "Drivers License" (2021), the debut single of American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo
  • Controversy over American country singer Morgan Wallen's verbal usage of nigger, a racist anti-black slur
  • Sale of American DJ 3LAU's 33 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for around US$12 million
  • Release of "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", a 2021 single by American rapper Lil Nas X, and its music video
  • A concert at Madison Square Garden by American rock band Foo Fighters after a 15-month lockdown
  • Release of "WAP", the 2020 single by American rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, and its music video
  • "Blinding Lights" (2019) by Canadian singer the Weeknd becomes the longest charting song of all time on the Hot 100
  • Universal Music Group becoming a public company.
  • "Essence" (2020) by Nigerian singer Wizkid entering the top 10 region of the US Hot 100
  • Stampede at the opening night of Astroworld Festival, a concert by American rapper Travis Scott, killing 10 attendees and injuring hundreds—the deadliest concert tragedy in nearly two decades; it resulted in around 400 lawsuits.
  • Hot 100 number-one debut of Swift's 2021 song "All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)"
  • A Los Angeles concert in support of former gang leader Larry Hoover by Canadian musician Drake and American rapper Kanye West
  • Release of Encanto, a 2021 animated musical fantasy film by Disney
  • Vinyl LPs surpassing CDs in annual sales (2021) for the first time since 1991
  • Unanticipated popularity and commercial resurgence of "Running Up That Hill", the 1985 single by British singer-songwriter Kate Bush, following its usage in science fiction horror television series Stranger Things
  • Death of Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of Foo Fighters, in March 2022
  • Songs from Taylor Swift's Midnights monopolised the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 on the week of 5 November 2022.

North America

Pop

Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Doja Cat, the Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Lil Nas X are some of the best-selling pop artists of the decade. Several music executives and journalists projected Adele's 30 to sell over a million albums in its opening week in the US. However, when the album fell short of the one-million mark, selling 692,000 albums, The New York Times asked "if Adele couldn't sell more than a million albums in a single week, could any artist?" In October 2022, Swift's Midnights (2022) opened with over 1.1 million pure albums, with Rolling Stone asserting that Swift "has once again moved the goalposts regarding what the music industry can see as possible from a major pop star". Pop music continued to be successful in the 2020s, propelled by albums like Midnights, Sour, After Hours, Future Nostalgia, and Renaissance, the first of which found an exemplary, ubiquitous success across all formats of music consumption "unseen" since the 1990s.

Retro pop

The 2020s in music have provided heavily to the resurgence of musical elements brought to life in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

  • Motivated by early 1970s experimental and synth pop music, albums such as Harry Styles' Harry's House and Swift's Midnights drew influences from this era. Their respective lead singles "As It Was" and "Anti-Hero", both of which incorporated vintage synthesizers, were met with critical acclaim and instant commercial success. "As It Was" remained at number-one for 15 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100, becoming the longest-reigning solo song in history. Swift became the first artist ever to occupy the Hot 100's entire top 10 simultaneously with "Anti-Hero" at number-one. Harry's House and Midnights went on to win both Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 65th and 66th Annual Grammy Awards, respectively.
  • Influenced by the 1980s retro musical elements, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and The Weeknd incorporated heavy disco, funk, and synth-pop influences in their works such as Future Nostalgia, Special, and After Hours, respectively; all albums were met with commercial and critical acclaim. Lipa's singles "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating", Lizzo's "About Damn Time", and the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" and "Save Your Tears" were commercially successful. "Blinding Lights" went on to become the biggest Billboard Hot 100 song of all time, spending 90 weeks on the chart—the most for any song. Future Nostalgia won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. "About Damn Time" went on to win Record of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
  • Swift's re-recording of her fifth studio album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), was released in October 2023. The original album was inspired heavily by 1980s synth pop, and the re-record scored the highest first-week sales of 2023.
  • Miley Cyrus' seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts, was credited as a front-runner to the resurgence of pop-rock music, especially that of the 1970s-1980s. Critics claimed her transition from pop music to rock brought forth a nostalgic feel, one that will seemingly become a trend this decade. Her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, was preceded by the single, "Flowers", which was met with instant commercial success, becoming the fastest song to reach 100 million streams on Spotify—within a week.
  • Kate Bush's song "Running Up That Hill", which was actually released in the 1980s, gained a massive following after having a pivotal role in the fourth season of Stranger Things. Metallica's 1986 single "Master of Puppets" also saw a revival because of its inclusion in the show.
  • Lady Gaga's Chromatica and Beyoncé's Renaissance sought to recreate 1990s dance and house music styles. Gaga's "Rain on Me" and Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" reached the top spot on the Hot 100 chart. Renaissance won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, which ultimately named Beyoncé as the recipient of the most Grammy Awards of all time. Ariana Grande's Positions used heavy 1990s R&B and pop elements, crediting samples from popular artists from that decade, such as Aaliyah.
  • With its nostalgic presence for younger audiences, sounds from the early 2000s resurge into today's music with elements of indie rock, post-punk, and post-grunge.

Bedroom pop

Beginning in the late 2010s, the term "bedroom pop" gained greater exposure, and was frequently used to describe home-recorded DIY music that often featured downtempo, soft, and lo-fi characteristics. Songs dubbed "bedroom pop" often contained elements of vulnerability, honesty, and relatability to younger audiences. This new era of sounds brought many artists into the spotlight. Musicians such as Clairo, Gus Dapperton, Still Woozy, Cavetown, Wallows, Cuco, Beabadoobee, Hemlocke Springs, Chappell Roan, Conan Gray, and Girl in Red became popular through their social media presence. Songs such as Clairo's "Sofia", Beabadoobee's "Coffee", Springs' "Girlfriend" and Gray's "Heather" were commercially successful due to the prominence of TikTok, where all of the previously listed songs went viral. The use of TikTok has helped many bedroom pop artists rise to fame due to its easy-access and widespread audio listening availability. Some of these musicians writing music about lesbian relationships led to the term sapphic pop being coined.

North American Latin pop

Selena Gomez released her first Spanish-language project, Revelación, in March 2021. It incorporated urbano influences.

The soundtrack of Encanto, Disney's 2021 animated fantasy film, written and produced by American playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, was a viral phenomenon, enjoying widespread popularity on the internet. It has spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Far Out called the phenomenon "Encanto-mania". The TikTok videos tagged with the hashtag "#encanto" have received more than 11.5 billion views in total, as of January 23, 2022. The most popular song of the soundtrack was "We Don't Talk About Bruno", a salsa tune which experienced widespread commercial success in 2022. "Dos Oruguitas" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards.

On September 29, 2022, Aguilera performed "La Reina" at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards and received the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award. La Luz, the third and final EP from Christina Aguilera, was released that same day and featured a spoken intro by Aguilera and "No Es Que Te Extrañe".

Pop-punk

This decade has provided music with a clear resurgence of 2000's alt pop and pop-punk.

  • Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish are considered the front-runners in re-introducing the pop-punk genre to younger generations. Their inclusion of angsty pop hits, as well as acoustic power ballads has proven reminiscent of soft grunge albums found popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Released to instant critical and commercial acclaim, their respective albums, Sour and Happier Than Ever each spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Rodrigo's singles "Drivers License" and "Good 4 U" and Eilish's "Therefore I Am" and "Happier Than Ever" became commercially successful. Rodrigo went on to win Best Pop Solo Performance for "Drivers License", and Best Pop Vocal Album for Sour at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The momentum she received the year prior also awarded her with Best New Artist at the ceremony. Eilish won the same award at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, following the success of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. Rodrigo released her sophomore studio album, Guts, to instant acclaim. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and the lead single to the album, "Vampire", spent multiple weeks atop the Hot 100 chart.
  • Paramore released their first album in six years, This Is Why, to commercial acclaim, with the album debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The band is considered to have brought pop-punk back into the mainstream, a genre in which they were a major part of in the late 2000s.
  • Artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, Willow Smith, Maggie Lindemann, Meet Me @ the Altar, Kenny Hoopla, Origami Angel, Waterparks, Magnolia Park and Travis Barker released tracks that achieved general praise from the public. Tickets to My Downfall by Machine Gun Kelly reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in 2020. Willow Smith collaborated with Travis Barker from Blink-182 on the song "Transparent Soul" which reached the top 10 on the rock charts. Avril Lavigne also returned to the genre in collaborations with Barker and Mod Sun. The Chaos Chapter: Freeze and the repackage Fight or Escape by the Korean boyband Tomorrow X Together brought pop punk and emocore references, mainly on their lead singles "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)" and "Loser=Lover".
  • In another crossover phenomenon of the early 2020s several established rap artists released pop punk material, including Machine Gun Kelly, The Kid Laroi, Blackbear and Mod Sun.
  • The 2020s also marked the reunion of My Chemical Romance; in addition to their reunion tour, they released their new single The Foundations Of Decay. The bands Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy also made comebacks with the former's album Viva Las Vengeance and the latter released their album So Much (For) Stardust after going on the Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Weezer. Veteran punk bands Blink-182 and Simple Plan have also released their new music.

Hyperpop

Hyperpop-adjacent musicians like such as Charli XCX, Ayesha Erotica, Dorian Electra, Slayyyter, A.G Cook, Quinn, Alice Longyu Gao, Gupi, Hannah Diamond, Yung Lean, Midwxst, Arca, Ericdoa, Odetari, Frost Children, Glaive, Kim Petras, Jane Remover, Alice Glass, ElyOtto, Ecco2k, That Kid, Bladee and 100 gecs produced songs that were well received and became popular in niche LGBT music circles. Charli XCX's How I'm Feeling Now, due to its themes of self-reflection and social isolation, connected with listeners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scottish musician Sophie, who revolutionized avant-pop and experimental pop genres and represented transgender people in the electronic music scene, died on January 31, 2021.

Hip hop and R&B

Rap

Even though rap music saw a subtle decline in streaming popularity, established artists such as Drake, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar maintained their presence with successful album rollouts that garnered significant mainstream attention. Rappers such as Drake, Metro Boomin, Post Malone, J Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, Lil Durk, JID, NLE Choppa, Chris Brown, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Gunna, Rod Wave, YoungBoy Never Broke again and Future dominated the 2023 Billboard Hip-Hop and Rap chart.

Late in the 2010s and early 2020s, a generation of artists emerged with party rap music that emphasizes feminism and queer empowerment. Artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Doja Cat, BIA, City Girls, Saucy Santana, Baby Tate, Saweetie, Coi Leray, GloRilla, Flo Mili, Lil Nas X, Latto, Rico Nasty, and Ice Spice became prominent hip hop artists. Female rappers achieved widespread popularity and helped create the market for women in the predominantly male mainstream hip-hop genre thanks to their openly sexual lyrics and danceable instrumentation.

Megan Thee Stallion had two number one hits in the early half of the decade, including her collaboration with Cardi B titled "WAP" and her hit single "Savage".

Doja Cat quickly became one of the best-selling artists of the decade, despite her breakthrough being in late 2019. Her first number-one single, "Say So", aided this process, as it brought the public's attention to her work. In early 2021, Doja released the lead single "Kiss Me More" to her third studio album, Planet Her. The song received instant acclaim, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. After the release of Planet Her, Doja secured two more top-ten hits, with "Need To Know" and "Woman", peaking at number eight and seven, respectively. Planet Her became one of the best-selling albums of the decade, spending 26 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Her fourth studio album, Scarlet, debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, and was preceded by the number-one single, "Paint the Town Red".

Ice Spice reached popularity with the release of her debut EP, Like...?, launching her into commercial success. She was featured on PinkPantheress' "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2", giving both artists their first top ten hit. Spice's song, "Princess Diana" reached the top ten after a remix with Nicki Minaj was released. Taylor Swift released a remix with Spice on her song "Karma", which resulted in a peak of number two on the Hot 100 chart. Spice and Minaj collaborated once again for the Barbie soundtrack with their single "Barbie World", which samples "Barbie Girl" by Aqua—the song also charted within the top ten.

Nicki Minaj released her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2. The album is a direct sequel to her Billboard 200 chart-topping debut album, Pink Friday. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 14 of the songs charting on the Hot 100 chart.

Artists such as JPEGMafia, Clipping, Danny Brown, Run the Jewels, Moor Mother, Jungle Pussy and Genesis Owusu dominated the industrial hip hop scene in the early 2020s. Visions of Bodies Being Burned, the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Clipping, was released on October 23, 2020 through Sub Pop and received positive reviews from music critics.

R&B

Musicians such as The Weeknd, SZA, H.E.R, Bryson Tiller, Summer Walker, Jhené Aiko, Silk Sonic, Victoria Monét, Khalid, Daniel Caesar, PinkPantheress, Coco Jones, Miguel and Chris Brown dominated the 2023 R&B Billboard Charts.

In December 2022, SZA released her second studio album, SOS, which became her first number-one on the Billboard 200, and spent ten weeks atop the chart—the most weeks of any female artist since 2016, with Adele's 25. All of its 23 tracks charted on the Hot 100, becoming the second artist after Swift to chart 20 songs in a single week. One of its singles, "Kill Bill", was a major commercial success, peaking at number one on the Hot 100 chart, becoming her first song to do so. Another single, "Snooze", reached a new peak of number two on the chart almost ten months after its release. American singer Steve Lacy earned his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Bad Habit".

Drift phonk

In 2020, TikTok popularized the hip hop style drift phonk—a genre that was generally explored by music producers in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. In May 2021, following the rise in popularity of the genre Spotify released an official curated phonk playlist.

Rage

Rage rap is a subgenre of trap music featuring repetitive EDM synthesizer hooks, and straightforward rhythms. With their unique Rage Production Style, Fashion, and Chaotic Live Shows. underground hip-hop artists such Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, Lil Uzi Vert and Homixide Gang helped pioneer the Rage Rap wave of the early 2020s. The popularization of the genre has helped numerous artists gain popularity, including Yeat, Summrs, SoFaygo, Cochise, TyFontaine, Lancey Foux, KanKan, and more.

Jersey club

Jersey club is a fast, aggressive dance music style rooted in Baltimore's fusion of house and hip hop. It features harder kick sounds and chopped samples, with a distinctive "bounciness" due to its triplet percussive pattern. Common audio programs used in Jersey club's include Sony Acid Pro and FL Studio. 2018-2020 saw the resurgence of Jersey club music as artists like Unicorn151, Chad B, DJ Jay Hood, Cookiee Kawaii, and Uniiqu3 created original rap songs using Jersey club beats. This format allowed radio stations like Hot 97, Z100, Power 105.1, and Sirius XM to play these records regularly, gaining a wider audience. In 2022, Lil Uzi Vert released their song "Just Wanna Rock" which incorporates elements of Jersey Club and has since peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2023, many commercially successful K-pop songs began using elements of the Jersey Club drum pattern such as "Ditto" and "Super Shy" by NewJeans, and "Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's wife" by Le Sserafim.

Alternative, indie and folk

Influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists created unplugged, "stripped-down" music mainly driven by acoustic or classical music instruments and melancholic subject matter. Taylor Swift shifted from mainstream pop to adopt indie folk, alternative rock, and chamber pop styles. She released two of the best selling albums of 2020, Folklore and Evermore. Both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with their respective lead singles, "Cardigan" and "Willow" doing the same on the Hot 100 chart. Folklore spent a record eight weeks atop the Billboard 200, and won the Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Journalists contextualized both the albums as timely "pandemic projects", exploring the period's struggles through introspective and escapist themes.

Lana Del Rey released two folk-inspired studio albums in 2021: Chemtrails over the Country Club and Blue Banisters. Her ninth album, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, was released in 2023 to instant acclaim. Lorde ventured into psychedelic folk-pop in her third studio album, Solar Power, an apparent contrast to her previous album Melodrama. This transition from dance pop and electropop into indie and folk-pop has garnered the term "solar powerification", as many other artists have also made this shift. A prominent example includes Carly Rae Jepsen, with her changeover from her disco-infused albums Dedicated and Dedicated Side B into her stripped back, synth-based record The Loneliest Time.

Hozier released his third studio album, Unreal Unearth to instant acclaim. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and two of the singles preceding the album, "Eat Your Young" and "Francesca" reached the number one spot on Billboard's Adult Alternative chart.

Social media expanded the exposure of indie artists for established acts such as Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Steve Lacy, Rex Orange County, Mac Demarco, d4vd, TV Girl, Clairo, Laufey, Girl In Red, Men I Trust, Alex G, Lana Del Rey, Wallows, Beach Bunny, Phoebe Bridgers, Boygenius, Beabadoobie, Faye Webster, Her's, Dayglow, Current Joys, The Neighbourhood, Cigarettes After Sex, Joji, Boy Pablo, Beach House, and Mitski to lesser known artists like Black Country, New Road, Ethel Cain, Hemlocke Springs and Black Midi.

Glass Animals' breakout song "Heat Waves" stayed number one on the Billboard Alternative Charts for seven weeks in 2021, making it one of the most successful singles of the year. English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress released her debut mixtape To Hell with It, which received widespread acclaim in reviews from music critics upon release. To Hell with It was named the third best album of 2021 by Time and the fifth best album of the year by The New York Times's Jon Caramanica and Gigwise. Joji's "Glimpse of Us" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release, marking the singer-first songwriter's visit to the region. The song, which was released on June 10, 2022, received almost immediate acclaim, rocketing up the Official Singles Chart and also debuting straight inside the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.

Mitski released her sixth and seventh studio albums, Laurel Hell, and The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, respectively. The latter included Mitski's first Hot 100 charting song, "My Love Mine All Mine".

Country

American country music

The Billboard Hot 100 in the early 2020s was dominated by American country music. Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Oliver Anthony, Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, and Tyler Childers were just a few of the musicians that achieved success outside of the Nashville bubble and found mainstream music.

Dangerous: The Double Album by American country singer Morgan Wallen became the first country album to spend its first four weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart since Shania Twain's Up! did so in January 2003. In 2023, Wallen's One Thing at a Time lead the Billboard 200 for nine consecutive weeks following its release. Having finished third on American Idol, country artist Gabby Barrett released her debut single "I Hope" in 2019. It reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated April 25, 2020, and eventually topped the Hot Country Songs chart dated July 25, 2020, making it the first debut single by a female artist to top the latter since 2006.

Swift's re-recordings, Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version), were the top two best-selling country albums of 2021. Her decision to re-record her masters sparked worldwide interest, making Swift the first artist to have a re-recorded album reach number one on the Billboard 200, with Fearless (Taylor's Version). Her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version) also debuted at number one. The latter included "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)", a non-single at just over ten minutes, that became the longest song in history to chart at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her third re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was released in 2023 to instant critical and commercial acclaim, becoming the most streamed country album in a single day in Spotify history.

Country music's crossover appeal continued to grow during the early part of the decade, and it reached its zenith so far in the decade in August 2023, when for the first time since the inception of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the top three spots were occupied by country songs. At number one was "Try That in a Small Town" by Jason Aldean, followed by Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" at number two and Luke Combs' "Fast Car". This bested an occurrence that happened twice previously wherein the top two songs on the Hot 100 were country songs: May 31, 1975, by "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver; and during a three-week span from February 21 to March 7, 1981, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton" and "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt.

Kacey Musgraves' fourth studio album Star-Crossed received attention for its inclusion of disco and dance-pop, but sparked a genre categorization controversy with the Grammy Awards. After her submission to the Recording Academy in the country categories, her album was seemingly left out from any nominations, despite its positive reviews in contrast to other country albums released during the eligibility period. The academy stated that her record failed to include enough country material to be considered for country categories at the award ceremony. Musgraves questioned their judgment, after her previous album, Golden Hour included just as much influence from pop music, yet was nominated for, and won all awards that year, including Best Country Album, and Album of the Year.

In 2023, country-folk singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony became the male solo act with the most entries in the history of the top 50 Digital Song Sales in a single week at once while still alive, charting 13 songs simultaneously—Prince and Michael Jackson had exceeded that count only following their deaths.

Regional Mexican

The unexpected growth of Regional Mexican music was seen on the 2023 Billboard charts, even in English-speaking markets such as the United States. Artists such as Peso Pluma, Junior H, Christian Nodal, Natanael Cano, Eslabon Armado, DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo, Jasiel Nuñez, Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera, Marca MP, Luis R. Conriquez, Carin Leon, Yahritza y Su Esencia, among others have seen success in international markets. Their songs have charted on the Spotify charts and have gained millions of streams on popular music platforms, proving that regional Mexican music has transcended language barriers and resonated with listeners worldwide. This surge in popularity has not only opened doors for these artists but has also brought attention to the rich cultural heritage and diverse musical traditions of Mexico.

Rock, metal, and punk

The genres hard rock and heavy metal had declined in mainstream popularity by the early 2020s. However, Italian hard rock band Måneskin rose to worldwide prominence following the band's win at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with their song "Zitti e buoni". The Four Seasons' "Beggin'" covered by Måneskin reached the top ten on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and was ranked 66 in Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart of 2021. Several veteran acts have continued to maintain popularity worldwide, including AC/DC, whose 2020 album Power Up reached number one on the charts across the globe (including the United States, United Kingdom and their homeland Australia), while Iron Maiden earned their first top-five album on the Billboard 200, Senjutsu, for the first time in its 41-year recording career. Other veteran heavy metal acts, including Testament and Dream Theater, debuted on the inside of top 100 on the Billboard 200 with their respective albums Titans of Creation and A View from the Top of the World.

Soft rock is showcased through albums like Haim's Women In Music Pt. III, released to critical acclaim, the album amassed a nomination for the Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making them the first all-female band to be nominated for this award. Their single "The Steps" also received a nomination for the Best Rock Performance.

Supergroup Boygenius released their debut album, The Record, to instant acclaim. The Record became the highest-charting album for any of the members thus far, debuting at number one on the UK Album Chart, and number four on the US Billboard 200.

In 2023, Paul McCartney announced plans to release "the final Beatles record" later in the year with the assistance of an AI de-mixing technology previously used for Beatles documentary Get Back to be used on a demo John Lennon recorded shortly before his death. The track, "Now and Then", was released on November 2, 2023. Also in 2023, The Rolling Stones made a comeback with Hackney Diamonds, a new original studio album that topped the charts in 20 countries.

Nu metal saw its resurgence and the interest is at its highest since Google Trends started tracking searches in 2004. Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, with Deftones being the most surge in popularly. All had gone viral on TikTok and gained popularity among Generation Z.

Hardcore punk scene blew up in the early 2020s with considerable commercial and critical success. Turnstile and Knocked Loose were the most popular acts of this wave. Turnstile are the first rock act to join Rolling Loud and Knocked Loose was booked to play on Coachella.

Shoegaze

After a period of relative obscurity in the 2000s and early 2010s, Shoegaze experienced a resurgence in the mid-2010s and early 2020's with the emergence of new bands like DIIV, Nothing, and Whirr, who drew inspiration from the classic Shoegaze sound while incorporating modern production techniques and songwriting sensibilities. In the 2020s, this revival continued to gain momentum, with a growing number of contemporary bands incorporating Shoegaze elements into their music. Additionally, social media platforms like TikTok have helped to raise the profile of Shoegaze among Zoomer audiences, introducing the genre to a new generation of listeners. Contemporary Artists such as Wisp, Julie, Narrow Head, DIIV, Quannnic, FlyingFish, Jane Remover, Glare and Modern Color gained prominence in online music discussion circles.

Electronic

In the 2020s, Breakcore underwent a revival, bringing a different sound than the songs that were previously produced in the 1990's. It also added a new aesthetic focus on anime, 2010s nostalgia, video games and internet culture. Machine Girl and Goreshit were considered to be influential to the revival's new sound and aesthetic.

Soundtrack

Movie soundtrack albums have been receiving newfound attention, recently coined "The Barbie Effect", due to the profound impact from movies like Barbie. Multiple songs from the film went viral, and charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was preceded by hit singles like Eilish's "What Was I Made For?", as well as Charli XCX's "Speed Drive", both charting on the Hot 100. Songs that reached the top ten included Lipa's "Dance the Night", and Minaj and Ice Spice's "Barbie World", which featured the original singers of "Barbie Girl", Aqua. Barbie the Album debuted at number two of the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting soundtrack album of 2023.

Asia

K-pop

The 2020s have featured some heavily successful group debuts. In November 2020, BTS became the first Korean pop artist to be recognized by the Recording Academy when "Dynamite" received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards; they were again nominated the following year with "Butter". On April 16, 2022, 2NE1 reunited after 6 years with a surprise performance on the main stage of Coachella, with Aespa also performing on the same stage the following weekend. During the same year, several top second generation artists made an official comeback after years of inactivity, including BigBang, Girls' Generation, and Kara. Blackpink's 2022 album Born Pink became the first album by a female group to top the chart since Danity Kane's Welcome to the Dollhouse in 2008. In addition, it marked the first time a girl group simultaneously topped the album charts in the United States and United Kingdom in 21 years, since Destiny's Child's Survivor in 2001.

The sales of K-pop albums continued to show strong performance in the American market in 2023, with 7 of the 10 best-selling CD albums in the US being K-pop albums. Four K-pop groups were named amongst the top-ten best-selling artists worldwide in 2023 by the IFPI, including Seventeen, Stray Kids, TXT, and NewJeans.

Korean hip hop and R&B

In the 2020s, Korean hip hop and Korean R&B continued to sustain popularity on the Spotify charts, with artists such as Jay Park, Tiger JK, J-Hope, Changmo, DPR Live, DPR Ian, Dean, Bibi, Zico, and Jessi attracting mainstream audiences with their blend of Korean and Western musical styles. Their music has not only gained recognition domestically, but also internationally. Other notable K-hip-hop and R&B artists include Epik High, Sik-K, Big Naughty, E Sens, PH-1, Kid Milli, Leellamarz, Yang Hong-won, Beenzio, and Heize. Their diverse styles have contributed to the genre's growing success and appeal to a global audience.

Europe

Pop

So far Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Dua Lipa have been some of the most popular and influential European musicians.

Electronic

Latin America and Caribbean

Latin pop

Latin pop and other Latin music genres such as reggaeton continue to be successful in the 2020s. Anitta's "Envolver" song became the first song by a Latin female act to reach the number one on Spotify Global Daily chart, reaching the number two on the Billboard Global 200 and the number one in Billboard Global Excl. U.S.

Reggaeton

The late 2010s saw a major cultural resurgence in Latin dance music with hip hop influences which carried throughout the 2020s, especially throughout 2022 and 2023, when the interest in Spanish-language songs in North America grew rapidly. Initially, artists such as Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone, Ozuna, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro saw crossover success in the United States while remaining popular internationally. After the success of Bad Bunny's 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti, which had already become the most streamed Spanish-language album on Spotify within the first few months of release, Spanish-language songs started occupying at least 20-25% of the Billboard Hot 100 on an average week, compared to about 5-10% in 2020, with artists such as Bizarrap, Grupo Frontera, Peso Pluma, and Shakira being among the most popular during this new wave. Released in May 2022, Manuel Turizo's single "La Bachata" achieved commercial success, spending 26 weeks at number-one on the Billboard Latin charts.

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Oceania

Africa

Afrobeat

In the 2020s, several Afrobeat-influenced songs and artists have achieved notable success on various Billboard charts, particularly the World Digital Song Sales chart and the World Albums chart. These charts track the sales and performance of music from around the world, including genres like Afrobeat.

Artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Mr Eazi, Yemi Alade, Afro B, and Tiwa Savage, among others, have been instrumental in popularizing Afrobeat on a global scale. Their chart-topping albums and singles, which blend Afrobeat with contemporary pop, hip-hop, and R&B influences, have garnered commercial success.

Burna Boy's album "African Giant" and Wizkid's album "Made in Lagos" both received critical acclaim and achieved significant chart success on the Billboard World Albums chart. Additionally, songs like Burna Boy's "Ye," Wizkid's "Essence," and Davido's "Fall" have garnered millions of streams and downloads worldwide, contributing to the genre's growing presence on streaming platforms and the Billboard charts.

See also

  • 2010s in music

References


Text submitted to CC-BY-SA license. Source: 2020s in music by Wikipedia (Historical)



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